NHL sucks

[Xterminator27]

what a bunch of wankers, these players are getting payed MILLIONS of dollars to fucking play a sport, a kid i know's brother plays/played in the NHL and got like 2 million bucks a year (and hes one of the shittier players) Some good players get like 20 million a year.

SO THE PLAYERS GO ON STRIKE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT GETTING PAYED ENOUGH

now theres no hockey season for the whole year because the NHL commitee refuses to pay these guys even MORE millions and the players are to stubborn to realize they would be still flipping burgers if it wasnt for the NHL committee.

people suck

[The Lithium]

It's such a good thing it's a lockout, 'cause SOOO many players goes to Sweden! :D

[RMadd]

i'm with you on this X... NHL definitely needs a salary cap. i dunno how it's viewed in Canada, but here in the States, it's viewed, by and large, as a niche sport. people just don't care about the NHL at all. i remember seeing a poll on espn's website the other day. 65,000 people had responded, at that point, to the question: when will you miss the NHL? 20% said when the playoffs (second season) roll around. 60%--60%!!!--said not at all!!!!!! i'm in the 20%. I usually don't care that much about the Blues until near playoffs time. But, given that 80% of sports fans (i'd have to assume that that's the majority "demographic" visiting ESPN's website) don't care about the NHL regular season, is it really right for the players to whine about being underpaid? hell no! especially when the NHL is without a regular TV contract like MLB, NFL, or NASCAR has. absolutely ridiculous. plus, ticket prices are ridiculously high, and most teams have attendance problems. i hope this lockout, however long it lasts, further alienates the NHL, just to show how moronic players are. Fuck the NHL!

[Dogstar]

Both the owners and the players are to blame. The owners created this mess by paying the outrageous salaries in the first place, so I have no fricken sympathy for them. And you're right about the TV money, it just isn't there. Plus, there are too many teams, and the talent pool has been diluted, IMO. The playoffs take too long. A champion team has the potential to play 28 more games beyond the regular season. That's almost a third of a season in addition to the regular season. Both the players and the owners are seriously shooting themselves in the foot in this case. It's ridiculous.

[Mulletman]

Nah, blame the unions.

[Steve]

Both the owners and the players are to blame. The owners created this mess by paying the outrageous salaries in the first place, so I have no fricken sympathy for them. And you're right about the TV money, it just isn't there. Plus, there are too many teams, and the talent pool has been diluted, IMO. The playoffs take too long. A champion team has the potential to play 28 more games beyond the regular season. That's almost a third of a season in addition to the regular season. Both the players and the owners are seriously shooting themselves in the foot in this case. It's ridiculous.

I disagree with regards to the playoffs taking too long. I think it's perfect. In fact in the AHL (minor leagues to the NHL) my home team won the championship last year. GO MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS!! Sure the games extend into April/May but it's worth it. The problem with hockey in the states is that it seems to be an underrated sport. Hockey is only on television on ESPN and on ABC at the end of the year. That's it. If there was more time for it on network television, I truly think more people would get into the sport.

I also disagree with the number of teams. I think it's just perfect. The problem with diluted talent can be resolved with a salary cap I believe.

I do agree that the players and owners are to blame, however it's now time to get on the owners' side. If the sport is going to prosper, there needs to be a salary cap. Teams with less money can't compete. Football (and basketball?) has survived with a salary cap, I think hockey can.

I think it's far too late now to save the sport. With another lockout this year, I think the NHL is going to go down the tubes. At least there's still exciting AHL hockey!! I Just got home from the first game of the year - Milwaukee Admirals beat their arch rival Chicago Wolves 4-2 :D GO ADMIRALS!!

[Dogstar]

I disagree with regards to the playoffs taking too long. I think it's perfect. In fact in the AHL (minor leagues to the NHL) my home team won the championship last year. GO MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS!! Sure the games extend into April/May but it's worth it. The problem with hockey in the states is that it seems to be an underrated sport. Hockey is only on television on ESPN and on ABC at the end of the year. That's it. If there was more time for it on network television, I truly think more people would get into the sport.

I also disagree with the number of teams. I think it's just perfect. The problem with diluted talent can be resolved with a salary cap I believe.

I do agree that the players and owners are to blame, however it's now time to get on the owners' side. If the sport is going to prosper, there needs to be a salary cap. Teams with less money can't compete. Football (and basketball?) has survived with a salary cap, I think hockey can.



Hehe, you weren't around for the good old days of the 1970s before expansion. That's when the playoffs ended at a reasonable date. The Cup finals go into June and that's just wrong. Hockey should not be played in June. The Cup used to be won by early May, and then it was baseball. Most of the playoffs in the four major sports are too long, even baseball, and there is way too much overlap. I think the NHL should shorten the regular season by at least a couple of weeks and revamp the playoffs to cut down on the number of teams that get in. Ask most casual hockey fans about the season, and most will say they don't give a crap until the playoffs begin. It's almost a third of a season, if the eventual champion ends up playing a seven-game series in each round. It's insane.

I don't think a cap will solve the talent dilution problem. You still need players to fill the rosters. Cutting down the number of teams would help improve that, I think. Hockey doesn't rate in some of the U.S. cities where it resides, especially in Southern states. There are even way too many teams in California.

[RMadd]

Nah, blame the unions.that's a pretty good mantra for life in general, i'd say

[fluttergirl]

It's a sport. Yes, there's money in it, but come on, tell me, if you could get paid a measly million dollars a year to play the sport you love, you wouldn't.
Honestly (Keeping in mind i dont generally follow this kinda stuff), I wish they would just pull up ppl from minor leauges, and let Major leaugers trickle back in, when they see they arent gonna get more money, or when they pop up from college or whatever.
I'm kinda biased though, cuz there are professional soccer players out there who have to get second jobs to support themselves, and they don't complain.

[RMadd]

they need to cut the league down to about 16 teams, 20 at the most... 6-8 teams make the playoffs (either NFL or MLB format... 16 of however many there are is wayyyyyyyy too many)

[Dogstar]

Right on, 16 or 20 teams would be fine, and I agree, 16 teams is too many for the playoffs.

[Xterminator27]

yes but your fotgeting one main thing

more teams = more money