Hot Ice: NHL Thread

[ursus arctos]

List here.

Eight franchises have never appeared, while Chicago have played in half a dozen

[Hot Pepsi]

That’s more diversity than I thought, but it also includes the stadium series, which doesn’t get as much attention as the one on New Years.

[Flynnie]

NBC is only going to feature a handful of teams. They have tried to push out the boat, and the Leafs-Wings game drew viewers, but the Habs-Bruins game didn't.

[ursus arctos]

Perhaps it will pick up after Xmas, but there is noticeably less “buzz” for the Rangers/Sabres Winter Classic at Citi Field than there was for the Yankee Stadium games in 2014.

[Flynnie]

Perhaps it will pick up after Xmas, but there is noticeably less “buzz” for the Rangers/Sabres Winter Classic at Citi Field than there was for the Yankee Stadium games in 2014.

I think it's all played out really. I looked and apparently last year's WC between the Blackhawks and Blues fared even worse than Habs-Bruins, so it wasn't necessarily a Canadian team dragging down the ratings.

You had a lot grabbing the neutrals in the first couple WCs. Iconic venues like Wrigley, Fenway and the Big House, and Crosby vs. Ovechkin. After that it's been pretty boring stuff.

They should really take a risk on doing something on the West Coast. Sharks-Kings in AT&T Park or the LA Memorial Coliseum might move the needle again.

[ursus arctos]

The Islanders have cleared the first regulatory hurdle for developing a new arena (and associated hoo-hah) near Belmont Park on the Queens/Nassau border.

NYCFC had also expressed interest in the site.

[Hot Pepsi]

The Islanders still have a long way to go to figure out a way to pay for it.

[Southport Zeb]

A businessman has told them he's good for the money

[ursus arctos]

Presumably all of the related developments (retail, hotel, an “innovation center”) is supposed to fund that.

Though they are also budgeting for more than 100 non-hockey dates, which seems aggressive

[Hot Pepsi]

http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2017/1...ll-pay-for-it/

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

A good a place as any to note my son's Xmas present to me, and my favourite present from anyone for many years - a 'proper' Devils top with BRODEUR 30 on the back. He ordered it in October and got increasingly angsty as Christmas approached and it hadn't turned up. It arrived on Friday.

[jason voorhees]

A good a place as any to note my son's Xmas present to me, and my favourite present from anyone for many years - a 'proper' Devils top with BRODEUR 30 on the back. He ordered it in October and got increasingly angsty as Christmas approached and it hadn't turned up. It arrived on Friday.

Smart kid

"A businessman has told them he's good for the money"
Legit LOL. My ribs hurt.

Loved the USA-Canada yesterday.

[Ray de Galles]

Perhaps it will pick up after Xmas, but there is noticeably less “buzz” for the Rangers/Sabres Winter Classic at Citi Field than there was for the Yankee Stadium games in 2014.

Watching it now and it seems absolutely dead, no atmosphere at all. I always think these Winter Classics are a terrible gimmicky idea and baseball parks seems even less suited to the sport than gridiron ones.

Citi Field looks absurd :

[ursus arctos]

The uniforms are good, and the weather has cooperated to allow for a semblance of normal play.

That's it for positives.

[jefe]

Going to NJ @ NYI Sunday.

Really not optimistic.

[jefe]

And yet, we won in a shootout.

Barclays would be a great place for watching hockey if it were 30 feet longer.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Probably only of significance to ursus and myself, but Daniel and Henrik Sedin have just announced their retirement.

"It's time to help with homework every night. It's time to be at every birthday party and to stand in the cold at every hockey rink, soccer game and riding lesson on weekends. It's time to be at home for dinner every night."

[ursus arctos]

Very much for the best for all concerned, methinks.

I assume that their numbers will be retired simultaneously.

[Amor de Cosmos]

It couldn't be any other way. I consider myself lucky to have watched them on a regular basis. As players they were truly uncanny and played the game as all games are meant to be played. And as people they were generous to a fault.

“They communicate like dolphins. They don’t really talk on the ice. It’s only sounds, and it sounds like dolphins.” — Alex Burrows

[jason voorhees]

Real sorry it's over/happy you got to see them, AdC - urs.

Loved reading your Sedin posts over the years, AdC. At least the last few games will be sellouts.

[Anton Gramscescu]

The Jets are still in with a chance of breaking the 2011 Canucks points total, which would make them the best Canadian team this century. Need to win their last four games against mostly soft opposition (Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary and Chicago).

The Jets - the actual fucking Jets, none of this Atlanta horseshit - have only ever won two playoff series, both against Calgary, the last one in 1987, and in both cases proceeded to get swept by the Oilers in the second round. They have never thus never won a quarterfinal game. I believe only Columbus can rival this level of futility.

[ursus arctos]

It will hurt more when Vegas wins the Cup.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Manitobans are simple people, we don't ask for much: as long as we can make the semis against Vegas it will have been a dream season.

(to the extent momentum matters though, I'd take us though.)

[jason voorhees]

In KHL semifinal news, SKA leads CSKA 2-1 after a 5-2 win for the St. Petes, and AK Bars of Kazakhstan leads Traktor Chelyabinsk 3-0.

[ursus arctos]

SKA/CSKA has been intriguing, as both clubs benefitted from outrageously biased officiating in earlier rounds.

Expect Vlad's SKA to take the Gagarin Cup.