NHL Thread 2010/11

[darkstarexodus]

Gutsy performances from both Vancouver and Tampa.

I thought the Lightning were terrible for the first half of tonight's game but completely turned it around with their equalizer. St Louis and Downie were amazing, St Louis especially.

One game away.

 

[darkstarexodus]

It hurts.

I should be on Expedia booking flights now. This wound can only be healed by the drink.

 

[darkstarexodus]

BTW, good luck to the Bruins. I hope it's a good series. Contemplating going to games in Vancouver though tickets are starting at $600 for upper deck from what I've seen so far, which is a little steep for a team I'm not that passionate about.

Most likely I'll stay at home and mope.

 

[darkstarexodus]

Winnipeg finally got its hockey team back. Well, a different one, but it's good enough. I almost feel bad for the Bruins and Canucks because this is far bigger news right now. Absolutely amazing to see the rally. Really hope my hometown proves it deserves to be a major league city again.

 

[SaintGeorge67]

they won't be the Jets?

 

[darkstarexodus]

Unclear if they'll be called the Jets at this point. I'm torn on the issue. I have a lot of fondness for that history but, at the same time, can understand why some desire to start afresh. If Winnipeg had brought back the Coyotes then I would certainly have wanted them to be renamed the Jets. As it stands, I'm leaning in that direction but not firmly.

 

[Holle]

A totally new team or does one team move?

 

[redsar]

It's Atlanta Thrashers

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/atlanta-thrashers-moving-to-winnipeg/article2029179/

 

[darkstarexodus]

[quote author=Holle link=topic=42149.msg1341238#msg1341238 date=1306918979]
A totally new team or does one team move?
[/quote]

One team moves. The Atlanta Thrashers will be moving to Winnipeg for the 2011-12 season.

As a Winnipegger, I feel for the (admittedly small number of) fans in Atlanta, seeing as how Winnipeg lost its team to Phoenix in the mid-90s. But there is no doubt that Winnipeg is a hockey market (even if it is a small market) and Atlanta is not (this is the second NHL franchise they've lost; the Calgary Flames began life in Atlanta in the 70's).

Franchise moves are not terribly uncommon in North American sports the way they are in football, unfortunately. The NHL in particular has had an array of moves over the past 40 years. The New Jersey Devils came from Kansas City via Colorado, Phoenix from Winnipeg, Dallas from Minneapolis-St Paul (which actually had absorbed Cleveland's team two decades earlier), San Jose was created as part of the Minnesota move to Dallas, Colorado Avalance from Quebec, Carolina from Hartford. Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa have all nearly left Canada in the past 20 years. Florida, the Islanders, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Tampa Bay have all been at risk in the past ten.

 

[Le Chacal]

Boring game last night...Canucks scoring in the last seconds.

 

[darkstarexodus]

I actually missed the game but I hear it was pretty exciting, despite the low score.

 

[darkstarexodus]

Well, Winnipeg's season tickets are sold out. There was a 2 1/2 day pre-sale open only to season ticket holders of the minor league franchise that had been there for the past several years and is now being forced to move. The remaining season tickets went on sale today at noon and sold out in ***10*** minutes. There is already an 8,000 person season ticket waiting list that has been capped and closed off this afternoon. In order to purchase tickets, you had to make a five year commitment. There will be less than 1,000 single-game tickets available for each of the 41 home games. This looks like every game for at least the next five years will be sold out.

So, despite having the smallest arena in the league, Winnipeg's ticket revenue will be in the top half to top third of the league. AND WE WERE FORCED TO WAIT FIFTEEN FUCKING YEARS TO GET OUR TEAM BACK AND EVEN THEN NAYSAYERS SAID WE WOULDN'T SUPPORT IT!


Oh, and I have a share of two season tickets. So excited. Doesn't matter that I live five hours away, I'll be making it back for my 5-10 games a year.

 

[Le Chacal]

Bruins won the Stanley Cup in game 7 at Vancouver.

Riots in the canadian city.

 

[darkstarexodus]

Vancouver, much like Michael Hutchence, took choking too far. Dismal performance.

A friend of mine called Luongo LeBrongo.

And, of course, the embarrassing riots and property damage after. Would have happened if they won, too.

 

[Sunny]

Those riots were pretty unnecessary really. Over a hockey game ? And they say footy fans are bad..

 

[livvy145]

 

[darkstarexodus]

[quote author=Sunny link=topic=42149.msg1350896#msg1350896 date=1308315046]
Those riots were pretty unnecessary really. Over a hockey game ? And they say footy fans are bad..
[/quote]

It certainly doesn't happen every year but Vancouver has rioted two of the three times they made the Finals (1994 and this year). Montreal fans are legendary for rioting, win or lose. Definitely up there with anything football-related.

It's embarrassing. Glad I'm not from there.

 

[Sunny]

[quote author=darkstarexodus link=topic=42149.msg1351243#msg1351243 date=1308381771]
[quote author=Sunny link=topic=42149.msg1350896#msg1350896 date=1308315046]
Those riots were pretty unnecessary really. Over a hockey game ? And they say footy fans are bad..
[/quote]

It certainly doesn't happen every year but Vancouver has rioted two of the three times they made the Finals (1994 and this year). Montreal fans are legendary for rioting, win or lose. Definitely up there with anything football-related.

It's embarrassing. Glad I'm not from there.
[/quote]

Really surprising that. Especially when a team wins. Very odd indeed.

 

[darkstarexodus]

I don't pretend to understand it myself.