NHL...

End of one season or end of the NHL?

Very soon there will be no season this year. Seems funny because this mean both sides ( owners and players ) lose a lot not forgetting the fans. Also the stats say that the career of some 400+ players ended the last time there was no season played, no reasons given but anyway...

 

2 reasons.... Stupidity and greed. This current strike/lockout without a major TV contract ?

I've been a huge fan of the Blues since 1967. No as much a fan after the last strike and now I could care less. I'm gone !

 

Oddly enough, I will only regret seeing the demise of the NHL for one reason. One of my friends, and two of my relatives enjoy watching the sport. I cannot stand the game on TV, enjoyed it in person watching the minor league teams in my area, but even they had to fold due to lack of fan base. Without a fan base willing to watch the sport on TV in America, it cannot sustain the salaries of the players, nor the greed of the owners. Won't miss it in the least personally, Jim might, as will my cousins I suppose.

 

When labor unions came about in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, I don't think anyone expected there to be millionaires fighting billionaires over profits gleaned from the middle class.

"Well, it's sundown on the union
And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
'Til greed got in the way."

Union Sundown by Bob Dylan​

 

Looks like it´s high time to start playing or the season is over...

The NHL and the players' association will start the new year right where they ended the old one - at the bargaining table.

The sides got together Monday for the first time since Dec. 13, and the union brought along a counterproposal in response to the 288-page contract offer the NHL presented on Thursday. There were some discussions between the negotiators inside the league's midtown Manhattan headquarters and some time spent apart in internal caucuses.

''This discussion was for us to respond and for them to ask questions and us to explain a number of the points we made,'' union executive director Donald Fehr said. ''We covered the range of subjects that their document included.''

After several hours passed, the NHL said it would be going over the players' new contract offer on Monday night and would get back to the union in the morning. Commissioner Gary Bettman said he expected negotiations would restart Tuesday afternoon.

 

So the games begin. Ovetshkin said that some Russian players might not return from the KHL but we´ll see. I read Kovaltshuk is not at the moment willing to return...

 

I think this Drew Litton cartoon says it all for most of the former NHL fans.

 

LET'S GO BLUES!!! View attachment 18229

 

Another Blues Fan !!

 

Canadians will never give up their hockey, our Canucks have been sold out for years and will continue to be so. It is more than a game up here, it is a passion. Me, I'd rather watch the juniors but I'm in the minority. The young folks truly enjoy the NHL.

KTK

 

The Finals...

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sharp-scores-blackhawks-lead-bruins-011648687--nhl.html

The Boston Bruins were mad when they played poorly in the first period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals. Then they went out and got even with the Chicago Blackhawks.
This group of Bruins is one resilient bunch.
Daniel Paille scored at 13:48 in overtime and Boston used another great performance by Tuukka Rask to overcome a sluggish start in a 2-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Saturday night, tying the series at a game apiece.
''We got rewarded because I thought from the second period on, we were a good team, a better team, and by the end I thought we had more chances,'' Bruins coach Claude Julien said.

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It´s gonna be a tight series. I would not be surprised if we saw it end in the 7th match...

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/5-things-learned-game-4-073221461--nhl.html

That was no news Chicago had toget bodies in front of Rask to score but I did not realize...

"The Bruins made it a long night for Chicago goalie Corey Crawford as well, finding a vulnerable spot on his glove side and targeting it all game. All five of Boston's goals were to Crawford's glove side..."

Ouch!! On his glove side...

 

And it used to be so nice to be middle class, until we got gleaned and fleeced. So sad. Hard for me to go to a game anymore and get fleeced a bit more. Only to let the children experience it do I attend at all.

 

OOps! Almost forgot. Congrats Chicago! Great time to come back from 1-2 in games to win 4-2, and the last game two goals within two minutes of the end of the game to win the Cup!

If anything I was suprised how injured many of the players were. Many had broken bones, ruptured muscles etc but they had to and wanted to play...

 

Oh no Justin...