NHL 2021: I Pledge Allegiance to Gritty

[JF_Gophers]

I wish Minnesota was in the east. 10 pm starts suck.

[aparch]

I wish Minnesota was in the east. 10 pm starts suck.

I really wish they would experiment with the Towes/Pandemic schedule alignment. Towes was a big proponent of "series" scheduling (like college hockey or baseball) where you'd play the same team back-to-back, like they did (more extreme) in the pandemic schedule.

I'd be fine with eliminating the "see every team in the league every year" and go to a "see everyone in your conference and half the other conference every year" schedule to allow more in-conference and divisional games.

[state of hockey]

I wish Minnesota was in the east. 10 pm starts suck.

I'm a night owl, so I don't agree. The kid's bedtime never interferes with it either. :^)

[Jimjamesak]

I think they'd just move Vegas to the central, honestly.

Not without plenty of kicking and screaming. Those games against the Kings and Ducks are pretty lucrative.

[Jimjamesak]

I wish Minnesota was in the east. 10 pm starts suck.

Given the recent reports and rumors, your soccer team may end up in the East soon…

[state of hockey]

Not without plenty of kicking and screaming. Those games against the Kings and Ducks are pretty lucrative.

They wouldn't really have choice. Doubt they move a team on the coast and they certainly wouldn't split Calgary and Edmonton.

But again, this is all moot. Houston is where they end up and nothing shifts.

[Kepler]

Why not Portland? (surely there must be a reason I guess if they're not there already but it's west coast and they're Top 25 for market).

I love Portland.
I love hockey.
I love Portland hockey.

We can't support a team. It is ironic given what Portland's rep is nationally, but Portland hockey is lower income working class. They simply cannot afford the N's obscene prices. A few corporate as-sholes would love having the luxury box write-off, and a few guys like me would love to relive their college fandom glory days, but the Portland hockey community makes Philly and Boston look like the wine & cheese crowd. They are based, but they are also poor AF.

The Winterhawks are perfect for Portland.

[Jimjamesak]

Of course.

[JF_Gophers]

Of course.

I wouldnt want to go either. 1) China, 2) real/fake pandemic 3) Did i mention its in China?

[Jimjamesak]

Best generation of American players to ever play and zero of them will play at the Olympics…

[RaceBoarder]

One of the comments touched on the time difference between China and North America.

Do we know a schedule? 3am games are kinda useless and 11pm or 7am starts are only slightly better

[Spartanforlife4]

I wouldnt want to go either. 1) China, 2) real/fake pandemic 3) Did i mention its in China?

Regarding 2, were there any large outbreaks among athletes in Tokyo? I know there were some cases, but I believe most of those were people testing positive upon arrival.

[JF_Gophers]

Regarding 2, were there any large outbreaks among athletes in Tokyo? I know there were some cases, but I believe most of those were people testing positive upon arrival.

Edit: Had my quarantines mixed up. but fixed upon research!

Japan had 3-day quarantine on arrival, and a covid hotel for ongoing issues.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

To be frank, while I can sympathize with the league's concerns, I'm getting tired of the brass and the players treating the Olympics as a bargaining chip. I fully understand that if they don't go, the Olympics will likely be dominated by Sweden, Finland, and Russia sending their top remaining pros, but they need to stop jerking around the fans, and the hopes of the top amateurs and minor leaguers who might otherwise get to go. Either send your players every time, or don't - make a ****ing decision and stick with it.

[Jimjamesak]

It’s the owners, and only the owners, ****ing around with this. The players have repeatedly made it clear they want play, it’s the owners who keep insisting on negotiating this BS.

The only reason this is a problem is because NHL owners are collectively the dumbest in all of sports. Because only the NHL finds it impossible to use the Olympics to grow their sport.