2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

[Terrierbyassociation]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

You're missing my point. There's a threat from both sides. I am trying to figure out what would happen as a result from those threats, and working backwards.

Does Bettman want to face the players' threats, no matter how ludicrous, or will he bend? And vice versa?

He's not going to bend. The NHL gets nothing out of the players going to Sochi. The players get something: playing in the Olympics.

The owners want something back.

And if they're going to do Sochi, for the love of God make sure that the break actually doesn't have the Stanley Cup Finals up against the NBA Finals.

[Slap Shot]

Brent, you're severely over-estimated the players' hands.

Also: http://www.startribune.com/sports/wi...UBP7hUiacyKUUr

U.S. men's hockey GM Brian Burke went on rant Saturday when the topic of the NHL's participation in 2014 Winter Games was brought up:

"I don't like how it's been characterized as Gary Bettman's view, because I don't think it's fair to Gary. I've been in that room where owners have stood up and said, 'We are not going to the Olympics after this one.'

"Imagine some of our markets where we're challenged attendance-wise, and you get into a situation where an Atlanta or Florida are fighting for a playoff spot, actually generating interest, people are following their team, and then we close our doors for 2 1/2 weeks and say, 'Thanks for your patronage, but come back in 2 1/2 weeks.' Any other business in the world did that, they'd win some award for imbecility. But we do it.

"Everyone says, look at the matchup, 'Canada-U.S., this is marvelous.' What was the matchup in Torino? What juice did we get out Nagano? Nothing.

"Rene Fasel says, 'Oh, they have to go, it's the best hockey.' Well, from a business perspective, it does not make sense for us. ... There are really compelling business reasons to not go."

Also: http://www.startribune.com/sports/wi...7PQLanchO7DiUr

Since the NHL began suspending its season four Olympics ago and flooding these Games with the best the sport has to offer, fantastic memories have been created.

More memories will be formed during Sunday's final event of these 2010 Winter Games, and quite frankly, you should cherish every moment of it.

Because in four years when the Olympics turn to Sochi -- a Russian resort city on the Black Sea -- NHLers might not be there to participate.

Much to the dismay of the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation, the NHL has yet to commit to participating in the 2014 Olympics and it's hardly a shoo-in they will.

"It's clear when you look at these Games from 30,000 feet, it's all good," Commissioner Gary Bettman said at the start of these Olympics during a joint news conference with the head of the IIHF, Rene Fasel. "But you do have to take a step back at ground level and look at the impact on our season and what perhaps we can do about it."

Most passionate hockey fans who don't take time to study the issues are quick to attack Bettman. But if only it were that simple.

First of all, let's be clear: The NHL doesn't make money off the Olympics. This is not a partnership.

Here in 2010, 141 of the 276 players in the Olympics were from the NHL because the league was willing to hand over its assets and go on hiatus for two weeks.

Yet, the league has no control over these players, so for example, if NHL.com wants to interview a player, the league's own website must get behind a mixed-zone barrier and reach across a maze of reporter arms like the rest of us.

The original point of the Olympics was to grow the game globally and gain exposure for this wonderful sport. Yet the league has no control when Olympics rights-holder, and coincidentally NHL partner, NBC, decides to take the recent Canada-U.S. preliminary game -- the most watched sporting event in Canadian history -- and throw it on cable partner MSNBC.

With playoff races heating up, the league simply goes dark. It condenses its schedule and has teams go through an exhaustive pace in order to get in its 82-game season. It hurts the product when at least one of the two teams in virtually every game played the night before in a different city.

Focusing on Sochi specifically, it won't be easy to get the NHL players to and from. While TV coverage in Vancouver is conducive to North American viewers, games in Sochi will be played while most Americans and Canadians are sleeping or scrambling their eggs. And right now, there is a nonexistent relationship between the NHL and what should be their hockey partners in Russia.

The Kontinental Hockey League has shown no respect for NHL contracts, routinely trying to poach players, and in some cases actually doing so. The prime example is Nashville Predators forward Alex Radulov who, while still under contract to the Predators, signed a deal with a KHL team.

This is not to defend the NHL, which many believe is just haggling so it has a bargaining chip with players in the next collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

The players overwhelmingly want to participate, and the Olympic Games are so competitive, exciting and in some cases unpredictable, it would be tragic if the NHL was not involved.

But there are real issues to confront and it's not always as simple as blaming Gary Bettman and calling him shortsighted and stubborn.

Still, as the Team Canada boss Steve Yzerman says, "I think it's been great for the game, and it's been great for the NHL. My opinion is it would be a mistake for us to not to be involved, regardless of the inconvenience."

Sunday's U.S.-Canada showdown should be a magnificent display of hockey. Enjoy it while it lasts because you might not see it again -- at least with NHL players.

[OvahInDovah]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

Leopold to Penguins for 2nd rounder

[Slap Shot]

fwiw - pundits on KSTP this morning claimed that Belanger, Nolen and Zidlicky could all be available for trades.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

fwiw - pundits on KSTP this morning claimed that Belanger, Nolen and Zidlicky could all be available for trades.

Good! Lets stock up on picks!

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

fwiw - pundits on KSTP this morning claimed that Belanger, Nolen and Zidlicky could all be available for trades.

This isn't really big news. They all have expiring contracts and while the Wild are in the running for eighth.. If they can get someone to overpay for any of those guys in picks or younger talent, they should absolutely go for it.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

This isn't really big news. They all have expiring contracts and while the Wild are in the running for eighth.. If they can get someone to overpay for any of those guys in picks or younger talent, they should absolutely go for it.

Or they could just trade away a number one pick again. Maybe get another player that's "under" achieving at this point in his career and can help them win now.

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

Or they could just trade away a number one pick again. Maybe get another player that's "under" achieving at this point in his career and can help them win now.

Oh dear..

[bronconick]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

Steve Ott is getting a 4 year extension at a shade under 3 million per year to stay in Dallas. This leads to the question-

Steve Ott is worth almost $3 million as a hockey player?

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

Steve Ott is getting a 4 year extension at a shade under 3 million per year to stay in Dallas. This leads to the question-

Steve Ott is worth almost $3 million as a hockey player?

Matt Stajan got a four year extension at $3.5 million per year. That too seems a bit stupid. Ott at $3 million per seems like lighting money on fire, not that Hicks isn't good at that already.

Philly put Riley Cote on waivers as well as putting Ray Emery on LTIR and sending down a handful of guys. I think that's enough blood in the water to think they're making a move soon.

[Rimbaud]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

Steve Ott is getting a 4 year extension at a shade under 3 million per year to stay in Dallas. This leads to the question-

Steve Ott is worth almost $3 million as a hockey player?

In a world where Milan Lucic makes 4M, yes.

[bronconick]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

I don't know if this belongs here or in the Olympic thread

http://sportsmediawatch.blogspot.com...edal-game.html

Hockey drew NFL-like ratings on NBC Sunday.

The Canada/USA Olympic Men's Hockey Gold Medal game drew a 17.6 overnight rating on NBC Sunday afternoon, up 46% from the '02 Gold Medal game, which featured the same two teams.

Overnight ratings for the 2006 Gold Medal game were unavailable.

Sunday's game is on pace to finish as the highest rated hockey telecast in the United States since 1980.

To put the numbers in perspective, Sunday's game drew a higher overnight rating than every World Series game since 2004 (including every game of Yankees/Phillies last year), every NBA Finals telecast since 1998, and every NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four game since at least '98.

Excluding the NFL, the 17.6 overnight for the game is the second-highest of the year for any sporting event, behind only the Texas/Alabama BCS National Championship Game in January (18.2).

[moe24]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

I don't know if this belongs here or in the Olympic thread

http://sportsmediawatch.blogspot.com...edal-game.html

WOW!!! That's great news.

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

Very impressive ratings for what was essentially hockey's Super Bowl. The Cup Finals will never do that well because it's multiple games and even a lot of hardcore fans check out if their team isn't involved.

[BoomGoestheDynamite]

Re: 2009-2010 NHL Season Part 3: After The Gold Rush

Very impressive ratings for what was essentially hockey's Super Bowl. The Cup Finals will never do that well because it's multiple games and even a lot of hardcore fans check out if their team isn't involved.

Perfect storm as well with Two North American teams in a North American time zone.

Either way, it seems like the NHL has gotten a number of concessions out of the IOC. The limit on group stage games at 3 and the elimination of the classification games should go a long way to alleviating the injury concerns.

Gary Bettman would have to be an idiot to cut out this kind of publicity. I know a lot of those viewers we're probably fairweather fans swept up in patriotism/feb sports boredom, but its great publicity and an event every 4 years isn't really that much of a hardship. Its not like their being asked to suspend the Stanley Cup playoffs for the World Championships or anything.