To all the hockey fans...

[HotFix]

Sorry to hear about the hockey season being cancelled.

[LoDownSinner]

I would give 5 to 1 odds that if the team owners were paying for the buildings they used (instead of dipping into the public coffers for the money), there would be hockey right now. The rich bastards basically get welfare in the form of multi-million dollar buildings, and have no respect for the fans or the taxpayers that enable them to have a place to play.

I really wish we'd kept our minor league team here in Nashville.

[Squelch]

Professional athletes make me sick.

[CometRider]

Here in Boston, the owner of the Bruins also owns the ex-FleetCenter. I say "ex" because they are accepting bids on EBay so people can get naming rights to the stadium for a day. What a f*"+ked up way to make money

[Brotha J]

I'm really not that upset about the cancelled hockey season, despite my use of exclamation marks and capital letters.
However, I do empathize with the fans. I know that the players, coaches, and owners "deserve" a certain dollar amount for what they do. But come on! What the heck are they crying about!? Didn't they learn their lesson last time?
Shut up and get back on the ice!
Up until this season I really wanted to go to at least one live game. But now....
...EFF IT!!!
If it were not for all of the supporting industries (and the folks who count upon the income)
I'd be perfectly happy to see the NHL DISBANNED.

[Squirrel]

I'm a hockey fan... that's why it doesn't bother me a bit.

I gave up on Pro hockey years ago.. I prefer HS/College/Olympic hockey any day of the week. They actually play the game instead of taking regular 10 minute breaks to throw down their gloves.

Cheers!
Ken

[Lezbert]

We don't have NHL here. We have minor league hockey. Not bad...unless you don't understand the game...or the fans. ;-) However, I can understand how the NHL fans feel.

I remember back in the mid 90s when we had a baseball strike. I love baseball, and have been going to Astros games all my life. I've supported that team through thick and thin (usually thin). They're my guys. That strike hurt me. I still remember outfielder Kevin Bass being interviewed about how the players deserved more money, and how during the strike his training consisted of playing catch with Craig Biggio. Oh...wah!

OK. I know these guys train hard, and they are some of the best, and that their careers as players are short compared to my career. Um...reality check: You get paid more than I do to work six months out of the year playing a game. Act like grownups and plan for that short run. Invest. Plan another career for the time after your 15-minutes are up. Unless you have had a catastrophic injury, you can work doing almost anything else after the baseball career is over. Do NOT come crying to me about how you didn't get a $1million/year raise, so you're just going to take your ball and go home. BTW, I completely boycotted baseball after that season resumed. I didn't go to games, watch it on TV or even catch highlights on the news. For me? That's a LOT.

It's too bad sports is a business, because sometimes that sucks the fun right out of it!

[subvetSSN606]

Only so much "pie" and both the owners and the players want the bigger piece.

Where's Mom when you need her... "OK, one of you cut the pie, and then the other gets to pick which piece is his."

Tom

[Hilts]

As a season ticket holder to the Ottawa Senators I am extremely frustrated by the whole thing. BUT...will I go back to the game I grew up on whenever this thing is settled? You bet! Until Ottawa was awarded a franchise I had to satisfy myself with watching hockey on TV on Saturday nights (usually the Leafs). As a kid I was very envious of anyone living in Toronto who was able to go to a live NHL game. I remember being in awe at the age of 12 when I finally was able to go to my first game.

Now that we have our own team here and I regularly attend games, I can't imagine being so ticked off that I would give it up. I waited most of my life for this opporunity. An opportunity that only 6 Canadian cities have. So yeah, I am frustrated AND ticked off, at both the owners and players. The owners for throwing gobs of money at the players over the last 10-15 years and the players now for not understanding they are now not going to get a better offer than what was on the table this past week. So I have declined to get refunded the money I had invested for this past season. Instead I told the Sens to keep my money, for which they're paying an interest rate much better than I could get at any bank. I'll get a 5% rebate on ticket prices and prices are frozen for the next 2 years. At least they're offering us regular fans something.

So when the team hits the ice whenever that may be, will I cheer? Yeah, probably not as loudly as normal. But hockey is a way of life here. It dominates conversation every day after a game. It gets my wife and I out a few times a month. We enjoy the time together at the rink. And this is with all the clutching/grabbing that I admit, has diminished the game. Hopefully, new rule changes will make this an even more exciting game when it resumes. I can't wait!

Hilts

[Lezbert]

Hilts,

I know what you're saying. I love the game, I love my team, and I love that we have one here. I think my post was a little misleading. I boycotted only that season. I didn't want to be all angry and then rush off to be thankful for the opportunity to give them more money...and I didn't want to hear post-game interviews with players who say they "do it all for the fans."

My thoughts were that players and owners needed to get the message that they were hurting fans and the game...and without either one, they'll have no league and no jobs.

Hang in there, and I hope you get to see some good ice action in Ottawa soon!

[Squirrel]

An interesting side note, there is some talk that the Stanley Cup may be awarded to the AHL winner.

That would be a poke in the eye to the NHL.

Cheers!
Ken

[Smitty]

No hockey this year on Sat night TV does not bother me one bit. Like so many other kids I had a beaten up hockey stick (actually a chopped down beaten up one from Saskatoon Quackers Senior Amateur Team) & with others we had a ball on the frozen dirt road with ice & snow while any frozen horse turd was a suitable puck.

Like others I played hockey, but I ventured into speedskating & so racing iwas my thing.

Never saw a real pro hockey team & always Jr or Amateur hockey games. In fact one of my best friends was the late Art Chrowhuck simply an amazing player with speed, accelleration, could pass anyone, etc. Even saw him as one of the Alberta (Cdn Province) playing against the Russian Army team. He could out accellerate, out speed them & was in on almost all goals through passes of goals though the Russians won as usual.

Ran into a friend of mine, from way back being the late Colston Harvey so this would be around late 50s. We grew up togeather in the 30s & played hockey to-geather (my dad use to make a small rink out of the back yard----so a street hockey team or fun) who actually made his way into the NHL of I think Chicago. Good player & was having trouble in the first few practice games of hitting the ice & later on they found out he had a blood clot, in the head, that threw off his balance & so the end for Colston. All due to a bad concussion when playing hockey in the Jr Teams.

He was looking at the small town team (as looking for prospective players for seveal of the NHL teams) in Canmore Alberta & just a few miles away from the home of Art & myself being in Banff National Part Albera. So I asked Colston about Art being picked & said something like "In our time for sure only now all they want is big powerful kids & they will teach them how to play" still I insisted Art simply danced around such powerful clowns though he pointed out that Art was only 135 lbs if wet & 28 yrs of age so not a hope in 'ell.

Did tell me something in those days.

[Hilts]

I hope so too Rhonda. I heard a lot of rumours on the drive home from work today that behind the scenes there is a lot of talk taking place about "un-canceling" the season. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but I'm not getting my hopes up like so many other times the past few months. Hey, without hockey and not being able to ride my Vulcan, what else is there to do!!!

Hilts

[betis70]

I'm a hockey fan (since I was 5) and I'm not so happy. Owners and players both deserve to a swift kick in the keister. If this lockout drags on into next season, the NHL will permanently lose me to college games.

I play twice a week and I can get my hockey fix that way.

[Smitty]

Yet the are back to secret talks again!!!!!!!!

[Hilts]

Yet the are back to secret talks again!!!!!!!!

Yup...but I got up this morning and saw in the paper that there is no deal in the making after all. Now they're going to try to get something done to start the new season in the fall. Oh well!

Hilts

[KZ-Rob]

The problem is hockey doesn't compare to other pro sports(money wise) and never will. Can you imagine if MLB or the NFL cancelled a season? They (hockey) should concentrate on making the game better on TV, that's the only way they are going to grow.

[Smitty]

No doubt about it they are going to have a hard time to bring back the money through hockey fans that will fork out all the money for tickets let alone season tickets.

The players & the mangers, to some small extent, have forgotten without the fans their sport is dead. The coaches of all teams from Jr players to pros play with one thing in mind & that is winning. As a Certified Amateur Wrestling Coach for some 14 yrs (team I coached for 10 yrs placed 2nd twice & first the other eight yrs for the B.C. Interior Championship along with individual bronze, silver & gold medals in the B.C. High School Championships). Okay so this is just Cdn., & while my team was quite amazing from '67 to '77 I could have done so much better with video equipment to show the errors the kids made, only the school would not loan it to me & as an outside farmer I did not have the money------besides to yearly update my Coaching position it was costing from $350.00 to $450.00 a year & for the first eight yrs I was paid just $25.00 a SEASON & upped to $50.00 a season when they realized I was the only one allowed to teach wrestling!!!!!!!!!

Through videos they can see exactly how other players & teams work & so perfect the game of hockey is in perfection. The TRAP came up some yrs ago & was almost the start of it. Unfortunately the games or boering to the fans unless their are blood & gut fights. The days of a forward line that was basically going to get a goal or at least give trouble, are things of the past as the coaches know exactly who to put on in defence.

There is talk to remove the red line & so make it more of a challenge. YET, the interesting thing is, even those that use to play are only interested in watching the FINALS. I was at a friend's place to watch Vancouver playing near the end of the season. Not my idea, but they envited me over & well friends are friends.

We knew it was only in those games that the fans pay off to pay for the use of the stadiums & his Mother-in-law could not understand what we were talking about FOR the stadium was jammed to the limit & we had to explan on earler games less then 25% would show up to buy tickets.

So it is remove the red line, change their ways to the Olympic set-up or they are going to be in deep crap for a long time & some teams are bound to fold up.

Lastly who in the 'ell can afford to travel to some major hockey area, of Pro players, & fork out all the money? I guess some people are rich, but it is not me for even Jr teams tickets are to expensive.

[subvetSSN606]

The problem is hockey doesn't compare to other pro sports(money wise) and never will. Can you imagine if MLB or the NFL cancelled a season? They (hockey) should concentrate on making the game better on TV, that's the only way they are going to grow.

Unfortunately I think the two are entwined (money and the TV coverage). They need to be more far sighted.
I think one of the main reason's watching hockey doesn't get ratings is that not many people really understand the game. If you really understand the game, it's very exciting to watch. If you don't, it's boring as hell. The problem is that while the game is going on the action is so fast paced there's no time for the announcers to expand on what's going on in a way that would teach prospective fans the rules and nuances of the game... and when there is a break in the action... they squeeze in a commercial to get some $. If they want to get up into the big-time with baseball, football and basketball, they need to forego a little of those advertising $ for a while, make the broadcasts a bit more "hockey beginner friendly," and consider it an investment in developing a fan base.

That's been my opinion for about 35 years now, but I don't recall them ever really giving it a try.

Tom

[Paduan]

Come to Fairbanks. We don't watch hockey. We play it.

You can find a good game any day of the year, between 6am and midnight.

I'm 58 years old and still play goalie in "B" league. (Former college, semi-pro, etc.)

FYI for the ladies: Goalies are noted for their flexibilty and endurance.

[Smitty]

They do the same in most towns & cities in Cdn., being old league hockey playing though I think it is from 9:00 or 10:00 till mid-night.

Some yrs back I was the Zamboni man at our rink & some school kids had left one of those sponge pucks that look like the real thing.

Told Dancocks I had it & next time he had the puck to exchange if for the sponge one. Finally he had it & we did the exchange. Remember one does not lift the puck in old timers games. Still shen he scooted the pass to Cutter suddenly the puck was flying all over the place, with chaps ducking & all. Hooker finally got it & came over to where I was & said something like "Well it really was funny, but if you do that again I will ring your f-----g neck".

[KZ-Rob]

Unfortunately I think the two are entwined (money and the TV coverage). They need to be more far sighted.
I think one of the main reason's watching hockey doesn't get ratings is that not many people really understand the game. If you really understand the game, it's very exciting to watch. If you don't, it's boring as hell. The problem is that while the game is going on the action is so fast paced there's no time for the announcers to expand on what's going on in a way that would teach prospective fans the rules and nuances of the game... and when there is a break in the action... they squeeze in a commercial to get some $. If they want to get up into the big-time with baseball, football and basketball, they need to forego a little of those advertising $ for a while, make the broadcasts a bit more "hockey beginner friendly," and consider it an investment in developing a fan base.

That's been my opinion for about 35 years now, but I don't recall them ever really giving it a try.

Tom

I admit to not being the most well versed hockey fan, but I think I have a fair understanding. I never really appriated the speed of the game until I went to a game and had great seats on the glass. The excitement was incredible. All that gets lost on TV. I can't watch it on TV unless its a Ranger playoff game, and those are rare ;-). On a side note, the year the Rangers won the cup, NYC was in a hockey mania. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing "lets go Rangers". Met games, Yankee games it didn't matter, it was all about hockey. Too bad they lost the momenum. If they could get NYC to be a big hockey town, that could have been a start. Now nobody even talks about it.