Official 2007-08 NHL Thread

[Sgt Philatelica]

What they really need to do is get rid of about 6 or 8 teams. The talent pool isn't deep enough to field 30 teams anyway. Never mind that Bettman wants to expand to 32 teams (why wouldn't he - the expansion fees are not considered revenue, so they don't have to be shared with the players in terms of increased cap room).

So, maybe we should be saying goodbye to the teams in hockey hotbeds like Phoenix, Florida (both teams), Raleigh and Atlanta, as well as the teams that can't draw flies - like St. Louis, Nashville and Pittsburgh. Of course, that would cost money, and you can Bettman and his friends wouldn't even consider it.

 

[Sgt Philatelica]

OR move Atlanta, Florida and Washington to western North American cities.

They're probably good candidates for relocation - but where would Bettman want to put them? Probably in markets that are equally as good for hockey, like KC, Vegas, or Portland. Now, if the league was interested, they'd move the teams north of the border, where there would be fan support - Winnipeg, Hamilton (where that Blackberry guy wants to move the Predators). Hell, even up in the Yukon they could probably draw more fans than in Nashville.

 

[Immortalfire]

Thrashers ain't leaving. Wanna move someone, I second the Panthers and Coyotes.

 

[Shifty]

They're probably good candidates for relocation - but where would Bettman want to put them? Probably in markets that are equally as good for hockey, like KC, Vegas, or Portland. Now, if the league was interested, they'd move the teams north of the border, where there would be fan support - Winnipeg, Hamilton (where that Blackberry guy wants to move the Predators). Hell, even up in the Yukon they could probably draw more fans than in Nashville.

1/3 of the NHL's revenues come from the 6 Canadian teams. The Canadian dollar is at .95 US cents right now, that helps a lot. If Bush has done one thing right, its make the Canadian NHL markets stronger. Bettman said if a team were to expand or relocate to Canada he would like it to go to Winnipeg. A new building in Hamilton would be great too but that won't be happening anytime soon.

Thrashers ain't leaving. Wanna move someone, I second the Panthers and Coyotes.

No they'll stay and lead the league in free giveaway tickets again.

 

[Showtime]

Boston Bruins Sign Dennis Wideman

WHO?

 

[Showtime]

New Look Of Sharks Territory Coming July 24
July 10, 2007

When the Sharks take the ice for the 2007-08 campaign, they will be doing so with a different look, and not just with regards to the players. There are few details publicly available, but the one certainty is the Sharks logo will have a more updated feel this fall. There will also be new secondary marks introduced.

“I think people are going to like it,” said defenseman Kyle McLaren, one of several Sharks who had input on the updated design. “I think they’ll embrace the change. It goes with the new NHL.”

The Sharks did not take altering their brand lightly, as the main logo has been one of the most popular in professional sports since the club’s inception in 1991.

“We put a lot of research into this and feel the fans will thoroughly appreciate the updated logo and new marks,” said Sharks President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Jamison. “The players were heavily involved in the process and they were extremely happy with the outcome.”

Fans will have their first opportunity to view the new look and secondary marks on July 24 at 10 a.m. PST on sjsharks.com and merchandise with the updated logo and new marks at the Sharks Store will be available starting on that date as well.

While the logo will be released this month, the new-look jerseys will not be previewed until closer to training camp. All NHL jerseys will be altered to some degree this year as Reebok introduces new fabrics to help enhance player skills.

The Sharks primary mark has not changed throughout the Sharks 16-year history, but the jersey has been altered on several occasions. San Jose ’s original jersey was introduced in 1991 and the most recent incarnation was put in place in 1998, although it served as an alternate jersey the prior campaign. The alternate black jersey debuted in 2001.

 

[AhabTheArab]

judging by the way you spelled 'favourite' i am going to go ahead and guess you are not from america. you have no idea what is going on here in respect to hockey, theres a lot of fans, but no one watches it. no one will watch this, i can not stress it enough, but nhl could care less about tv ratings. i personally am getting some people together to road trip it up to the game. so ill be there, but i do not expect to have any of my friends watching it.

but we can agree to disagree until 2008. and your avatar creeps me out, so i cant keep coming back here.

 

[Showtime]

judging by the way you spelled 'favourite' i am going to go ahead and guess you are not from america. you have no idea what is going on here in respect to hockey, theres a lot of fans, but no one watches it. no one will watch this, i can not stress it enough, but nhl could care less about tv ratings. i personally am getting some people together to road trip it up to the game. so ill be there, but i do not expect to have any of my friends watching it.

but we can agree to disagree until 2008. and your avatar creeps me out, so i cant keep coming back here.

Who the heck are you responding too?

 

[Showtime]

 

[Immortalfire]

That looks terrible.

 

[Showtime]

I guess it's the new Sharks logo, apparently it was leaked.

 

[AhabTheArab]

if it makes no sense to you, then obviously, someone else.

 

[Shifty]

Who the heck are you responding too?

Me.

judging by the way you spelled 'favourite' i am going to go ahead and guess you are not from america. you have no idea what is going on here in respect to hockey, theres a lot of fans, but no one watches it. no one will watch this, i can not stress it enough, but nhl could care less about tv ratings. i personally am getting some people together to road trip it up to the game. so ill be there, but i do not expect to have any of my friends watching it.

but we can agree to disagree until 2008. and your avatar creeps me out, so i cant keep coming back here.

I think I have a pretty good idea, there is the internet and the Canadian sports media. The US is always talked about up here on a weekly basis during the season. I don't believe I ever said hockey was the most watched sport in America, if you went back in the fantasy hockey thread or the last few NHL threads I've always commented on the NHL ratings in America.

How they try to bring in fans on NBC so they put the Senators/Penguins game on in the afternoon even though it would do much better in the evening on CBC. Just after CBC signed a long term contract that will never happen in the US. The CBC had lower ratings for the afternoon game then their usual primetime Saturday games, while NBC's was down. The NHL does care about ratings, its the American networks and public that don't care about the NHL. They have to have an embarassing deal with NBC where after NBC's costs are covered the NHL can keep any profits. They have to pay NBC to air their games. Versus gives the game the respect and coverage it deserves but its not available in most homes. Not signing with ESPN was a mistake and it should've cost Bettman his job.

I've been on Sabres message boards and they seem to think its a great idea and will do something to earn some attention from casual or former hockey fans in traditional markets. But there is no annoucement, we'll see what happens if it is ever announced.

Search "Superbad R rated trailer" on You Tube to discover the truth of the avatar.

 

[Showtime]

if it makes no sense to you, then obviously, someone else.

His avatar is creepier than mine, now I'm insulted.

 

[Shifty]

TSN.ca
The Oilers finally landed a marquee name off the free agent list, as Elk Point, Alberta native Sheldon Souray is on his way to Edmonton with a five-year, $27 million contract.


Wow, now lets see if nothing goes wrong with this signing.

 

[Dark Donnie]

I guess it's the new Sharks logo, apparently it was leaked.

Any leaked photos of the Flyers new jersey's?

 

[Shifty]

Hockey club championships in the works
Canadian Press

7/13/2007 11:15:41 AM

ZURICH, Switzerland (CP) - The IIHF intends to proceed with a proposed new European hockey league after receiving a positive feasibility study.

The plan was originally floated in April and IIHF president Rene Fasel announced during the World Hockey Championships in Moscow a month later that an agency had been hired to conduct a feasibility study.

The agency, Ovation AG, submitted a report to the IIHF and the top European leagues on Thursday.

''The study was completed in June and it came to a very positive conclusion that there is a substantial potential for top-class European club hockey competition and that there is interest from fans, sponsors as well as from broadcasters,'' Fasel said. ''The vision we presented in April is now a concrete goal for the 2008-2009 season.

''The next major step is to sign a three-year contract with the top European national federations and their leagues, which we plan to do this November. We need this time to put together the contract.''

A five-stage, 60-game format for the Champions Hockey League has been presented to representatives of the governing hockey bodies from the Russia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Slovakia and Switzerland.

Total CHL prize money will be 16.9 million Swiss francs (nearly C$15 million). The first CHL final will be played in two games, home and away, in January 2009. The winner is to get an additional C$873,000, and the right to play an NHL club for the Victoria Cup.

The first Victoria Cup game or series of games is being proposed for September 2008 with Europe represented by a team or teams from the existing European Champions Cup competition, which will be staged in St. Petersburg, Russia, Jan. 10-13 next year. The Victoria Cup would also carry ''a substantial financial reward.''

As of 2009, the European team or teams for the Victoria Cup will be taken from the new CHL.

The first Victoria Cup event will coincide with the IIHF's centennial anniversary.

The trophy at stake will be named after the Victoria skating rink in Montreal, which the IIHF recognizes as the birthplace of hockey because of an indoor game played there in 1875.

''The Victoria Cup will be a joint venture between the IIHF and the NHL and will be the first annual world club competition for a trophy endorsed by both the IIHF and the NHL,'' said Fasel.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=213443&hubname=

Devils name Sutter head coach

Canadian Press

7/13/2007 1:50:20 PM

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Brent Sutter was hired as the coach of the New Jersey Devils on Friday, taking over one of the NHL's least secure jobs.

The 45-year-old Sutter will be the Devils' 14th coach in 26 seasons in New Jersey, and he will try next season to become the first to finish a season since Pat Burns in 2003-04. Days after the season ended, cancer forced Burns to step down.

After the 2004-05 lockout season, Larry Robinson lasted half a season before resigning and being replaced by Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello.

Claude Julien got the job last summer and had the Devils in first place with three games left in the regular season when Lamoriello fired him because he didn't like the way the team was playing.

A two-time Stanley Cup winner with the New York Islanders in the 1980s and one of six brothers to play in the NHL, Sutter has never coached an NHL team. A strong disciplinarian, he has had success behind the bench.

"We are fortunate to have someone with Brent Sutter's character, knowledge, energy, enthusiasm and experience join our organization," Lamoriello said Friday. "He has been successful at every level and we look forward to him continuing that success in the National Hockey League."

Sutter coached the Red Deer Rebels - a team he owns - to the Memorial Cup in 2001. His stature as a top NHL coaching prospect was significantly enhanced when he guided Canada to world junior gold in 2005 and 2006.

Sutter resigned as coach and general manager of the Rebels on Thursday, but he retained ownership of the team he bought in 1999.

Lamoriello wooed Sutter after the 2005-06 season, but he opted to remain in Alberta.

The Devils won the Atlantic Division title this past season and were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the eventual Eastern Conference champion Ottawa Senators.

Sutter will take over a club that lost two of its top players to free agency in recent weeks. Centre Scott Gomez signed with the rival New York Rangers and three-time all-star defenceman Brian Rafalski signed with Detroit. Both players were members of the Devils' Stanley Cup championship teams in 2000 and 2003. New Jersey won its first Cup in 1995.

Sutter will also face the prospect of coaching his first nine games on the road next season. The Devils are moving into the new Prudential Center in the state's largest city after playing at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., for the past 25 years.

The new building is in its final stages of construction and the Devils scheduled a long road trip to open the season to avoid a possible problem.

Should've taken the Flames job last summer. His son Brandon was selected by Carolina in this year's draft.

 

[NewYorkSpider]

NHL could return to ESPN.

 

[Fran]

Dear God please happen!!!!!!!

 

[Immortalfire]

NHL could return to ESPN.

Yes yes! Please

 

[Fran]

Keep NBC, but get rid of Versus. Rather have it that way

 

[Immortalfire]

Keep NBC, but get rid of Versus. Rather have it that way

Yah. But only if NBC ditches their mysterious love of the Red Wings, and tries to be somewhat balanced.

 

[Fran]

No, let's keep that

 

[Immortalfire]

I'm not doggin on the Wings, but it's rather pathetic and dumb for a network to be oh-so-obvious who they pull for. Much like ESPN loving USC, hating the SEC, and playing only Philadelphia Soul arena football games.

 

[Fran]

I didn't see them pulling for the Wings. They were butt-loving Anaheim