Posted January 21st, 2011 - 8:34 am by 
from Knoxville, United States (Permalink)
from Knoxville, United States (Permalink)I have had trouble watching the All-Star Game for awhile now, but I feel the same about the skills competition. I understand that they are both selling points for fans, but hockey doesn't need to be sold. Those of us who are fans will always be fans, and those that are not fans, rarely become fans through watching the sport on television, which does not do it any justice. If they really want to generate more fans they should make sure every town in America and Canada with a population over one thousand people has at the very least, a Quonset hut rink. That would get more people interested in hockey.
Posted January 21st, 2011 - 2:59 pm by 
from Tallinn, Estonia (Permalink)
from Tallinn, Estonia (Permalink)Personally Im really looking forward to the Guardian Project. I really think it is going to inspire new fans of the NHL in the key demographic of closet homosexual adolescence males.
I still am holding out hope that the NHL will make some more key changes to the game to really pull in some more fans. My personal ideas are:
-Replace overtime with an Ice Dance Off or Interpretive Figure Skate
-Instead of a shoot out have a 5 man version of Red Rover on ice
-In order to allow fans to see the puck better on TV, dye the ice florescent green and make the puck florescent pink.
-Qualification for the playoffs be determined not by standings but by having each captain write an essay of what hockey means to them and having the judges of American Idol determine the winner!
-Let Jim Balsillie buy a team and move them to within 80k of 2 other NHL cities
Horray for HOCKEY!!!!
I still am holding out hope that the NHL will make some more key changes to the game to really pull in some more fans. My personal ideas are:
-Replace overtime with an Ice Dance Off or Interpretive Figure Skate
-Instead of a shoot out have a 5 man version of Red Rover on ice
-In order to allow fans to see the puck better on TV, dye the ice florescent green and make the puck florescent pink.
-Qualification for the playoffs be determined not by standings but by having each captain write an essay of what hockey means to them and having the judges of American Idol determine the winner!
-Let Jim Balsillie buy a team and move them to within 80k of 2 other NHL cities
Horray for HOCKEY!!!!
Posted January 21st, 2011 - 10:37 pm by from Knoxville, United States (Permalink)
from Knoxville, United States (Permalink)Yes, that is exactly what hockey needs is more poofster fans. As it is we have a basketball man running the league...why do we have a basketball man running the league again? They need to realize that the new age, softer, gentler American does not want to watch hockey. Not when they have baseball, football, basketball, golf, kickball (soccer), and women's fast-pitch softball to watch. Leave hockey in the northern hemisphere where it belongs and put somebody in charge that will not whore out our great sport.
Posted January 21st, 2011 - 11:08 pm by from Tallinn, Estonia (Permalink)
from Tallinn, Estonia (Permalink)Im fine with casual fans. Not everyone has to be an insane hockey purists and casual fans pay the same price for a ticket as me. More money means more projects like the Guardian (score).
I believe there are some amazing hockey towns south of the boarder(the Canadian one) that are developing the sport as much if not more so than some Canadian cities (oooooh controversial) like Denver, Minnesota or Dallas. And while there are some struggling clubs, all expansion teams maintain a higher average attendance (15,000+) than the relocated teams before them(11-14,000). Not that Im an expansion enthusiast but I do get tired of hearing the argument against them.
Even though its gayer than a Lance Bass Queen cover band, the Guardian Project doesnt even bother me on a personal level, I just like to make fun of it. As long as the finesse players are allowed to do what they do best and the game remains a two-way sport.
What I do care about is watching it on TV and right now thats not happening. Blame Bettman, blame the CBA, blame the NHLPA, I dont care, when I can only see 6 national broadcast games a week, something is wrong. Thank god for copy write infringement on the web, otherwise Id never see a game while out of the country.
I believe there are some amazing hockey towns south of the boarder(the Canadian one) that are developing the sport as much if not more so than some Canadian cities (oooooh controversial) like Denver, Minnesota or Dallas. And while there are some struggling clubs, all expansion teams maintain a higher average attendance (15,000+) than the relocated teams before them(11-14,000). Not that Im an expansion enthusiast but I do get tired of hearing the argument against them.
Even though its gayer than a Lance Bass Queen cover band, the Guardian Project doesnt even bother me on a personal level, I just like to make fun of it. As long as the finesse players are allowed to do what they do best and the game remains a two-way sport.
What I do care about is watching it on TV and right now thats not happening. Blame Bettman, blame the CBA, blame the NHLPA, I dont care, when I can only see 6 national broadcast games a week, something is wrong. Thank god for copy write infringement on the web, otherwise Id never see a game while out of the country.
Posted January 23rd, 2011 - 10:49 pm by 
from Surrey, Canada (Permalink)
from Surrey, Canada (Permalink)Gayer than a Lance Bass Queen cover band? I don't know, that's pretty gay.
Old Stan needs to step up his game. Why does the Canuck Guardian look like Batman only with a fin on his head? I'm sure there's some sort of copyright infringement in there.
It's all a gimmick to get new uber-nerd fans but so what, the NHL is the retarded of cousin of North American professional sports. Everyone knows it's there but pays no attention to it. The more fans, the better.
As for the Super Skills, they're always fun to watch because you get to see these serious professional athletes just screw around and be kids on a frozen pond again seeing who can outdo each other.
I like the idea this year of having two captains picking teams rather than playing West V East or Canada V World like they've done before. Whoever gets picked last is NEVER going to hear the end of it.
Hey Matthew, so you're in Kiev now? You're moving around more than I am and that's saying a lot.
Old Stan needs to step up his game. Why does the Canuck Guardian look like Batman only with a fin on his head? I'm sure there's some sort of copyright infringement in there.
It's all a gimmick to get new uber-nerd fans but so what, the NHL is the retarded of cousin of North American professional sports. Everyone knows it's there but pays no attention to it. The more fans, the better.
As for the Super Skills, they're always fun to watch because you get to see these serious professional athletes just screw around and be kids on a frozen pond again seeing who can outdo each other.
I like the idea this year of having two captains picking teams rather than playing West V East or Canada V World like they've done before. Whoever gets picked last is NEVER going to hear the end of it.
Hey Matthew, so you're in Kiev now? You're moving around more than I am and that's saying a lot.