Hockey

[Bruce]

Dropped by the Kraken Iceplex today to snap a few photos before driving down for the Sounders game. Pretty nice place, and nicely located with a new light rail station opening nearby next month and plenty of parking (given that this is a converted mall space).



The main rink:



One of the side rinks:



The main lobby:



Bonus shot of Climate Pledge Arena for good measure:

[ET21]

Less than a month until the NHL returns

[Stephane Dumas]

Less than a month until the NHL returns

Yeah, I hope the Habs will be lucky again this year to go to the finals again. And we'll said a goodbye to the Nassau Coleseum, long time home of the NY Islanders.

The NHL posted a blog post about the schedule of the upcoming season and there's still no decision about if NHL's stars will play to the Winter Olympics or not.  https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-announces-2021-22-regular-season-schedule/c-325741704

[Stephane Dumas]

Goaltender Carey Price taking part in NHL-NHLPA player assistance program.
https://www.tsn.ca/carey-price-montreal-canadiens-1.1703437

Montreal Canadiens goaltender  is seeking help, voluntarily entering the NHL's player assistance program.

The NHL and NHL Players' Association said in a release that the 34-year-old star goalie will be away from the team while he takes part in the program. The release did not specify why Price entered the program and said there would be no further comment.

The news came out of the blue. Previously the discussion over Price was whether the native of Anahim Lake, B.C., would recover from off-season surgery to repair a torn meniscus in time to start the season.

Montreal, which made it to the Stanley Cup final earlier this year, opens its 2021-22 campaign next Wednesday at Toronto.

"I didn't see it coming," said Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin. "To be up front with you, news came to me yesterday. So yeah, it caught me off-guard, yes."

The news comes a day after Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme said it would be unlikely that Price would be ready to start the season due to an unspecified illness.

Price's wife Angela cited mental health in an Instagram post showing Price and their three kids.

"Part of the privilege of being in the position our family is in, is that we also get a public platform to show how there is and can be a path for anyone who is struggling," she wrote. "No matter what is on the line, we hope we can communicate the importance of putting your mental health first not just by saying it, but by showing up and doing the work to get better.

There's also a thread about it on HFBoards. https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/price-enters-nhl-nhlpa-players-assistance-program-mod-warning-in-post-1.2848566/

[ET21]

24 hours until opening night!

[Billy F 1988]

Want your hockey fix tonight? ESPN just got a nice TV deal with the NHL and is returning to broadcast select NHL games this season. The only thing I wonder is how to possibly fit Gary Thorne and Bill Clement into the mix knowing how much more diverse ESPN's NHL crew is today. You think about Thorne's great calls during ESPN's earlier run with the NHL, special moments like when Ray Borque finally earned his Stanley Cup ring and hearing Gary Thorne's excited delight just sends chills. It should be interesting to see how ESPN does with the two night-cap games. I know what you're thinking; "Did ESPN really sign a new NHL TV deal long after they signed off their last game in 2004?" Yep. I don't know how many they're doing since you have NHL Network doing select games.

[SP Cook]

I don't know how many they're doing since you have NHL Network doing select games.

Seven years.

In traditional linear TV terms, ESPN gets 100 regular season games, four Stanley Cup finals, and half of the playoffs.  TNT gets 72 regular season games, three Stanley Cup finals, half of the playoffs, and the New Year's Day outdoor game.  NHL Network will carry 75 regular season games, most all of them "nationalized"  meaning they take the feed from a local broadcast. 

Some ESPN games can be moved to ABC.

In streaming, different packages of games will be on HBO Max and ESPN+/Hulu.  Pretty much there is no reason, IMHO, to buy the "Center Ice"  out of market package.

[Henry]

While the Seattle Kraken lost their first game to the Golden Knights, they didn't do too badly. I'll be looking forward to getting tickets to their first game against my hometown Blackhawks.

OAN: I know in Detroit, they throw octopus on the ice every time the Red Wings score a goal, but will the same be done in Climate Pledge Arena when the Kraken score?

I don't know how many they're doing since you have NHL Network doing select games.

Seven years.

In traditional linear TV terms, ESPN gets 100 regular season games, four Stanley Cup finals, and half of the playoffs.  TNT gets 72 regular season games, three Stanley Cup finals, half of the playoffs, and the New Year's Day outdoor game.  NHL Network will carry 75 regular season games, most all of them "nationalized"  meaning they take the feed from a local broadcast. 

Some ESPN games can be moved to ABC.

In streaming, different packages of games will be on HBO Max and ESPN+/Hulu.  Pretty much there is no reason, IMHO, to buy the "Center Ice"  out of market package.

Well, both TNT and ESPN/ABC still have the NBA too, and I hope there is a definitive answer as to how the TV schedule will be worked out between the two leagues. I'm kind of surprised that this problem never existed for NBC, since it started broadcasting NHL games some three years after losing the NBA (it was actually supposed to start in 2004-05, but a strike cancelled that season entirely).

[NWI_Irish96]

While the Seattle Kraken lost their first game to the Golden Knights, they didn't do too badly. I'll be looking forward to getting tickets to their first game against my hometown Blackhawks.

OAN: I know in Detroit, they throw octopus on the ice every time the Red Wings score a goal, but will the same be done in Climate Pledge Arena when the Kraken score?

I don't know how many they're doing since you have NHL Network doing select games.

Seven years.

In traditional linear TV terms, ESPN gets 100 regular season games, four Stanley Cup finals, and half of the playoffs.  TNT gets 72 regular season games, three Stanley Cup finals, half of the playoffs, and the New Year's Day outdoor game.  NHL Network will carry 75 regular season games, most all of them "nationalized"  meaning they take the feed from a local broadcast. 

Some ESPN games can be moved to ABC.

In streaming, different packages of games will be on HBO Max and ESPN+/Hulu.  Pretty much there is no reason, IMHO, to buy the "Center Ice"  out of market package.

Well, both TNT and ESPN/ABC still have the NBA too, and I hope there is a definitive answer as to how the TV schedule will be worked out between the two leagues. I'm kind of surprised that this problem never existed for NBC, since it started broadcasting NHL games some three years after losing the NBA (it was actually supposed to start in 2004-05, but a strike cancelled that season entirely).

How the TV schedule will be worked out is that more games will be pushed to the premium services ESPN+ and HBO Max. You'll get about half as many games from each league on ESPN/TNT that you got when NBC still had the hockey.

For its part, NBC is ditching NBCSN as a way to justify pushing more of its content to Peacock.

[SP Cook]

Actually the just expired NBC contract has just 90 games on NBC or NBCSN.  This contract will have 175 between ESPN and TNT.  The games on ESPN+ and HBO Max are in addition to that, games you used to need the Center Ice package for.

[Stephane Dumas]

I saw a thread on HFboards about a book telling the story of the NHL-Cleveland Barons and their games at the Richfield Coliseum.
https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/the-nhls-mistake-by-the-lake-a-history-of-the-cleveland-barons-by-gary-webster.2849777/

As one Youtuber mentionned in that video, The Quicken Loans Arena have now operated longer than the Richfield Coliseum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF8AjqbbuRE

[Bruce]

A few pictures of Climate Pledge Arena that I took at today's open house:

[Stephane Dumas]

The Montreal Canadiens did a big spring cleaning by firing general-manager Marc Bergevin.
https://www.tsn.ca/montreal-canadiens-fire-marc-bergevin-trevor-timmins-hire-jeff-gorton-1.1727507

The Montreal Canadiens have fired general manager Marc Bergevin as the team finds itself mired in on-ice struggles mere months after advancing to the 2021 Stanley Cup final.

The Canadiens announced Bergevin's dismissal Sunday as part of a major housecleaning. Assistant GM Trevor Timmins and Paul Wilson, senior vice president of public affairs and communications, were also fired.

The Canadiens announced that former New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton will serve as executive vice president of hockey operations as the team searches for a new general manager.

"On behalf of myself and the organization, I wish to thank Marc Bergevin, Trevor Timmins, and Paul Wilson for their passion and engagement towards our club over the last years," Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said in a statement. "Their relentless work allowed our fans to experience many memorable moments, including last summer's playoff run that culminated with the Stanley Cup final.

"I think, however, that the time has come for a leadership change within our hockey operations department that will bring a new vision and should allow our fans and partners to continue cheering for a championship team."

Molson is scheduled to address the changes in a press conference Monday at 11 a.m. ET.

Bergevin was in his 10th season as the team's GM.

[Stephane Dumas]

The Habs hired their new general-manager, a guy named Kent Hughes.
https://twitter.com/CanadiensMTL/status/1483446838653038597

[Stephane Dumas]

Back to Kent Hugues, I would have preferred Patrick Roy... let's wait and see and now the habs fired Dominique Ducharms and Martin St. Louis is now their interim coach.
https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/habs-name-martin-st-louis-interim-head-coach.2869886/

[Stephane Dumas]

Sidney Crosby alias Sid the Kid reached 500 goals in career.
https://twitter.com/MikeDeFabo/status/1493748058957520897

[Stephane Dumas]

R.I.P. Emile Francis...
https://twitter.com/TheHockeyNews/status/1495223726887026693

[Stephane Dumas]

That old hockey tale called "The Sweater" is still fun to watch and inspired some parodies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZyDsF-Gp3o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-k4Wzj8bso
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6dWw0qIpdE

[1995hoo]

The Athletic (paywalled) reports Mike Bossy has died at 65.

[JayhawkCO]

The Athletic (paywalled) reports Mike Bossy has died at 65.

Those Isles teams were damn good.

[Stephane Dumas]

The Athletic (paywalled) reports Mike Bossy has died at 65.

Those Isles teams were damn good.

Indeed, too bad to the eyes of younger hockey fans, their dynasty lives under the shadow of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8VutLh0N0Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qda-WoUULt4

[Stephane Dumas]

Just a couple of days after Mike Bossy, we lost an other hockey legend, Guy Lafleur.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33LI8Di0cnQ

[Stephane Dumas]

The 2022 NHL playoffs will begin soon. Florida Panthers won the regular season championship and the President trophy. Let's see if a Cinderella team surprised everyone and will go far this season and if Toronto will bring back the cup to the Queen City after more than 50 years.

[Georgia]

I hope the Leafs get swept personally.
Flames or Oilers have to be Canada's hope. 

[Georgia]

Opening 2 games have been surprising thus far in their margins; and the Leafs wont get swept but hopefully they can lose in 5