Hockey

[cl94]

NHL plans to put an expansion team in Las Vegas: source. I'm trying to figure out how this will work with an odd number of teams, especially if they don't end up putting one in Quebec City.

A person with direct knowledge of the NHL's decision says the league has settled on Las Vegas as its choice for expansion, provided organizers can come up with a $500 million fee.

The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because details have not been released by the league ahead of its Board of Governors meeting on June 22 in Las Vegas. Quebec City was also considered for expansion.

A second person who had been briefed on the decision said Las Vegas was a "done deal" following the recommendation of the NHL's executive committee.

The 2017-18 season would be the earliest the league would expand.

The franchise would be the NHL's 31st team and the first major professional sports franchise in Las Vegas, the rapidly growing gambling centre of the American West.

[CanesFan27]

NHL plans to put an expansion team in Las Vegas: source. I'm trying to figure out how this will work with an odd number of teams, especially if they don't end up putting one in Quebec City.

A person with direct knowledge of the NHL's decision says the league has settled on Las Vegas as its choice for expansion, provided organizers can come up with a $500 million fee.

The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because details have not been released by the league ahead of its Board of Governors meeting on June 22 in Las Vegas. Quebec City was also considered for expansion.

A second person who had been briefed on the decision said Las Vegas was a "done deal" following the recommendation of the NHL's executive committee.

The 2017-18 season would be the earliest the league would expand.

The franchise would be the NHL's 31st team and the first major professional sports franchise in Las Vegas, the rapidly growing gambling centre of the American West.

I take it from your age that you weren't around for the "Original 21" era from 1979-1991 then.  Easy, the league doesn't have to have every team play on every day.  They'll be tweaks in the balance of the schedule but it won't have any major impact.

[ET21]

Draft begins Friday

[Desert Man]

Minor ice hockey leagues are doing fine (for the most part), I can name ten of them near me in Southern CA (with affiliations in AHL teams): Long Beach Ice Dogs, Ontario Reign (AHL-LA Kings), San Diego Gulls (AHL-Ducks), Bakersfield Condors (AHL-Oilers), Stockton Heat (AHL-Flames) related to the Abbottsford, BC Heat, Fresno Falcons, San Jose Barracuda (NHL-Sharks), San Francisco Bulls in Daly City's Cow Palace, Reno Wranglers and Tucson Roadrunners (NHL-coyotes). There are teams in the Pacific NW and Alaska (the Aces) sometimes play AHL teams, while Seattle, Tacoma and Portland OR attempted to bring the NHL to this part of the country.

Then I remember the Inline Hockey League in the 1990s held a team in Temecula known as the Desert Rats. And the Roller Hockey Int'l in the same decade: the Anaheim Bullfrogs, Los Angeles Blades and San Diego Barracuda, with the later Ontario (the suburb)/Palm Desert Silver-Cats. Youtube airs free games of the Women's National Hockey League made up of 6 teams: Boston (pride), Buffalo (Beauts), New York (Riveters) and Connecticut (Whale). The non-assigned Minn., Mich., Montreal and Hamilton, Ont. teams (this city tried to get a NHL team, but the Maple Leafs and Sabres blocked the vote) can join the NWHL if they wanted.   

 

[epzik8]

Lifelong Capitals fan here, but I want to get along with the Penguins fans, Flyers fans, et cetera here. I mean, we're all roadfans even if we hate each other's hockey teams.

[DTComposer]

Minor ice hockey leagues are doing fine (for the most part), I can name ten of them near me in Southern CA (with affiliations in AHL teams): Long Beach Ice Dogs, Ontario Reign (AHL-LA Kings)

Long Beach Ice Dogs went out of business in 2007 (I used to go to games as I could walk to the arena) - I believe the owners of that team are the ones who own the Reign now.

[CanesFan27]

Lifelong Capitals fan here, but I want to get along with the Penguins fans, Flyers fans, et cetera here. I mean, we're all roadfans even if we hate each other's hockey teams.

We all have our crosses to bare.

[jp the roadgeek]

Lifelong Capitals fan here, but I want to get along with the Penguins fans, Flyers fans, et cetera here. I mean, we're all roadfans even if we hate each other's hockey teams.

We all have our crosses to bare.

I bore my cross until 1997 rooting for the team for which you now root.  It took me almost 15 years and an admission that the NHL would likely never return to warm up to the advances of our former New England rival.

[CanesFan27]

Speaking of which - has anyone ever seen the Flyers win the Stanley Cup?

[jp the roadgeek]

Speaking of which - has anyone ever seen the Flyers win the Stanley Cup?

Last time they won, I was in my mom's stomach.  Leafs, Blues, Sabres, and Canucks fans have been waiting longer than the Caps.  If you want to include former teams in current cities: Wild (North Stars), Sharks (Seals), and Senators (original pre-1934 franchise) fans have also waited longer.

[CanesFan27]

Speaking of which - has anyone ever seen the Flyers win the Stanley Cup?

Last time they won, I was in my mom's stomach.  Leafs, Blues, Sabres, and Canucks fans have been waiting longer than the Caps.  If you want to include former teams in current cities: Wild (North Stars), Sharks (Seals), and Senators (original pre-1934 franchise) fans have also waited longer.

So if no one has ever seen the flyers win the Stanley cup - did it really happen?

[amroad17]

Yes, it has happened.  In the 1973-74 season, the Flyers defeated the Boston Bruins, who had Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr.  In the 1974-75 season, they defeated the Buffalo Sabres, who had Gilbert Perrault and Rick Martin.  The Flyers had the best goaltender in hockey at the time, Bernie Parent, and the best passing center in Bobby Clarke.  They also had the best fighter in hockey in Dave Schultz, who racked up an incredible 472 penalty minutes in the '74-'75 season.  They were a great team to watch.

So, yes I have seen the Flyers win not just one, but two Stanley Cups.

[CanesFan27]

Yes, it has happened.  In the 1973-74 season, the Flyers defeated the Boston Bruins, who had Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr.  In the 1974-75 season, they defeated the Buffalo Sabres, who had Gilbert Perrault and Rick Martin.  The Flyers had the best goaltender in hockey at the time, Bernie Parent, and the best passing center in Bobby Clarke.  They also had the best fighter in hockey in Dave Schultz, who racked up an incredible 472 penalty minutes in the '74-'75 season.  They were a great team to watch.

So, yes I have seen the Flyers win not just one, but two Stanley Cups.

Wow you must be old if you have seen the Flyers win the Stanley Cup!

[amroad17]

Wellllll....

I have also seen the Knicks, Bullets (now Wizards), and Sonics (now Thunder) win an NBA Championship; the Dolphins win two Super Bowls in a row; the Pirates win two World Series in the 1970's; Marquette and NC State win NCAA Championships; and the NY Islanders win four Stanley Cups in a row.

[Max Rockatansky]

Wellllll....

I have also seen the Knicks, Bullets (now Wizards), and Sonics (now Thunder) win an NBA Championship; the Dolphins win two Super Bowls in a row; the Pirates win two World Series in the 1970's; Marquette and NC State win NCAA Championships; and the NY Islanders win four Stanley Cups in a row.

If it makes you feel better people tell me that I'm old because I remember the Tigers winning the World Series in 1984 so well.  I mean god...I was almost 10, I never understood why I "wouldn't" remember at that age.

[jp the roadgeek]

Wellllll....

I have also seen the Knicks, Bullets (now Wizards), and Sonics (now Thunder) win an NBA Championship; the Dolphins win two Super Bowls in a row; the Pirates win two World Series in the 1970's; Marquette and NC State win NCAA Championships; and the NY Islanders win four Stanley Cups in a row.

If it makes you feel better people tell me that I'm old because I remember the Tigers winning the World Series in 1984 so well.  I mean god...I was almost 10, I never understood why I "wouldn't" remember at that age.

That was the first World Series I ever remember watching.  I tell my friends I remember the night that the ball went through Buckner's legs (week before my 11th birthday), and they think I'm old.  A side note pertaining to hockey about that night: The night all started when my dad and I went to the Whalers game, and he brought the tickets for the wrong game with us (of course there was no such thing as online tickets back then, so we couldn't get in).  Ended up being a precursor of worse things to come.

[hotdogPi]

Wellllll....

I have also seen the Knicks, Bullets (now Wizards), and Sonics (now Thunder) win an NBA Championship; the Dolphins win two Super Bowls in a row; the Pirates win two World Series in the 1970's; Marquette and NC State win NCAA Championships; and the NY Islanders win four Stanley Cups in a row.

If it makes you feel better people tell me that I'm old because I remember the Tigers winning the World Series in 1984 so well.  I mean god...I was almost 10, I never understood why I "wouldn't" remember at that age.

That was the first World Series I ever remember watching.  I tell my friends I remember the night that the ball went through Buckner's legs (week before my 11th birthday), and they think I'm old.

That happened in 1986, not 1984.

[amroad17]

Sticking with hockey, the first Stanley Cup final I saw was the Chicago-Montreal final in 1971.  I was 9.  I remember the Blackhawks had Bobby Hull, his brother Dennis, Stan Mikita, Pit Martin, Pat Stapleton, and, in goal, Tony Esposito.  The Canadiens had Frank Mahavolich, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournyner, and, in goal, Ken Dryden.  That one went seven games with Montreal winning the Cup.

Other firsts: Super Bowl VI (Miami-Dallas), 1971 World Series (Baltimore-Pittsburgh), 1974 NBA Finals (Milwaukee-Boston).  I didn't really get into basketball until I was 12.

[jp the roadgeek]

Wellllll....

I have also seen the Knicks, Bullets (now Wizards), and Sonics (now Thunder) win an NBA Championship; the Dolphins win two Super Bowls in a row; the Pirates win two World Series in the 1970's; Marquette and NC State win NCAA Championships; and the NY Islanders win four Stanley Cups in a row.

If it makes you feel better people tell me that I'm old because I remember the Tigers winning the World Series in 1984 so well.  I mean god...I was almost 10, I never understood why I "wouldn't" remember at that age.

That was the first World Series I ever remember watching.  I tell my friends I remember the night that the ball went through Buckner's legs (week before my 11th birthday), and they think I'm old.

That happened in 1986, not 1984.

I mixed together 2 thoughts.  To clarify, the first series I remember watching was the 1984 Series.  The 1986 Series story was a personal anecdote.

The other firsts I remember watching: Super Bowl XVI for football, and the 1983-84 NBA and Stanley Cup Finals (started it all off right in the NBA with the Celtics beating the Lakers).  1984 really shaped my sports upbringing; it was the first year I was really old enough to appreciate sports, and it was the first full year my house had cable, so I could get TV-38 for the Red Sox and Bruins, (but I was a Whalers fan back then, so the Bruins were the enemy), WOR for all NY teams but the Yankees, and WPIX for the Yankees.  1984-85 was also the first season I went to more than half of the Whalers home games.

[amroad17]

I enjoy watching hockey myself.  In the last 20 years, it has become a more defensive game--like those before 1967.  We will probably never see teams like the Boston Bruins of the early 1970's--a team that scored 399 goals in 1970-71 or the Edmonton Oilers of the 1980's--a team that scored over 400 goals five straight seasons with a high of 446 in 1983-84.  Now the leading scoring teams score between 260-280 goals/season.

I have, however, been to only two hockey matches in my life.  The first was in 1971, when I went to see the old Syracuse Blazers play the Binghamton Dusters in an Eastern Hockey League match at the War Memorial.  The other was in 2000, when I saw the Cincinnati Cyclones play at the (now) US Bank Arena when they were in the old International Hockey League.

The hockey matches I would have loved to see involved the Hampton Roads Admirals of the 1990's.  They won three ECHL Championships and had to have been exciting to watch.  I followed them in the newspapers.  I just did not have the extra money to attend any matches.

[ET21]

The NHL is back!

[Desert Man]

The NHL is back!

The Kings and Ducks will rule the NHL standings as division/conference/region rivals, but don't underestimate the NY Rangers and Islanders, FL Panthers vs TB Lightning rivalries and Nashville Predators vs. Chicago BlackHawks. Too soon to tell: the Washington Capitols will be the league leader, while the Pens could go to the conference finals at least...and looks like the Sharks have another winning season.

Yes, the L.A. area advances in a sport not associated with its warm climate: When L.A. welcomes back the Rams (NFL football), roots for the Dodgers' post-season run (MLB baseball), the Clippers expect another winning season and the Lakers are coming back (NBA basketball), and even MLS soccer teams Galaxy and a new one set to play next year, L.A. is a great sports town.

Edit: Auston Matthews of the Maple Leafs scored 4 goals in his first game appearance! This could help the Maple Leafs, keep it going and they're a competing force.

[Desert Man]

Season update: Four Canadian teams have the most wins (10 something) in only the first 2 weeks of the 2016-17 season: In Eastern: the Canadiens and Leafs, and western: the Canucks (the most overall) and Oilers. The Canucks' last trip to the stanley cup was 2011 (they lost to the Bruins) and the Leafs was in 1967 (alf a century ago). The Canadiens' last time in 1993 - their 24th overall...and the 1980s Oilers dynasty with Wayne Gretzky, their last trip in 2006 (lost to the Hurricanes). The saga is in its first chapter, so it's too soon to tell how far a Canadian stanley cup will be...and a Canadian champion too.

[epzik8]

I'm loving the season so far. How about that rookie Auston Matthews from Toronto. And I've been enjoying my Capitals' Canadian road trip. I watched them play the Oilers, Flames and Canucks.

[Stephane Dumas]

Former goaltender Rogatien Vachon had been inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
http://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/montreal-canadiens/canadiens-honour-new-hall-of-famer-rogatien-vachon
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/rogie-vachons-hall-of-fame-induction-long-overdue-171357120.html
http://www.latimes.com/sports/kings/la-sp-vachon-hall-elliott-20161113-story.html