Chicago Blackhawks 2012 Offseason Thread

[biittner77]

Players want to meet today. NHL refuses. Yet they announce moving a former dynasty franchise. You can't make this up.

 

I don't get what point you are trying to make with the last two sentences. Why is announcing the Islanders will move 20 miles something they shouldn't do during the lockout?

 

The Islanders were a dynasty a very long time ago. To put it in perspective, Joe Piscapo was still on SNL when they won their 4th straight cup. I can't see how anyone would think less of the NHL for allowing this move.

 

The really ridiculous part is the NHL refusing to meet with the players, like they were a toddler throwing a fit because the players wouldn't take their latest final offer.

[jersey cubs fan]

Players want to meet today. NHL refuses. Yet they announce moving a former dynasty franchise. You can't make this up.

 

Yeah we have entered absurd territory.

 

I know the building on LI sucks. But they had a small dedicated fan base out there. I doubt they will go to Brooklyn for the games. So now they need to build a new fan base. For a [expletive] team. Smart.

 

What?

 

Their stadium was a dump and nobody went. So they moved 20 miles to a brand new stadium. What are you talking about?

[UMFan83]

From what I've read skimming an Islanders blog just now, most people will find it easier and faster to get to Barclays Center than to Nassau Coliseum. Apparently there's no public transit to their current arena, while Barclays is serviced by the Long Island Line or whatever its called, that drops people off directly in front of the arena.

 

Plus Brooklyn is technically on Long Island.....they can still be Islanders!

[kujay]

Players want to meet today. NHL refuses. Yet they announce moving a former dynasty franchise. You can't make this up.

 

Yeah we have entered absurd territory.

 

I know the building on LI sucks. But they had a small dedicated fan base out there. I doubt they will go to Brooklyn for the games. So now they need to build a new fan base. For a [expletive] team. Smart.

 

What?

 

Their stadium was a dump and nobody went. So they moved 20 miles to a brand new stadium. What are you talking about?

 

They averaged 13K fans last year. Barclays only holds 14,500 for hockey.

 

I haven't lived in NY since I was a small child, so I don't know this from experience like you might. But the talk on NHL Radio is all that a large number of Islander fans will not go to Brooklyn due to the commute.

 

If the current fans don't go to Brooklyn, stands to reason they'll need new fans.

[jersey cubs fan]

From what I've read skimming an Islanders blog just now, most people will find it easier and faster to get to Barclays Center than to Nassau Coliseum. Apparently there's no public transit to their current arena, while Barclays is serviced by the Long Island Line or whatever its called, that drops people off directly in front of the arena.

 

Plus Brooklyn is technically on Long Island.....they can still be Islanders!

 

some hardcore long island residents will complain. But the vast majority of the population is going to be better served by this location.

 

there was no public transport out to nassau. Nobody who worked in manhattan was heading out to games on Tuesday or Wednesday nights, whereas madison square garden is filled with people coming straight from work (just like the baseball venues).

Barclays Center has both Long Island railroad access from multiple lines, and MTA subway access from multiple lines.

[UMFan83]

Players want to meet today. NHL refuses. Yet they announce moving a former dynasty franchise. You can't make this up.

 

Yeah we have entered absurd territory.

 

I know the building on LI sucks. But they had a small dedicated fan base out there. I doubt they will go to Brooklyn for the games. So now they need to build a new fan base. For a [expletive] team. Smart.

 

What?

 

Their stadium was a dump and nobody went. So they moved 20 miles to a brand new stadium. What are you talking about?

 

They averaged 13K fans last year. Barclays only holds 14,500 for hockey.

 

I haven't lived in NY since I was a small child, so I don't know this from experience like you might. But the talk on NHL Radio is all that a large number of Islander fans will not go to Brooklyn due to the commute.

 

If the current fans don't go to Brooklyn, stands to reason they'll need new fans.

 

Bitching and complaining after just hearing the news is not the same as actually abandoning the team they grew up with. If the Cubs moved to McHenry, I'd complain quite a bit and would be annoyed, but I'm certainly not becoming a White Sox fan.

 

From reading the comments on their blog, roughly 85-90% of the commenters were either in favor of the move or not bothered by it one way or the other.

[jersey cubs fan]

They averaged 13K fans last year. Barclays only holds 14,500 for hockey.

 

I haven't lived in NY since I was a small child, so I don't know this from experience like you might. But the talk on NHL Radio is all that a large number of Islander fans will not go to Brooklyn due to the commute.

 

If the current fans don't go to Brooklyn, stands to reason they'll need new fans.

 

A couple mamalukes who live a stone's throw from the current stadium may complain and boycott. But that's their problem. It's not just about attracting a greater number of butts in seats, but being able to generate more revenue from the stadium. That place was a dump. I know long island residents who are hockey fans who haven't been there in a decade plus. It's awful. It was an outdated pile of concrete in the 80's, let alone now after all the new buildings have gone up.

 

A small percentage of current fans may jump ship (although I highly doubt that will be the case since they are only 20 miles away and in a better arena) but it stands to reason they will get spillover interest from new fans in the local area as brooklyn is pretty much the epicenter of young families with disposable income in the NY metropolitan area.

[kujay]

They averaged 13K fans last year. Barclays only holds 14,500 for hockey.

 

I haven't lived in NY since I was a small child, so I don't know this from experience like you might. But the talk on NHL Radio is all that a large number of Islander fans will not go to Brooklyn due to the commute.

 

If the current fans don't go to Brooklyn, stands to reason they'll need new fans.

 

A couple mamalukes who live a stone's throw from the current stadium may complain and boycott. But that's their problem. It's not just about attracting a greater number of butts in seats, but being able to generate more revenue from the stadium. That place was a dump. I know long island residents who are hockey fans who haven't been there in a decade plus. It's awful. It was an outdated pile of concrete in the 80's, let alone now after all the new buildings have gone up.

 

A small percentage of current fans may jump ship (although I highly doubt that will be the case since they are only 20 miles away and in a better arena) but it stands to reason they will get spillover interest from new fans in the local area as brooklyn is pretty much the epicenter of young families with disposable income in the NY metropolitan area.

 

Mamalukes? Is that New York for meatball?

[kujay]

We are at a deadline, and I do believe this is a real deadline to keep a full season, and these idiots aren't even talking.

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/all-quiet-on-labour-front-as-deadline-to-save-full-nhl-season-approaches/article4660633/

[jersey cubs fan]

We are at a deadline, and I do believe this is a real deadline to keep a full season, and these idiots aren't even talking.

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/all-quiet-on-labour-front-as-deadline-to-save-full-nhl-season-approaches/article4660633/

 

I can't imagine the full season is anywhere close to a possibility right now, and in all honesty I don't really care. 20 regular season games mean little to me. But if they miss the majority of the season, or heaven forbid, the playoffs. I will not be happy, and I'm normally very happy.

[kujay]

Yeah I think this thing goes dark for awhile after today.

 

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8551281/nhl-withdraw-proposal-once-deadline-passes

 

I read some speculation that the next "deadline" will be sometime near the end of November, so they would be able to salvage the Winter Classic.

[Banedon]

An anonymous upper level team executive did an AMA on Reddit.

 

 

or if you hate the reddit comment structure:

 

http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2012/10/25/3550950/nhl-lockout-2012-team-executive-reddit-ama

[kujay]

Fun trip down memory lane today on NHLN. Games 4 (on now), 5 and 6 of the 2009 conference quarter against Vancouver are on. Game 6 was of course the 7-5 win with Kane hattie.

[biittner77]

So it looks like the winter classic will be cancelled Thursday:

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nhl-winter-classic-could-canceled-thursday-170655640--nhl.html

 

Time for the owners to make one more final offer.

[UMFan83]

Come on guys. I want to see NHL hockey at the Big House

[kujay]

Apparently there will be some phone calls today between the two sides, but not surprisingly with the storm, no meetings.

[Drew Doughty]

Apparently there will be some phone calls today between the two sides, but not surprisingly with the storm, no meetings.

 

soon they'll be talking via email and maybe if things progress well enough they can even send each other links to the funny videos they have just watched

[biittner77]

Apparently there will be some phone calls today between the two sides, but not surprisingly with the storm, no meetings.

 

soon they'll be talking via email and maybe if things progress well enough they can even send each other links to the funny videos they have just watched

 

That would be a step up from the shiny piece of metal that they've been using to reflect the sun.

[biittner77]

They might as well just cancel the season now that they've cancelled the outdoor game. This has been a rough couple days of hockey.

[kujay]

This week may decide whether there is a season. More meetings today after reported progress over the weekend.

 

But if they cancelled the WC only to reach an agreement a week later, I'll be a little pissed. More glad we'll have hockey, but just annoyed.

[jersey cubs fan]

This week may decide whether there is a season. More meetings today after reported progress over the weekend.

 

But if they cancelled the WC only to reach an agreement a week later, I'll be a little pissed. More glad we'll have hockey, but just annoyed.

 

Eh, the winter classic is fun and all but it pales in comparison to the greatness of hockey as a whole. I don't even remember who has played which winter classic games other than Chicago and don't really care. I do care about how the final standings add up and how the playoffs play out.

[kujay]

Yeah I agree. I'm just saying if they were going to get serious, couldn't they have done it a week ago?

 

That said, they may still be miles apart.

[biittner77]

I read somewhere that they put everything together for the first winter classic in 3 weeks so they could possibly un cancel it. I doubt any of the deal that got screwed by it being cancelled would mind if it meant that they actually got to play.

 

I'm curious about what constitutes "progress".

[jersey cubs fan]

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8608072/nhl-considering-two-proposals-nhlpa-source-says

 

The NHL Players' Association made two offers during Wednesday's negotiating session, a source told ESPNNewYork.com, and is awaiting the league's response during Thursday's talks.

 

The union made proposals on two key issues that dominated discussions Wednesday: one on revenue sharing and another on the "make whole" concept to honor existing player contracts.

[biittner77]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/hope-fading-deal-save-nhl-220915682--nhl.html

 

Why do every one of these stories have to end with the reminder that last time they cancelled the season?