Tuesday's notes: New-look NHL excites the hockey world
by Dirk Hoag on Dec 6, 2011 11:02 AM EST
in Nashville Predators News
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Last night's announcement of NHL realignment has bloggers and columnists alike pondering the implications for individual teams around the league, so this morning's hockey notes are loaded with reaction there, including the unusual sight of a Canadian columnist singing the praises of Gary Bettman.
Besides, that issue, however, we have two powerful and important stories related to the game's enforcers; first, Brain McGrattan marks a milestone in Nashville, while a medical analysis of the late Derek Boogaard's brain reveals disturbing news...
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Nashville Predators News
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Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey
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Spector on NHL: Bettman got one right - sportsnet.ca
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Derek Boogaard - A Brain ‘Going Bad’ - NYTimes.com
Here's the bombshell in this series on the life and death of Derek Boogaard - even though he was just 28, he was posthumously diagnosed with CTE, the brain disease which is thought to be brought on by long-term, repeated head trauma. The fact that it appeared in a guy so young was unexpected, and you have to think that down the road, this will have an impact on how fighting is viewed within the NHL.
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Ouch.
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A few morning thoughts on realignment.
Regardless of whether one likes what came out of these meetings or not, the one thing I find troubling about this is how, once again, this league decided upon a major issue like this without seemingly much contemplation. If Bettman is to be believed, this was the first time the BofG heard of these various realignment proposals, yet they arrived at a decision in one hour? I know they wanted to hit the golf course as soon as possible, but this doesn’t strike me as a very serious way to deal with an issue like this.
My guess is that Bettman (as Brian Burke seemed to indicate) already gathered up the needed votes to pass this thing beforehand. Ken Holland pretty much summed up what the big selling point of this was: eliminating a big chunk of games being played in different time zones, particularly during the playoffs (i.e. television ratings). That is the one area of this that I do like, not having to stay up till 2am watching a OT playoff game.
Overall, as far as the regular season goes on a competitve level, this really doesn’t change much, IMO. I think not seeing teams like the Sharks and Canucks more often is a loss though.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 6, 2011 11:27 AM EST via mobile reply actions
I should add though that, if you do make it out of your conference (and why are they conferences instead of divisions?), you may still have to play a west coast team in the semi’s. Again, not nearly as much change as it appears on the surface.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 6, 2011 11:30 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
why are they conferences instead of divisions
It balances your play with the other 3 conferences. Home and home against each team in each conference. No more 4 games against PHX and 6 against STL and 1 against TOR…
4 conference titles decided my playoffs instead of too instead of 6 division champs by regular season record and 2 conference champs after 3 rounds.
by Marcus Newman on Dec 6, 2011 12:06 PM EST up reply actions
I’m well aware of the format change, but it’s really a distinction without a difference.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 6, 2011 1:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I think the use of conferences vs divisions is just semantics to steer people away from thinking about East vs. West
by Melissa Vanderpool Wallace on Dec 6, 2011 1:16 PM EST up reply actions
The difference is that Vancouver, Toronto, and Pittsburgh (for example) all have the same value to every team in the Norris so it’s not all just semantics. So now there truly is no East/West. It’s not 6 equal parts of 2 conferences but 4 equal parts of one league now.
The 4 conference champs and 1 Cup champ will be a “distinction” between 6 division winners, 2 conference champs, and 1 Cup champ though.
by Marcus Newman on Dec 6, 2011 1:24 PM EST up reply actions
I do not think that means what you think it means.
I am talking about the choice of the word conference and how that word “conference” has a different connotation than “division” ( and I think Grizzledbear was as well). You chose to use “Norris” to define Nashville’s new conference despite the fact that officially the conferences are labeled A B C D or have been referred to geographically—although calling Tampa Bay Northeast is playing fast and loose with geography—because that term has a specific meaning for you.
The change to the way the league works is seperate from the name they choose to call the 4 new categories of teams.
by Melissa Vanderpool Wallace on Dec 6, 2011 1:39 PM EST up reply actions
I called it Norris because it it adds Minnesota back in with Detroit, Chicago, and St. Louis…but my point is not inconsequential naming conventions or debating the difference in a league, conference or division.
My point is that there is a big difference in “the way the league works” today and how it will this time next year.
by Marcus Newman on Dec 6, 2011 4:38 PM EST up reply actions
But you’re still playing teams in your conference, especially in the “Eastern” part of this alignment, the same amount of times as in the current divisions for the most part. It reminds me of one those “Grand Re-Opening” sales that you see some stores come up with.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 6, 2011 1:42 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Hey it means I will get to see Ovechkin, Stamkos, Crosby and Tim Thomas once a season every season, so I’m cool. Of course they’ll probably be injured when their teams come to Nashville. Added bonus, I have to deal with Vancouver and Ducks fans way less.
by Melissa Vanderpool Wallace on Dec 6, 2011 1:57 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
you likely won’t get to see Thomas, the B’s seem to like to use Rask when they play Nashville
by Only Fan In J.C. ? on Dec 6, 2011 4:58 PM EST up reply actions
But you’re still playing teams in your conference…the same amount of times as in the current divisions for the most part.
That just isn’t accurate. We are removing exactly 16 games next year from our schedule against teams that are currently in the West and upping our divisional/conference games from 24 to 38. That’s more than just window dressing…
by Marcus Newman on Dec 6, 2011 4:48 PM EST up reply actions
It ain't all about us.
That western conference teams were for this realignment is understandable, but if you’re an eastern conference team, your schedule doesn’t really change a whole lot. The Flyers, for example, will still be playing all their current division rivals the same amount of times, and just adding two games each against the Caps and Canes. What’s the gain for them? That’s why many thought the Eastern teams would vote against this plan.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 6, 2011 6:16 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Your original contention that there is “not nearly as much change as it appears on the surface” is what I am taking issue with. I don’t think that is an accurate analysis.
I’m not sure what you are seeing that is so different with teams in the East vs. the West but the effect is generally the same for all teams concerning my point, not just the Predators. Let me illustrate using your example, the Flyers.
This year the Flyers will play:
6 games each against – NYI, NYR, NJD, and PIT (24 Divisional games)
4 games each against – BOS, MON, OTT, BUF, TOR, WAS, WPG, TB, CAR, and FLA (40 Eastern Conference games )
2 games each against DET, NASH, CBJ, and PHX (8 Western Conference games)
1 game each against CHI, STL, VAN, EDM, CGY, SJS, LAK, DAL, COL, ANA, MIN (10 Western Conference games)
To summarize:
- 24 Divisional games
- 40 Eastern Conference games
- 18 Western Conference games (home and away series with 4 of 15 teams)
Under the new format, the Flyers will play:
6 games each against – NYI, NYR, NJD, PIT, WAS, and CAR (36 Divisional/Conference games)
2 games each against – BOS, MON, OTT, BUF, TOR, WAS, WPG, TB, CHI, STL, VAN, EDM, CGY, SJS, LAK, DAL, COL, ANA, MIN , FLA, DET, NASH, and PHX (46 non-Divisional/non-Conference games )
That means the Flyers will:
- add 12 Divisional/Conference games (for a new total of 36)
- lose 16 games against former Easter conference teams
- add 12 games against former Western conference teams
Add in the new playoff format and you have change that cannot accurately be described as minor. That is my only point. Not that you or anyone else should necessarily like the decision.
by Marcus Newman on Dec 7, 2011 1:41 PM EST up reply actions
By the way......
Why do you edit a previous quote like you did above when it doesn’t really alter the length of the quote? Taking out my empahasis on “Eastern” conference altered the main emphasis I was making.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 6, 2011 6:22 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Not to slight you. It’s a by product of root cause analysis. It’s what I do for a living. :)
I tried to make a brief point by using the one team we are all very familiar with who just happens to reside in the West. As you can see now, my expanded analysis using your Eastern Conference example above still holds true to the same degree.
by Marcus Newman on Dec 7, 2011 1:48 PM EST up reply actions
I’ve actually answered what you wrote here in a newer thread, so I’ll leave my response to this there instead of repeating it here.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 7, 2011 2:58 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
These ideas have been discussed within the league for a couple years now! Just because this is the first time the issue was formally voted upon in a BOG meeting doesn’t imply that it wasn’t discussed beforehand.
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and founder of Hockey Gear HQ, a site devoted to helping you save on hockey equipment, accessories, and NHL apparel.
If you read what Bettman said, this was the first time the details of the plans were laid out before the BofG. Now do I believe that they didn’t know of the details beforehand? Not really. What troubles me is that they didn’t even take a day to think over the details of this. I realize this is kind of a rough draft of what they’ll end up with, but one hour given to the whole proposal strikes me of how this bunch ended up with a lost season in 04/05.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 6, 2011 1:10 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I think they all had a pretty good idea of what was going to be laid out before them. Heck I had a pretty good idea just from reading internet articles. I am sure there was plenty of behind the scenes talking going on before they got to the meeting.
by Melissa Vanderpool Wallace on Dec 6, 2011 1:18 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Bettman
Agreed. Bettman wasn’t gonna show up at a meeting without a good idea how the vote would go. All the due diligence was done well before an announced “restructuring”. No one shows up, with such an important issue, throws it on the table and proclaims…. " you gotta accept it, so sign".
This was a done deal before they crawled out of bed in NY to fly to California. Hope they have fun on the course.
My hockey team is better than your hockey team
Tootoo
Was on the ice for this mornings skate per Josh Cooper. Not sure if that means anything or not.
The tendency to whining and complaining may be taken as the surest sign symptom of little souls and inferior intellects. ~ Lord Jeffrey
I think it means he practiced
60% of the time it works every time
by Creeping Death on Dec 6, 2011 12:01 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Nice
+1, I guess i kinda deserve that.
The tendency to whining and complaining may be taken as the surest sign symptom of little souls and inferior intellects. ~ Lord Jeffrey
I think all it means is that he will be ready to go tonight if he isn’t suspended. I keep glancing at my twitter feed looking for any announcement. And if he is suspended, it’s a disservice to the Predators by not giving adequate time to call someone up if needed.
Well
It looks as if Sergei will be back tonight so not sure if they really need to call someone up.
The tendency to whining and complaining may be taken as the surest sign symptom of little souls and inferior intellects. ~ Lord Jeffrey
Has anyone else realized
that the latest iteration of NHL expansion teams will all fall into one “Conference”. Minnesota, Winnipeg(ATL), Nashville, & Columbus. That’s kinda cool, imho.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
Not to mention...
the irony of having them in the same division as two original 6 teams.
Don’t worry, I’m calling them divisions too. :D
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 6, 2011 1:12 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
As far as Nashville goes, I think the realignment is ideal, definitely helps out Dallas and Winnipeg….those Florida teams, however…
Yeah seems like FLA got the raw end of the deal. You would think they coulda figured out a slightly more southeastern division.
by Melissa Vanderpool Wallace on Dec 6, 2011 1:28 PM EST up reply actions
on the other hand
they have 1 less person to contend with for a playoff spot. that should help some.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
Looks like 2 games...
Wonder how many Booth will get
"The Final Countdown" is now playing in your head. You're welcome.
buddalo twice
one thing about this plan is now a huge rivalry game twice a season
Another thing about the plan
Not sure if this has been said yet, but it opens up a lot more trading partners. You no longer have to trade east ( To avoid the backlash) You only need to trade out of an 8 or 7 team conference!
by IG-PRED8 on Dec 6, 2011 4:24 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
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