Sides still at odds in NHL labor talks (Yahoo! Sports)
2012
Labor board in Canada rules lockout can continue (Yahoo! Sports)
2012
How to protest NHL lockout on what would have been your Opening Night
2012
Opening Night in the National Hockey League was scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 11 with four games on the schedule. The next day offered five more games, while Saturday had 12 games.
None of those games will be played. At least not now. The regular-season schedule has been canceled through Oct. 24.
This has, predictably, led to outrage from die-hard puckheads who want their NHL hockey. And this outrage has, predictably, led to many excuses to drink with our hockey-loving friends. (OK, and some other legitimate protests.)
Here are some of the protests planned, or mentioned, around fandom this week, as NHL fans solemnly honor the passing of our Opening Night.
#UNFOLLOWNHL
As you can see, this is an effort that's gone on for a bit, targeting NHL teams. (We've also seen references to unfollowing the NHL and the NHLPA on Twitter as well).
There was an unfollow campaign on Facebook back on Sept. 15 that gained some notoriety but didn't really impact their feeds. Perhaps this one is more effective.
Hockey Not In Canada
(The title is, we believe, a play on TSN's "That's Hockey.")
This Toronto-based protest is being hosted by WeWantACup.com, which writes on its Facebook page:
Feel free to wear your Leafs gear but remember that this isn't a protest. It's small group of concerned fans rallying together to show that they want their game and their team back.
We should be watching the Leafs and Habs with our families. Servers should be busy. Vendors should be busy selling. Friends should be together...
...But hockey is not in Canada
Our traditions lay on a boardroom table waiting for others to decide when it would be a good time for our families and friends to cheer. Enough is enough Bring back our game.
We'll have a donation box set up to help those out-of-work ACC employees, and any denomination is greatly appreciated! We'll have some "bring back hockey" signs for you to show your passion for the game. It was only recently that Joffrey Lupul noted there will be a time when fans stand up and show that they're concerned for hockey and that this lockout affects more than just players and fans.
OK, so not a protest. Just something that's really, really like a protest.
They have an ad for it too:
In the interest of equal time, here's Pension Plan Puppets with its thoughts on the non-protest:
Please, whatever you do on Saturday in Toronto, don't go to this. This is embarrassing for all Leafs fans and hockey fans in general. We're all upset that there's a lockout and that the season is in jeopardy, but this is hardly a cause worth taking to the streets over; it's just hockey. If you're "mad" that the NHL is on hiatus (or at least mad enough to protest on the streets of Toronto) maybe you should reevaluate your life. It's just a game. Chill.
Yep. Just a game. (Fast forward to the Leafs' next Cup: "IT'S LIKE I'VE BEEN KISSED ON THE MOUTH BY JESUS!")
Oilers Nation Lockout Party
The Pint in Edmonton will be hosting a "Lockout Party" on Friday afternoon. While partying might not be your immediate reaction to the lockout, please note that the event is (a) for charity and (b) will attract some news media coverage and (c) promises to be a hell of a party if Oilers Nation is to be believed.
Or, failing all of that, just go to Oklahoma City and see the Oilers.
Get Thee To R-Bar
R-Bar is the official bar of the Columbus Blue Jackets on the Nationwide District, and has been running some social media efforts to keep fans buying brews … even if they're not drowning their sorrows as CBJ fans might have this season. The Jackets were scheduled to begin the post-Nash era on Oct. 19 against the Canucks. Double shots for the Sedins!
The Opening Night That Isn't
The pre- and postgame scene around Verizon Center for Washington Capitals games is fantastic. So to support those businesses, and keep in touch with fellow fans, there's a pub crawl on Oct. 12:
To thank the people who make every hockey season special, even the seasons that don't happen, we shall put on our sweaters and Caps gear, gather near the arena to see our friends and fellow fans. We shall then embark on a grand tour of the old stomping ground to show our support for the restaurants and bartenders who have so often kept our spirits up during good times and bad. The owners keep us out of the arenas, the players abandon us for Europe, but our watering holes will never lock us out!
We intend to get started early, as usual on Opening Night, then meander up to the Arena just before 7pm (F Street entrance) for the ceremonial puck drop and anthem, before again heading out to bars and restaurants around us with our friends to celebrate fandom (and perhaps catch Game 5 of the AL/NL Wild Card rounds on TV, both the O's and Nats would play that night if they go five).
Alternately just pub crawl China town with your Caps/NHL fan friends, and celebrate what's really important in life: food, friends, and spirits! Transfer that 1% interest you're earning on your season ticket deposit to those who are hurt worst by the lockout!
A number of the local bars/restaurants will be getting involved in the evening, and it looks like they are coordinating here.
So drink and be merry, Caps fans.
Finally, Our Suggestion
If you feel the need to unfollow the NHL or the NHLPA to make a point, or attend a lockout protest, or to take a steamroller to your collection of hockey DVDs, go right ahead. Let it all out.
But our suggestion for what would have been your team's opening night (and the Caps and Jackets fans have the right idea):
1. Go to your favorite pre- or postgame eatery or bar or bar with decent food, one that's hopefully located within distance of the darkened arena.
2. Spend money.
Sure, most arenas are going to have other tenants, and those games/shows/what-have-you are going to fill the local watering holes. But they won't have hockey, and they might not have it at all this season. So go meet your usual crew, raise a glass to the fans and have a few to support the place.
Oh, and if you choose to rock some swag on "opening night," may we suggest:
3. Wear your NHL gear inside out.
The logo on the front and the name on the back can go to hell for one night.
Any ones we missed? Hit us at .
Bruins coach Julien keeps busy during lockout (Yahoo! Sports)
2012
Rick DiPietro to Germany; NHL Center Ice preview; Evander Kane out of shape? (Puck Headlines)
2012
• It's official: Comcast is mocking us. [Reddit]
• Rick DiPietro's next injury will occur as a member of German 2nd-tier club SC Riessersee. [Lighthouse Hockey]
• Evander Kane is struggling in Russia. He's pointless through four games and his coach says, "He is in bad shape and not ready yet to play on KHL level." But he seemed so fit on the Winnipeg Jets! Oh right... relativism. [Sportsnet]
• The Western Michigan Broncos' championship banner was stolen. Defenseman Luke Witowski cribbed the monologue from Taken and threatened the perpetrator. The banner was recover 24 hours later because, like, that's how that works. [Buzzing the Net]
• Former NHLer Brett Maclean on his cardiac arrest and the players and paramedics that saved his life. [TSN]
• Bill Daly: "What I can say is obviously we lost about $90 million with losing the preseason. I would say with the cancellation of the first two weeks of the regular season, we're probably in jeopardy of losing about another $140 million. So you're talking about 230, 240 to this point that's in jeopardy. That's 240 that we both lose. It's not just the league that's losing that money. The players are sharing on some basis in that. Some subtatntial basis. Whether that's 57 percent, or whether that's 50 percent or whether that's 47 percent. It's some basis and it's a signficiant basis." [OC Register]
"The current situation hasn't benefitted either side, that's for sure."
• Adam Henrique was a Calder nominee last year, so there isn't much left for him to learn in the AHL. That in mind, he'll work on leadership or something. [NHL]
• AEG's asking price for the Staples Center, Nokia Theater, L.A. Live, the Kings, and all those other properties. $10 billion. That's 100 Shea Webers! [LA Weekly]
• Dominik Hasek's top 10 moments. He was pretty good. [Kukla's Korner]
• R.J. Umberger will pass the time during the lockout as a volunteer coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes. [OSU]
• The trailer for documentary "The Last Gladiators," which explores the career of Chris Nilan, is pretty impressive.
• Eddie Lack could be in the NHL this year, but in the meantime, he's clearly very committed to the Chicago Wolves. His new gear is nuts. [InGoal Mag]
• Eric T. takes a look at why NHL save percentages are on the rise. Better defense? Better goaltending? [NHL Numbers]
• More Bodog odds on NHLers overseas. Bet on whether or not the Sedins will land in the SEL, whether or not Malkin will average a point a game, and whether Nazem Kadri will lead the Marlies in scoring. Hooray for gambling! [Bodog]
• Some vandals really dislike the Williamsport Outlaws hockey team. [Sun Gazette]
• Even Google and Wikipedia hate the Philadelphia Flyers. [Days of Y'Orr]
• The top 5 hockey gifs. Good list, but it's missing that one of the guy crashing into the glass. You know the one. [Mile High Hockey]
• Kings' blogger Rich Hammond has been hired to cover USC for the Orange County Register. The L.A. Kings say goodbye.
Are NHL concessions the path to ending lockout?
2012
The NHL and the NHLPA are meeting Tuesday, and Darren Dreger reports the two sides discussed such vital issues as ice conditions, which should have been a heck of a conversation, given the NHL's desire to add more outdoor hockey games to the schedule.
What they aren't discussing: a new proposal from the NHLPA, which the League has said it's waiting on to further the vital discussions about hockey-related revenue and other issues driving the lockout.
Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com, as plugged in as they come, believes there's a way to goose a new proposal out of Donald Fehr and the NHLPA. But it will require the NHL making some concessions:
My belief is that in order for the NHL to get that new proposal from the NHLPA that it is so craving, the league is going to have to show compromises as well, specifically in the area of individual player contracts.
The league has never officially taken off the table its list of desired changes to player contracts from its initial proposal, such as extending the entry-level contract system from three years to five years, the elimination of salary arbitration, moving the eligibility age for unrestricted free agency to 10 years of NHL service (it's now seven years of pro) and the crackdown on back-diving contracts (front-loaded cheat deals). Of those demands, the back-diving contracts is by far, in my mind, the most important demand from the league and I don't think that one ever comes off the table.
LeBrun thinks the NHL would be willing to drop some of those other conditions from its initial proposals. But wasn't that always our assumption?
(Granted, one assumes the owners might force the issue on those rookie deals, if only because the vast majority of them loathe the overvaluing of "second contracts".)
You put something like the abolition of salary arbitration on the table to concede it. Any serious move to curtail it would lead exactly where everyone believes a serious discussion on the salary cap would lead, which is 24 months without an NHL. Fehr and the players would never go for it.
So when will the NHL drop it?
Will NHL players still smile for cameras, clown at All-Star game after bitter lockout?
2012
Feelings about the NHL All-Star game typically range from "nobody cares, cancel it" to "nobody cares, but the skills competition is pretty sweet." But the essential aim of the weekend is to better connect the biggest stars in the league with their fans.
Well, and the league's sponsors.
It's the same principle that's given us things like NHL players delivering tickets to fans or making appearances at local businesses or opening the doors of their houses to HBO's cameras. It's behavior that speaks to a partnership between the league and its employees, who act as front men for a $3.3 billion-generating business.
A big part of the reason the NHL has generated that money: That today's stars, many of them young, have gone further than any group that preceded them to promote the game. Clowning at the trick shot competition. Tweeting with the paying customers. Attending fan fests just so some slob in an ill-fitting sweater can take a mobile phone picture with them.
Players like Alex Ovechkin entered the league right after the 2004-05 lockout. Players like Michael Cammalleri were just getting established. Both players are the kinds of ambassadors the NHL wants to have amongst its players. Both players, however, have bitterly addressed this lockout and its consequences in recent weeks.
Will the league's top players still embrace their roles as promoters of the NHL and "partners" in its success if the owners take a large percentage of revenue from them in the next CBA?
If the players lose, does apathy win?
Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet had a great piece about this on Monday, wondering if this generation of stars would stop going the extra mile for a league that … well, is treating them like the cattle on The Devellano Ranch:
So will the players be willing to go the extra mile again once this meaningless lockout ends? I'm not so sure. For the young stars like Crosby, Ovie, Shea Weber and Ilya Kovolchuk who are locked into mega-million long-term deals, what is their incentive to grow the game now? To put more money into the 54 per cent share of the revenues the owners want? Why the NHL needed to drag these accommodating young guys through what should have been an easily avoidable financial war is beyond me.
… The bad blood Bettman created -- once again -- with the most important assets of the NHL's $3.3-billion empire should have been avoidable. This new generation is now learning to hate Gary Bettman, just as my generation did, because they know his strategy is to first take away the their livelihood, then construct a great deal for the owners based on players missing Ferrari payments.
But because Bettman chose this hard line of negotiating once again, his biggest obstacle won't just be getting the CBA deal he wants for his owners, it will be getting his players to jump through those promotional "hula hoops" that helped push revenue past $3 billion.
First, Kypreos is right: These players hate Bettman. Maybe not with the psychotic passion of a Chris Chelios, but they intensely dislike the man, to the point where those emotions alone would irrationally extend this work stoppage.
But to his point about jumping through promotional hoops for the NHL … as they say, all politics are local.
Maybe on a national level this means a few more players losing their heart and opting out of the NHL All-Star game — one can easily imagine that happening whenever they play the next one. Then we'll all have fun with the fines and suspensions in its aftermath.
But a lot of what the players do in the community is charitable. That's a lot of their face time. It's hard to imagine a group of NHLers rejected a request from a children's hospital because it would be a publicity opportunity for their team.
But even beyond that admittedly heartstring-tugging scenario — a lot of these guys aren't going to punish the home fans for the sins of the owners.
Oh, wait, check that: The sins of the other owners. We all know that the players' own executives and check-signers aren't to blame for this mess, or else they'd have been called out specifically by now …
Brief history of hockey mascot Internet dance fads, after Gangnam Style hits Blue Jackets
2012
With nothing else better to do, the Columbus Blue Jackets unleashed the irresistible Stinger on an unsuspecting public recently. His mission: Help recreate the "Gangnam Style" video that all the cool kids are doing now that they stopped doing "Call Me Maybe" parodies.
If someone had told us that a symptom of the NHL lockout would be watching a few chubby dudes riding fake horses in a sauna, we swear on a stack of Ken Dryden's "The Game" that we would have forced a settlement in June.
Otherwise, an awesome effort by the Jackets, brightening up a dreary lockout-filled day. Although we will echo the thoughts currently banging around in your heads:
Needs. More. Boomer.
The Blue Jackets aren't the only team that's latched onto a passing dance craze. Here's a brief history of hockey mascot Internet dance fads. If you know of any more, hit us at .
And here … we … go.
This is T-Bone, the San Antonio Rampage's mascot, dressing in drag and dancing to Willow Smith's "(I) Whip My Hair (Back And Forth)."
The entire thing is redeemed by T-Bone's "ice worm" towards the end, although it is a shame that his performer is protected by a plush layer of costume and therefore can't get their flesh stuck to the arena playing surface. (Cue "A Christmas Story" tongue/pole scene.)
Remember "Numa Numa"? Of course you don't.
It was an Internet phenomenon from around eight years ago, and the BBC claimed it was the second most-watched Internet video of all time (since surpassed by anything involving cats, getting down on Friday and stunts gone wrong).
Anyway, here's the recently laid off Stanley C. Panther, getting his Numa Numa on for the Florida Panthers.
Here's an SAT question: "Comedians : Air Travel Jokes as Hockey Mascots : _______"
The Dougie. The answer is The Dougie, as performed here by Blizzard, the Evansville IceMen Mascot.
If you're a mascot that hasn't performed The Dougie in the last two years, you're doing it wrong. Someone should teach you. Teach you how to Dougie, teach you teach you how to Dougie.
Dance fads are a lot more palatable when the mascot surrounds him.
So kudos to Chubby and the CheckMates from the Charlotte Checkers, doing the LMFAO "Wiggle Dance."
Not every dance crazy has occurred during the Internet age. So kudos to Thrash, the Atlanta Thrashers' mascot, for getting his Elvis on while dancing to "Jailhouse Rock" in a 2008 game.
Alas, Thrash was killed, cooked and consumed by the family of former majority owner Michael Gearon soon after the team relocated to Winnipeg.
Say, have you been to a wedding or Bat Mitzvah in the last several years? No doubt you are familiar with the "Cha-Cha Slide", performed here by Pucky of the MK Lightning, a English Premier Ice Hockey League team.
For the record, Pucky might be the single most adorable mascot we've ever seen. He's like Nathan Gerbe-wearing-a-hand-knitted-sweater adorable.
Further proof: Mascot Macarena from Pucky!
It's Pucky's dinosaur arms that really do it for us.
How can we forget this viral favorite, previously featured on Puck Daddy?
The Calgary Flames' flash mob tribute to "Thriller"; the video cuts out right before Craig MacTavish, Zombie Hunter runs out and rips out the tongue of Harvey The Undead Hound.
Finally, there's really only way to end this trip through hockey mascot dance fad history: Louie — incidentally Sean Leahy's favorite mascot — doing his spin on the Evolution of Dance during a St. Louis Blues New Year's Eve game.
And obviously, he's pretty excited about it.
NHL 2012-13 Campaign Preview: Winnipeg Jets
2012
Yes, indeed, despite the promise of impending labor Armageddon and a prolonged work-stoppage, your friends at Puck Daddy are previewing the 2012-13 NHL season (whenever the heck it starts). Why? Because this is the most important election in the history of all-time ever, and you need to know the candidates — like the Winnipeg Jets.
NHL hockey returned to Winnipeg last season for the first time since 1995. It was a season of just being happy the Jets were back despite the 11th place finish in the Eastern Conference. Despite having the smallest capacity arena in the league, the MTS Centre was consistently the loudest arena night in and night out. The enthusiastic fan support helped the Jets to a 23-13-5 home record. Sadly for Winnipeg they couldn't play more than 41 regular season games at home because they suffered on the road with a 14-22-5 record. The Jets finished eight points out of a playoff spot and with just a little bit more success on the road they would have potentially found themselves playing into mid-April.
So on to Year 2. The honeymoon period will begin to wear off and with a full season back in operation all eyes will be toward a return to the playoffs.
Did the Jets do enough over the summer to secure a top-8 spot in the East?
"11th place? Who cares? We got hockey back!"
The biggest move made by GM Kevin Cheveldayoff in the off-season was signing Olli Jokinen to a 2-year, $9 million deal. The 33-year old pivot had his best season since 2007-08 scoring 23 times and chipping in 61 points. His production will help out an 11th ranked offense (2.7 goals per game) from last season. Joining him will be Alexei Ponikarovsky on a 1-year, $1.8 million deal. He'll provide production from down the lineup and may play with old friend Nik Antropov on a line. Ponikarovsky is also in that phase of his career where his offensive production is declining, but the defensive aspects of his game are becoming his best asset.
With Chris Mason heading back to Nashville, the Jets brought in Al Montoya to serve as Ondrej Pavelec's backup. Unfortunately, with Pavelec getting majority of the work load, we'll miss out on seeing Montoya's sweet new mask on a regular basis.
Along with Mason, leaving The Peg were Tanner Glass (Pittsburgh), Mark Flood (Lokomotiv, KHL) and Tim Stapleton (Dinamo Minsk, KHL). Eric Fehr and Randy Jones remain unsigned on the UFA market.
At forward… Career years by Blake Wheeler (17 goals, 64 points) and Evander Kane (30 goals, 57 points) led the Jets offensively. Just 21 years old, Kane continued his rise as a star player in the NHL with a productive junior season. And just hours before the lockout began, he put to rest rumors of his unhappiness in Winnipeg by signing a 6-year, $31.5 million extension.
Jokinen's addition will add to the upfront production expected by captain Andrew Ladd (28 goals, 50 points), Kyle Wellwood (47 points) and Bryan Little (24 goals). He'll also play a big role on last season's 12th-ranked power play (17.9 per cent).
Down the lineup the production will thin out, but defensively the bottom six will need to be better, especially among the forwards who were part of a penalty kill unit that ranked 24th last season (80.1 per cent).
Alex Burmistrov is still developing, but showed glimpses of two-way skill. Patrice Cormier could find a role with the team as the season moves on. Mark Scheifele and Ivan Telegin will be served well continuing their development as future spots in the Jets lineup await.
On defense … Dustin Byfuglien missed 16 games last season, yet still finished tied for second among all NHL defensemen in scoring with 53 points. Missing games was a theme on the Winnipeg blueline. Only Mark Stuart (80) was on the ice for more than 66 games. And should the season get started relatively soon, the defense corps will be without Zach Bogosian who underwent wrist surgery in August and will miss 4-6 months.
No changes were made to a defense that finished 26th in goals against (2.95 per game). There'll be plenty of offense provided by Byfuglien, Tobi Enstrom (33 points) and Bogosian when he returns, but improvements will be needed to limit the number of times Pavelec is fishing pucks from his net.
In goal … Now that Pavelec has inked a 5-year, $19.5 million contract, the scrutiny will only increase. He had his heaviest workload last season playing 68 games, but saw his save-percentage (.906) and goals against average (2.91) take dips from 2010-11. His agent spoke a big game after he signed the extension. Pavelec will need to be better as the Jets hope to get better.
Come on down to Winnipeg. They'll take care of you. Tell 'em you know Sugar Free Leonard!
It wasn't the easiest of beginnings for Cheveldayoff and head coach Claude Noel. With such a short summer in 2011 after the team's move from Atlanta and all the changes in the front office, they made the most out of a tough situation. Noel will be fine continuing to shape the Winnipeg offense, but it'll be defensively where he'll need to do the most work. Cheveldayoff didn't make major improvements to a team that didn't make the playoffs. Instead, he stuck with short-term options in Jokinen and Ponikarovsky, while investing in the future with Kane, Enstrom and Pavelec.
Kane, Jokinen, Ladd, Wheeler, Byfuglien. They're the offensive leaders of the club, but Pavelec will determine if the Jets earn a postseason berth. As Wysh noted after Pavelec signed his extension, is he a "good goalie on a bad team or an average goalie given too much credit for being decent on a bad team — or, perish the thought, a good goalie." We're about to find out.
Alex Burmistrov didn't wow anyone last season; he did his job silently and solidly. With a little more ice time and a little more responsibility, he could be a real unsung hero on this team.
Pavelec's getting paid as top No. 1 goaltender and there will be times during the season when he'll need to steal a game for the Jets. Wore down in March, so giving Montoya a few extra games could help keep Pavelec fresh for a playoff push.
[Male Narrator]
"Home team fans.
"We expect them to be polite. Good hosts. Welcoming ambassadors.
"We don't expect them to chant 'Crosby's Better':
"Or chant 'ROOOOOOLLIE'
"Or chant 'silver medal':
"Winnipeg Jets fans. They make opposing players haz a sad."
"Paid for by the Other 29 Teams."
Is it as simple as winning a few more games away from MTS Centre? Well, no. The Jets will need to be much better defensively and on the penalty kill if they're to go back to the playoffs for the first time since 2007. But are the additions of Jokinen and Ponikarovsky enough to get there? If the Southeast Division remains as tight as it was last season, then that will benefit the Jets' chances of being in the playoff hunt until the end. Otherwise, unless Cheveldayoff pulls the trigger on a move that will upgrade an area of weakness, they'll once again remain just on the outside looking in.
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