About McDavid’s renewed call for more best vs best hockey… can we the fans (realistically) pressure the NHL to facilitate such events?
September 28, 2023
About McDavid’s renewed call for more best vs best hockey… can we the fans (realistically) pressure the NHL to facilitate such events?
6 comments
#”No! YOUR GRAND POOBAH HAS SPOKEN!” ^-Gary, ^NYC
Nope.
I’ve seen for myself posts after posts here complaining about the moving ads during broadcasts, I’ve personally participated in these posts.
I’ve also gone further and wrote the NHL as a fan telling them how it’s ruining their product.
NHL/Bettman Response “We’ve listened to the fans and they actually don’t mind the moving adds on the boards”
FML
What if I told you this doesn’t require the NHL at all? If the players want to pay for it, organize it, pay for insurance etc as they used to exclusively with the Canada Cup, they can do that all on their own.
And before one of you calls me a bootlicker, the Canada Cup format also ensured all money officially stayed with the players (yes, ultimately Eagleson) with nothing shared with the NHL as they had nothing to do with it as the players assumed all the risk and reward.
Similarly, during the 1994 lockout, the NHLPA held a barnstorming 4on4 tournament that raised money for charities and minor hockey without NHL involvement, and Wayne Gretzky himself led a barnstorming Allstar team across Europe to give the boys in the PA some pocket money.
This can be done without management as long as the PA is ready to assume both the risk and reward.
I mean, we have been pushing for it since 2016 which was last time there was something that resembled best on best, even then it was kinda chicken shit.
What more than asking for it constantly can we do?
I think NHL players should be allowed to participate in any tournament or event of their choosing. However, I do not think the NHL should alter the schedule to accommodate them. Let the players decide (and negotiated into their NHL team contracts) how many games they are willing to miss to participate in such events.
The NHL season is too dang long as it is. When does this happen in the year?
6 comments
#”No! YOUR GRAND POOBAH HAS SPOKEN!”
^-Gary, ^NYC
Nope.
I’ve seen for myself posts after posts here complaining about the moving ads during broadcasts, I’ve personally participated in these posts.
I’ve also gone further and wrote the NHL as a fan telling them how it’s ruining their product.
NHL/Bettman Response “We’ve listened to the fans and they actually don’t mind the moving adds on the boards”
FML
What if I told you this doesn’t require the NHL at all? If the players want to pay for it, organize it, pay for insurance etc as they used to exclusively with the Canada Cup, they can do that all on their own.
And before one of you calls me a bootlicker, the Canada Cup format also ensured all money officially stayed with the players (yes, ultimately Eagleson) with nothing shared with the NHL as they had nothing to do with it as the players assumed all the risk and reward.
Similarly, during the 1994 lockout, the NHLPA held a barnstorming 4on4 tournament that raised money for charities and minor hockey without NHL involvement, and Wayne Gretzky himself led a barnstorming Allstar team across Europe to give the boys in the PA some pocket money.
This can be done without management as long as the PA is ready to assume both the risk and reward.
I mean, we have been pushing for it since 2016 which was last time there was something that resembled best on best, even then it was kinda chicken shit.
What more than asking for it constantly can we do?
I think NHL players should be allowed to participate in any tournament or event of their choosing. However, I do not think the NHL should alter the schedule to accommodate them. Let the players decide (and negotiated into their NHL team contracts) how many games they are willing to miss to participate in such events.
The NHL season is too dang long as it is.
When does this happen in the year?