Being that there is a lull right now before training camps begin and looking into the situation with the KHL with Radulov, Hudler and others, plus the Balsillie situation with Phoenix/Hamilton…
I suggest the following things be on the list of things to seriously talk about at the next meeting of the minds. (An article by Jonathan Willis – triggered some of these suggestions as this guy seems to think like me)…
(1) The situation of the threat of team movements can be resolved with another expansion. The expansion would piss-off the hockey purest’s and the argument is mostly that it waters down the sport. But, it would stop all the….
…. hyper-ness fans get when their team is included in movement talks plus create a whole new group of NHL fans. We Penguin fans have experienced the threat of a move a few times ourselves and really that shouldn’t ever be dumped on any hockey fans. Not even a Flyer fan. A well-planned expansion, for example adding four teams in 2011, and another four teams in 2013 would almost eliminate any “the grass is greener” locations. For openers – my suggestions would be Houston, Seattle, Cleveland, Kansas City, Winnipeg, Quebec City, Hamilton, and Hartford.
This would finally settle all the threats of movement from teams on the city’s they represent. The money for the new franchises would be what most of the established owners want anyhow.
(2) The team expansion in the NHL and a successful KHL lead to an opportunity for the first major sport to be world-wide. This would be a major boom for hockey having a world-wide audience talking it to a level above the NFL… and maybe NASCAR too!
(3) The NHL and the other leagues (especially the KHL/NHL) need a formal agreement addressing players jumping leagues and the honoring contracts. This a two-way street.
Looking into the KHL there are a couple of things they have that the NHL should consider… For example:
(4) At the end of the season teams that don’t make the playoffs have a playoff of their own to determine draft positions. Applying this to the NHL there would be (16) teams… in a three-game playoff from the end of the regular season until the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin. The prize being the winner gets the first draft pick and the other seven draft spots determined by their finish in the playoffs. This would eliminate most of the dumping of players at the trade deadline whereas teams find it more beneficial to dump players because losing-pays dividends. It keeps the emphasis on winning. The arenas already have the dates available so everybody wins. Some may not like this because it would eliminate the THRILL of the Entry Draft lottery.
(5) The Entry Draft tournament would also allow players on the Stanley Cup playoff teams an extra week or two just to heal and prepare for the Stanley Cup grind.
(6) Because of the Entry Draft tournament… less regular season games could be played as the only reason the regular season was extended was for the extra revenue. Possibly shorten the regular season to (78) games however, as usual owner greed might rule here.
(7) The KHL allows for one player to be designated as a franchise player. If this would eliminate all the playing with numbers to beat the system such as with the Hossa and Pronger signings and what Detroit is doing and stop the constant complaining from the big city teams… why not? These big city teams are mostly selling out and also pushing the limits of the cap now while some other teams want to see the salary floor eliminated. What harm would it be to do both. Allowing a franchise player and eliminating the salary floor and let free enterprise go to work again – with some bsic restraints… What harm could it cause as these owners (who have proved the CBA saved them from themselves) are spending money like drunken sailors on shore leave anyway.
Hey… I’m just throwing out some food for thought out here before camp opens – and we all know it does have a Penguin franchise connection to it because if the Mystic Knights of the Sea Casino doesn’t start making a profit we could find ourselves in another Penguin Arena pothole! There was a reason that the Isle of Capri paying for the 100% of the arena up-front wasn’t a good idea… I just can’t recall what that reason was at the moment!
This is DR Hook…. carry on
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One thing that should be changed is a situation such as caused by Dany Heatly. This guy signs a “no trade” contract and then “demands a trade” . . . if the NHL would build a clause into every contract that included: “If you demand a trade the no trade portion of your contract is null and void.” Here is a guy who like Ted Kennedy should be thankful he wasn’t in jail for killing someone holding a gun to the Ottawa Senators head. There’s something just not right about that.
does anybody know how long before the Igloo was sold out today?
I have tickets for Dec.27 vs. the Leafs couldn’t get opening night though.
I live less than an hour from Hamilton, I would love to see Canada get another team, but I this whole thing with Coyotes is just dragging on and on………I want it to end, the season is upon us let’s talk about the game and defending the Cup this year.
I would not like any changes to the draft or expansion, the game is awesome as it is, change is good but remember it can be bad also.
Jim Balsillie can only get credit for one thing and that’s giving bloggers something to talk about this summer. Other than that he’s your basic scumbag with too much money. Balsille should wrap himself in the Canadian flag and jump over Niagara Falls in a barrel. This guy is a much bigger jagoff than Mark Cuban. Plus, who would ever want an NHL hockey team in Hamilton. Ever been there? I’d put one on Neville Island before Hamilton!
This won’t happen and even if it did it’s a decade away. However, adding 6 – teams would setup 4 devisions of 9 teams. Each existing team would have to select 7 roster players and 5 minor league players up for draft. When one of them is picked that team would protect one so the max you could lose is 3 from your main roster and 3 from your farm. That’s 180 players and 6 teams =’s 30 players for each new franchise.
I would subtract Hartford and Hamilton from your list and also would remove Jim Balsillie also. But add those cities along with Las Vegas and remove Pheonix.
Thoughts….
<< The idea of the entry draft positions and lottery is to make it so that the teams that are not so good can get better – the tournament would eliminate that possibility.
I completely understand why the Entry Draft works in reverse order. Do you understand that some teams TANK and the end of the season gets to be pretty much meaningless. Yet full price is charged for the tickets. That's what teams do at the end of the year… they TANK. Whether they admit it or not or they do it unconsciously it doesn't matter. It's done to get a better choice. They sell-off assets at the trade deadline – players change teams which isn't a good thing. Possibly a tournament of the bottom-eight and top-eight would work better. The idea is also to drive revenue for each franchise and stop the meaningless games at the end of the season.
<< Expanding 8 teams is an insane idea – especially in this economy – if you were to do it expand two teams and have each conference be 4 divisions – this would slow down talent going to the KHL.
What would the economy have to do with it? The expansion isn't to slow down players moving to the KHL its to stop teams from relocating. If you are in all the cities that can operate profitably then teams can't threaten to move anywhere. Think back as a fan when the Kansas City move looked to be a reality… did you feel getting shafted as a fan. I did.
All of the suggestions are to load up major cities and then possibly merge with the KHL and possibly the SEL whereas the game becomes a world-wide league… something that football, baseball, and basketball doesn't have.
<< The Maple Leafs huge pull with the NHL is the only thing keeping hockey out of hamilton.
That's the rumor, anyhow. Prior to the 60's Montreal had a choke hold on getting players. There was no entry draft but they had exclusive rights to players from Quebec. The Toronto Maple Leafs had a similar network in Ontario. Not fair but that was the agreement with the other 4 teams. It's no wonder how they were able to win so many Stanley Cups. Stuff happens and things change.
Some of these arenas such as in Hamilton (Copps Coliseum )would have to meet standards for capacity.
<< If the KHL expands to eastern europe, that could create a world league like you are talking with the stanley cup winner taking on the KHL winner, that would be some interesting hockey, but would also lower the Stanley Cup’s value.
Hmmmm? How's that? At one time the AFL was a discounted league and today you can't tell the difference. When Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cleveland went from the NFL to the AFL people (purists) were screaming about it. In my humble opinion having the 'world' participate in the Stanley Cup would kind-of raise the 'value'… if by 'value' you meant importance and recognition.
I appreciate your thoughts – this is how ideas get formulated, right.
Thoughts….
The idea of the entry draft positions and lottery is to make it so that the teams that are not so good can get better – the tournament would eliminate that possibility.
Expanding 8 teams is an insane idea – especially in this economy – if you were to do it expand two teams and have each conference be 4 divisions – this would slow down talent going to the KHL. The Maple Leafs huge pull with the NHL is the only thing keeping hockey out of hamilton.
If the KHL expands to eastern europe, that could create a world league like you are talking with the stanley cup winner taking on the KHL winner, that would be some interesting hockey, but would also lower the Stanley Cup’s value.
Franchise players are fine – keep the cap, it’s working.