This thread feels so empty without this guy:
[A]merica!
I tried to mention him earlier but he took my knee out as I was posting.This thread feels so empty without this guy:
[A]merica!
Guys Jokinen made it to Sochi
12,000 max seating capacity? That's going to suck so much of the excitement out of everything.
My NHL GAF brethren will tar and feather me for this, but I HATE the "the only sport that matters is hockey/the only gold that matters is hockey" mentality that pervades this country.
I fucking love the Olympics and don't hold one sport above another or value one medal over another. If Canada happens to win 15 golds but no medal for men's hockey, it's still a goddamn great Olympics for Canada.
I still remember Vancouver, where we already had 13 golds and our best Olympics ever and people were saying it was all for nothing if we didn't beat US for gold in men's hockey. Fuck that. Seeing the Dufour-Lapointe sisters win or Hamelin defend this morning? That shit is just as good as winning for hockey.
12,000 is actually pretty big compared to a lot of the other arenas in the KHL, but that population base probably doesn't make them a consideration for a franchise.They only have a population of 343,334 (as of 2010), so building a higher capacity stadium could be pointless after the Olympics.
Yup. A lot of the mid-tier European talent has already bailed on the NHL. Cap era lowered salaries and owners aren't willing to write as many big contracts for Euros anymore. It will be a real test for an elite talent to turn down a top NHL salary though. A lot of big talk from Ovechkin doesn't mean he would.
The olympic issue could be a war between the PA and ownership, but owners are having less problems letting the European talent walk and are going to play hardball over it.
Move hockey to the summer Olympics.
But then you have countries like Brazil hosting who likely don't have any infrastructure to even make ice.This would be ideal, but I'd imagine the IOC wouldn't want to lose a huge part of the Winter games.
I believe this. It's only a minority that only cares about hockey, but it's such an elite dream team event that it attracts a lot of attention from everybody, not just olympic fans.You have the minority who only care about gold in men hockey and see the games as a failure if they do not get it.
But then you have countries like Brazil hosting who likely don't have any infrastructure to even make ice.
With your point: Europeans aren't as strongly sought after as before, and there's been a strong showing from North American prospects that are probably easier to deal with than Europeans.
As much as I would like to see NHL players back for Pyeongchang in 2018, injury is a huge concern, along with the huge time zone difference and putting a stop to the NHL season for a couple of weeks.
It'd still be difficult to keep the ice in playable condition during the middle of summer in a tropical country, especially when multiple games are played on the same sheet of ice during a single day. It'd be like the problems teams like Florida and Tampa have in April, only magnified.Haha, this too.
But I'm sure they'd be able to construct/configure an arena or two with enough time.
Like you said injury is always a concern. Even though it is a different sport and not the Olympics, Mark Teixeira of the Yankees hurt his wrist in the WBC before the 2013 season. Played 15 games during the season and needed surgery.
Still feeling stiffness in his wrist almost a year later and is owed 67.5M over the next 3 seasons.
It'd still be difficult to keep the ice in playable condition during the middle of summer in a tropical country, especially when multiple games are played on the same sheet of ice during a single day. It'd be like the problems teams like Florida and Tampa have in April, only magnified.
I tried to mention him earlier but he took my knee out as I was posting.
No supplemental discipline BTW.
The US will lose in the QF.
Kane is more offensively skilled than Toews, but Toews is much better than Kane at... everything else. I know nationalism factors in, though, especially right now.
Ironically, Canada needs a player like Kane more and the US needs a player like Toews.
Canada will not get Bronze. Gold or nothing, which might mean Silver.
Gold: Russia
Silver: Canada
Bronze: Sweden
The US will lose in the QF.
This thread feels so empty without this guy:
[A]merica!
Team USA's third line is Brown-Kesler-Kane?
I.... I can't even comprehend that. There is so much wrong with this line. I'm going to hate every single second of watching them, I'm sure. That line is too good and bad at the same time.
I don't know anything about hockey but why wouldn't Kane be first line
I feel like that was already clear.It's so bad that's it good. Dan Bylsma is some kind of evil genius.
How many Hart (nomations or wins)/Art Ross/Richard/Smythe/Pearsons is he sitting on?
I'm pretty sure it just comes naturally to him.At this point he's trying to look as dopey as possible all the time right?
Dammit, Quick![A]sshole.
Duck Face Dustin.
I can't hold all these feelsAnyone who doesn't root for Slovakia after their home country is heartless. Gold for Demitra!
Kane is more offensively skilled than Toews, but Toews is much better than Kane at... everything else. I know nationalism factors in, though, especially right now.
Ironically, Canada needs a player like Kane more and the US needs a player like Toews.