NHL fans

[bmacsys]

wow never really looked at it that way

I don't know how well north americans can identify with players who's names they can't even pronounce.

[canadian_husker]

I think the influx of eastern european players has hurt the NHL too.

ya all the skilled players they've brought over has really hurt the league 

try again

[bmacsys]

ya all the skilled players they've brought over has really hurt the league 

try again

I guess you should stick with college football pal. No, your right. Hockey is so popular and gets such high tv ratings.    Lots of hockey fans in the USA and Canada don't care for the influx of so many eastern european players Most who's name you can't even pronounce. These players have no identities. There are no Europeans Bobby Hull's, or Great One, or Bobby Orr. It has hurt the league. Look at the tv ratings in of the 70's and 80's compared to today. The poker games on tv has more viewers than the hockey games shown on Versus or whatever the OLN network is now.

[body88]

checkout this guy thats on our farm team. i know you really wouldnt do this stuff in a real game but still pretty damn awesome

Awesome.

[canadian_husker]

I guess you should stick with college football pal. No, your right. Hockey is so popular and gets such high tv ratings.    Lots of hockey fans in the USA and Canada don't care for the influx of so many eastern european players Most who's name you can't even pronounce. These players have no identities. There are no Europeans Bobby Hull's, or Great One, or Bobby Orr. It has hurt the league. Look at the tv ratings in of the 70's and 80's compared to today. The poker games on tv has more viewers than the hockey games shown on Versus or whatever the OLN network is now.

get your head outta your ass. where was hockey being played in the states in the 70's and 80's? new york, boston, chicago, detroit.....major markets. do you really think people in nashville, miami, phoenix, north carolina, etc. would become bigger hockey fans if there were less europeans and more north americans? they don't care about hockey period.

i don't know who these geniuses are that you have been talking about are, but i am sure if they're real hockey fans they'd gladly trade in Joe Blow from Buttfuck, Idaho for someone like Malkin any day of the week.

wayne gretzky, bobby orr? you're talking about 2 of the greatest hockey players of all time. there aren't many (any??) canadians or americans like those 2 since they retired.

I guess ovechkin(sp?) and malkin aren't entertaining players to you? guys with no identity. the kind of guys you wouldn't want to pay money to see right? gimme a friggin break. 

[RUDE BUOY]

fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck the flames lost to the coyotes fuck fuck 

[Earl1972]

penguins are back baby

E

[bmacsys]

get your head outta your ass. where was hockey being played in the states in the 70's and 80's? new york, boston, chicago, detroit.....major markets. do you really think people in nashville, miami, phoenix, north carolina, etc. would become bigger hockey fans if there were less europeans and more north americans? they don't care about hockey period.

i don't know who these geniuses are that you have been talking about are, but i am sure if they're real hockey fans they'd gladly trade in Joe Blow from Buttfuck, Idaho for someone like Malkin any day of the week.

wayne gretzky, bobby orr? you're talking about 2 of the greatest hockey players of all time. there aren't many (any??) canadians or americans like those 2 since they retired.

I guess ovechkin(sp?) and malkin aren't entertaining players to you? guys with no identity. the kind of guys you wouldn't want to pay money to see right? gimme a friggin break. 

Calm down. Lots of old time, traditional hockey fans don't like the soft European style of hockey or the nameless, faceless, interchangeble players that have flooded the NHL since the Devils signed Fetisov in 1989. Why don't you ask Don Cherry about this goofball? I think he knows a little more about the game than you and he has stated this many times. Now go back to your wheatfield and worship Nebraska football.

[blinky]

the european and russian players may not play as tough but they bring an incredible skill level to the game.
and no way are they faceless. ask the penguins about malkin. ask calgary about kiprusoff. ask the capitals about ovechkin. ask detroit about datsyuk. the list is endless.
the problem with the game isnt the influx of these players....its the NHL expanding to 30 teams which really watered down the teams with "stars", thus the need to  bring over the european and russian players....and these expansion teams in places where people really dont give a shit about hockey.

[Luolamies]

the european and russian players may not play as tough but they bring an incredible skill level to the game.
and no way are they faceless. ask the penguins about malkin. ask calgary about kiprusoff. ask the capitals about ovechkin. ask detroit about datsyuk. the list is endless.

VERY TRUE.

[bmacsys]

the european and russian players may not play as tough but they bring an incredible skill level to the game.
and no way are they faceless. ask the penguins about malkin. ask calgary about kiprusoff. ask the capitals about ovechkin. ask detroit about datsyuk. the list is endless.
the problem with the game isnt the influx of these players....its the NHL expanding to 30 teams which really watered down the teams with "stars", thus the need to  bring over the european and russian players....and these expansion teams in places where people really dont give a shit about hockey.

Ya, the NFL has too many teams, same with the NBA and MLB. It doesn't hurt those leagues much. For every eastern european player the casual hockey fan can name there are quite a few they can't. I think one major issue is too many teams still make the playoffs. Plus the playoffs take two freaking months and end in the summer! The biggest issue is the network tv contract the league doesn't have. I think hockey belongs in Canada, New England, New York, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois. Thats about it. It doesn't belong in the southeast, the southwest or California. places where nobody has ever even played pond hockey or shinny.