Category Archive for ‘NHL’ at On the Wings

Archive for the 'NHL' Category

Octopus twirling ban lifted, with a catch

Published

on May 7, 2008

. 1 Comment

Update (9:09 PM): George Malik has more. He’s not satisfied. To be clear, neither am I, but we can only hope that the League relaxes more in the future. I’m not holding my breath. - Matt

Citizens of Hockeytown, rejoice! Helene St. James now reports that the League has lifted the ban on octopus twirling at the Joe.

The only catch is that Al Sobotka can’t do it out on the ice. He has to save it for the Zamboni pit instead because the League is still holding to the myth that “matter” flies off a twirled octopus and creates hazards on the ice.

No new word on how the octopus will make it to Sobotka’s hand. I assume he’s still not allowed to go out to get it himself, so he’ll have to wait for the officials to make the handoff.

Even though sight of the twirl will be more limited in the confined space of the Zamboni pit, Al should be able to fire the crowd up again. I’d like to see the League give up the rule on the twirl altogether, but this is a more satisfactory arrangement.

4/21 Links

Published

Matt Saler

on April 21, 2008

in Blackhawks, Ducks, Links, NHL, Penguins and Playoffs

. 2 Comments

Update (3:54 PM): Tapeleg of Jerseys and Hockey Love has a post up on the use of the term “bandwagon” in sports.

Clearly, we need adopt a definition of “bandwagoning” that differentiates actual hockey fans who support a new team post-elimination from those non-fan leeches who ride the coattails of a team’s success and bail at the first sign of adversity. It’s one thing to follow a team that’s not your own in as a show of support for the League. It’s another to act like you’ve been there for years. - Matt

Update (1:52 PM): James Mirtle points to an interesting quote on the octopus question in a New York Times article from last season. The League’s sudden turnaround on the issue becomes even more mystifying. - Matt

… With the Ducks getting eliminated last night, the LA media is pointing to the defense as the reason. A former Red Wing is getting particular heat:

… Schneider is incurably soft and untrustworthy defensively.

Soft maybe relative to the Ducks’ hardboiled goon squad, but then again, so are most actual hockey players. Schneider had a definite edge to him, as anyone who ever saw him react to being hit could tell you.

As for defensive untrustworthiness, he worked out pretty well in Detroit.

As Steve Ovadia points out, the problem in Anaheim can’t be pinned on one player. IwoCPO has some thoughts on this as well.

… Speaking of the Ducks, the League has belatedly decided to fine Scott Niedermayer for not showing up for training camp, as stipulated by the CBA. Why this is happening now and not in December is a mystery. James Mirtle suggests that someone in the front office of another team pushed for the fine.

… Mike Chen thinks that the officiating has been awful across the board so far in the playoffs. Dead on.

… Apparently, Wolf Blitzer doesn’t know who Sidney Crosby is. I can’t decide whether that’s sad for Blitzer as a professional journalist expected to be aware of the world around him or sad for the NHL as a professional sports league that has been pushing Crosby with all its might with that kind of reward. Probably both.

… It looks like a Wings/Blackhawks outdoor game is likely to happen (scroll way down) next season. Does anyone really think the League will foot the $200,000 bill necessary to get the Rangers and Bruins into Yankee Stadium? I didn’t think so.

… Larry Brooks says (so take it with a grain of salt) that the League is looking at eliminating the “Wayne Gretzky jersey tuck” in a bid for NFL-like uniformity. I guess it wouldn’t be surprising given the fact that the League spent tons of money on adopting sweaters that lack excess material. However, there are good ways to imitate the NFL and there are are bad ways. This is the latter.

Octopus twirl now banned

Published

Matt Saler

on April 19, 2008

in NHL

. 6 Comments

Update (8:23 PM): Some more reactions from around the blogosphere:

- Matt

I know the NHL has zero respect for tradition and history, but this is ridiculous:

The NHL has decided octopus twirling doesn’t fit in with league image, or something to that effect. The Wings have been told by the league that if Al Sobotka (or anyone else) twirls the octopus that’s thrown onto the ice before playoff games, it’ll cost the team $10,000.

According to John Niyo, the act of removing an octopus (or any other object) from the ice will be the responsibility of the linesmen from now on.

So there goes a tradition that has served to get fans revved up for the game for years. What’s next, a team fine for having an octopus thrown on the ice at all?

George Malik suggests this smells of Predators GM David Poile’s penchant for whining. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least.

Greg Wyshynski sees this new stipulation as one that will die in the face of fan and editorial criticism. I can only hope so.

Lidstrom and Zetterberg in All Star Game commercial

Published

Matt Saler

on January 23, 2008

in All Star Game, Henrik Zetterberg, NHL, Nick Lidstrom and Video

. 2 Comments

The NHL is marketing the All Star Game in a number of ways and one of them is by sending stuff to bloggers. I got an email from Sinuate Media today asking if I would be interested in posting video and/or banner material. Rather than turn them down because I’m not a big fan of the All Star selection process (after voting stops), I chose to actually accept some admittedly indirect attention from the League, more because it’s so rare (for me, anyway) than anything else. So, That’s where the temporary banners you see come from.

As for the title of the post, I present you this video. It’s actually pretty cool.

As I indicated last night, I think the NHL’s All Star reserves and replacements all too often are ludicrous choices. However, I’m all for the players voted in by the fans (even given the occasional stuffed ballot box). I’m proud of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Pavel Datsyuk for getting voted in, even if Hank can’t play. I also think the League made the right decision in naming Chris Osgood as a reserve. I should have made that clearer in last night’s rant.

It’s not the All Star Game itself I have a problem with, per se. I suppose it’s more the fact that the fans only have a say in who the starters are. Why can’t we vote for the whole roster line-by-line and pairing-by-pairing, with those players with the most top-line/pairing votes getting the start?

Maybe the League figures the average fan has a tough time thinking of six players League-wide to vote for, let alone a full roster. That may be a valid concern, since many fans are so parochial. Still, it may go a long way in ending the feelings of injustice and give the NHL a break from all the negative waves emanating from angry fans feeling their players got the shaft.

Also, I should mention that Ryan Doherty of the new Hockeytown Blog will be covering the All Star Game and its related festivities from Atlanta this weekend.

I couldn’t have said it better myself

Published

Matt Saler

on January 22, 2008

in All Star Game, Brian Rafalski, Links and NHL

. 0 Comments

Update (11:05 PM): Clark Rasmussen of DetroitHockey.Net, posting a comment at Abel to Yzerman, just noted that the FSN broadcast team of Ken Daniels and Larry Murphy said Rafalski was asked to go to the Game by the League, but declined.

That lessens the blow somewhat so far as the Wings fan part of me is concerned. The pure hockey fan side of me still feels the outrage of Niedermeyer’s being named a replacement for Zubov at the expense of any number of more-deserving candidates in the West. In that respect, I stand by my post below.

(By the way, I’m not watching the LA game because I’ve gotten maybe 17 hours of sleep over the past 48 and I have to be up at 5:30 in the morning. I’d like to be able to attain the standard level of consciousness tomorrow, so I’m going to bed.) - Matt

IwoCPO has an excellent post over at Abel to Yzerman that you have to read.

Every once and a while, the NHL does something that forces fans to weigh the benefits of continuing to follow the game against the complete and utter stupidity that so often comes from the League offices. This is one of those times.

In my judgment, the League passes once again, but only just. The All Star Game is simply too meaningless for this to do anything more than royally piss me off.

And there was much rejoicing: NHL schedule change announced

Published

Matt Saler

on November 30, 2007

in Links, NHL and Scheduling

. 3 Comments

Via TSN:

The NHL has approved a scheduling format that will have each team play 24 divisional games, 40 in-conference matchups, 15 games against non-conference teams and three wild card games against out of conference teams.

No more Chicago, Columbus, Nashville, and St. Louis eight times in a season, Wings fans! I can hardly believe it, but the League actually listened to the fans.

Hartnell suspended two games

Published

Matt Saler

on November 27, 2007

in NHL, Opinion and Video

. 8 Comments

This isn’t strictly Wings-related, but I had to point it out: all-around goon/punk Scott Hartnell (my fellow Central Division fans know what I’m talking about) has been suspended a mere two games for this vicious hit on Boston’s Andrew Alberts:

I’m sorry, but two games? What a joke. What is it going to take for the NHL to take this stuff seriously? Maybe when some minor league call-up forth-line three-minute-a-game Neanderthal destroys Sidney Crosby’s career. Maybe when Alexander Ovechkin gets decapitated on one of his high-speed rushes. Who knows? Let’s all pray no one gets killed one of these nights.

How long are we fans going to tolerate this crap? The League seems to think that just because a guy like Alberts isn’t an “A-list” superstar that it’s okay to give the perpetrator a slap on the wrist. Is it okay? I don’t think so. I love the game and I love the NHL, but if the League doesn’t take measures to more severely punish players who take liberties with their peers such as Hartnell did, I’ll have a hard time remaining a fan.

The solution to all the NHL’s problems?

Published

Matt Saler

on October 5, 2007

in NHL and Opinion

. 0 Comments

Slate’s Nate DiMeo has it: a European soccer league-style team promotion/demotion system involving the NHL and minor leagues such as the AHL, ECHL and WHL. One problem (among many): hockey’s minor leagues are not like European lower leagues.

Let’s say the League institutes this policy, demotes the Chicago Blackhawks or St. Louis Blues and promotes the Grand Rapids Griffins to the NHL. Those same Griffins that conceivably would propell their team to the NHL are also members of the Detroit Red Wings. Can you see the problem there?

Even if there is a minor league team that could compete on the NHL level (a debatable point), such a team would be composed of players owned by a team against which they’d be competing. How, exactly, would that work?

For an outsider like DiMeo to walk up and suggest to say that the NHL could rotate out the bottom feeders in favor of the best teams from the minor leagues is all well and good. But such a suggestion ignores the realities of the system already set up and the fact that implementation would require a massive overhaul of the League’s feeder system. This idea is even less likely than straight contraction and we all know it’ll be a cold day in a very hot place before that happens.

One last point: it was a lockout, Mr. DiMeo, not a strike.

NHL updates game reports

Published

Matt Saler

on September 14, 2007

in Links, NHL and Stats

. 0 Comments

The two best new features: a list of players on the ice for each item in the play-by-play and the name of the player who drew the penalty. I’m happy about this because it’ll make writing game reports easier and help ensure accuracy. No more guessing on a penalty not quite caught on camera and no more wondering who that player getting laid out on the edge of the screen was. Also, The format is cleaner and the information is easier to find at a glance, which beats the old look by a long shot. To see it the updates in action, see the reports for the LA/Anaheim game last night. (via On the Forecheck, see post here)

NHL partners with Joost

Published

Matt Saler

on May 1, 2007

in NHL and Video

. 13 Comments

Update (6:40 PM): Despite the news reported here, I do not yet have unlimited invitations to Joost. I’m sorry. - Matt

Update (5:45 PM): I only have three invitations to the Joost Beta and I will be sending them off to the first three commenters below as soon as I have the time. I’m sorry, but those three are all I have. It looks like Joost is nearing a wider release, though, so you shouldn’t have to wait long. If you want to get on the fast track, go here and sign up to be alerted when they open things up more. - Matt

I’m excited. The NHL is getting it! This is something I’ve been hoping would happen for months, as Joost is one of the coolest things I’ve seen on the internet in a long time. It’s definitely bleeding edge, but it’s great to see the League taking the lead in the industry by entering into this partnership. Great move by the NHL. I can’t wait to see the content posted.

Press Release:

National Hockey League partners with Joost
NHL Content To Be Made Available On Joost In Time For The 2007 Stanley Cup Final

NEW YORK (May 1, 2007) – The National Hockey League (NHL) will offer free hockey programming to consumers on the Joost distribution platform beginning at the start of the 2007 Stanley Cup Final. The announcement was made today by Joost™, the world’s first broadcast-quality Internet television service, and the NHL.

Under the agreement, the NHL will provide full-game replays on a delay and highlights from this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, combined with a rich selection of vintage games from the NHL archives. Some of the historic action available includes: game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final in which the New York Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks; game 7 of the 1993 Western Conference Final game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings featuring Wayne Gretzky; and the ultimate game of the 1997 Stanley Cup Final, in which the Detroit Red Wings topped the Philadelphia Flyers.

Currently available in expanded beta, Joost combines the best of TV and the best of the Internet by offering viewers a unique, TV-like experience enhanced with the choice, control and flexibility of Web 2.0. Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet connection and offers broadcast-quality content to viewers for free.

Through Joost, viewers can watch programming from the NHL on their computers through a customizable platform with advanced television viewing features such as links to more information or related websites based on the content. This service also offers a variety of plug-in applications, such as instant messaging, message boards and news tickers.

“The NHL remains committed to making the game accessible to fans on their terms. The Joost platform is another step in the evolution of web video and we know that NHL fans, the most tech-savvy in sports, will be early adopters of it,” said Keith Ritter, President, NHL Interactive CyberEnterprises. “We are very excited to announce our partnership with Joost and believe it is a fantastic new service that our fans will truly enjoy.”

Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, Executive Vice President of Content Strategy and Acquisition for Joost, said, “Our partnership with the NHL, one of the major sports leagues in the U.S., gives fans from around the world access to their favorite sports content, and allows the NHL to grow brand awareness in previously untapped global markets. Offering classic and recent NHL games in our high-quality format will be a great benefit for Joost users and hockey fans everywhere.”