Detroit Red Wings & the NHL

[Jamie H]

Canadian team vs. a southern-cal team? No brainer to pull for the Canucks.

[lions&tigers&wings...yea]

I want to see Tampa vs. San Jose

just so the nhl has the worst possible stanley cup final for ratings

[Optimus Prime]

Vancouver broke the series open in game two, wining 7-3. Sedins finally show up with strong performances. Sharks dug a deep hole and are 0-8 when trailing a series by two games.

[lineygoblue]

Vancouver can send a thank you note to the Red Wings for taking a lot of the starch out of San Jose

[Optimus Prime]

No doubt, 7 game series was very physical. Post-lockout teams that have built a 2-0 start in the Western Final are 10-0, Van is in the drivers' seat as San Jose had an meltdown and the team failed to rally.

[Mike]

Yep. SJ went into full-on goon mode last night - as they always do when things don't go their way. They have a pretty good team but very poor leadership on the ice.

WTF was Ben Eager doing celebrating and taunting Luongo after the goal that made it 7-3 in the final moments?

[Optimus Prime]

Eager has a serious screw loose, should have been given a 5 min + a game for boarding Danny Sedin, dirty goon tactics nothing more. He's a free agent next year and I bet some batty owner signs him for obscene money. SJ has to bench him, he really hurt their cause.

[Optimus Prime]

A medical examiner in Minnesota ruled the death of New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard was an accident, due to mixing alcohol and oxycodone.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/report-boogaard-died-of-alcohol-oxycodone-mix/article2030008/

[Jamie H]

Very sad.

[Optimus Prime]

According to WinterPeg's Mayor, the Atlanta Trashers are NorthBound of the 49th Parallel soon. Phoenix City Council votes for a second year to extend 25 M of tax payers's money to offset team loses of 37 M+ , stay of execution nothing more. When will they learn that it simply bad policy to "subsidize" billionaire owners?

Winnipeg is a small market but the arena will be full (as before), as apposed to huge potential markets in the southern US with empty arenas. Sorry Bettman, your "Southern Hockey Fantasy" just met reality.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=366351

[geo weidl]

Not a given yet OP. Its rumoured that a Jeff Buchanan from atlanta is becoming a silent partner. Sorry Sean, there goes your inheritance.

[Jamie H]

Coyotes should move back to Winnipeg where they belong.

[geo weidl]

Right now I would like to see tampa bay with Yzerman move to Winnipeg. Have not followed them too much, but Stevie is doing something down there.

[Optimus Prime]

In his first season as GM, mind you he had some great players but terrible former owners.

There are 11 teams rumored for sale in the NHL, 1/3rd of the League, in surprising markets like Buffalo, long Island even St. Louis.

If I were a HOCKEY CZAR, Here's what you do NHL. Move Phoenix to Quebec City, move Atlanta to Winnipeg. Move Dallas to Houston if the numbers look better than Dallas. Keep Tampa in Tampa. Keep the teams in California. Fold the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders. But move one of those teams and move it somewhere in Southern Ontario simply because it is the BEST hockey market without a team! Then move Detroit back to the East. At this point there are 26 teams remaining instead of 30, the rest of the players are pooled in a lottery. The quality of play is better, greater parity and the NHL owners make money in markets traditional receptive and supportive of hockey.

[Optimus Prime]

Not a given yet OP. Its rumoured that a Jeff Buchanan from atlanta is becoming a silent partner. Sorry Sean, there goes your inheritance.

Thrashers have lost $130 million since 2005 according to court document figures. No doubt Buchanan is loaded but Canadian Billionaire David Thomson just might outbid him.