NHL 2023-2024 season

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by craner

I know I’m in a small minority but I despise fighting in hockey - brings down the perfect game of speed & skill.

Fighting never really bothered me that much but I certainly haven't missed it either in the years that it seemed to be fading away.

I don't care that much if there is an occasional fight (they also happen in most other team sports on occasion BTW), but it's a bit depressing to see that hockey could be on the verge of regression towards the old days of Slap Shot. Lest we forget that the sport was often seen as a bit of a joke and maybe a notch or two above pro wrestling outside of Canada in those days.

As much as I hate Gary Bettman he's done a lot to secure for hockey its rightful place as a major American sport at the same table as NFL, MLB and NBA. If you talk to average Americans there has been a noticeable change in perceptions in the past 2-3 decades.

Some of the teams in the US are still a joke and should be moved to places like Quebec City but even so it would be a shame to see our national sport slide back and lose some of the prestige it's gained.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Mario would be the all time leader in scoring were it not for his health

In terms of talent Lemieux was arguably the best player ever but as you say injuries and cancer kept him from posting the numbers that would prove that. This is also hard to quantify but I think he was also less passionate and driven than Gretzky was.

I always thought that and in fact one of his Penguins teammates was from Ottawa and a friend of a friend of mine. (I won't out him online though his name wouldn't be hard to find.)

Anyway, this teammate of Lemieux told my friend that Mario didn't really apply himself that much on the ice, and said that "if Mario actually put in as much focus and effort on the ice as he did on the golf course, it's scary to think of how many points he'd get".

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Some of the teams in the US are still a joke and should be moved to places like Quebec City but even so it would be a shame to see our national sport slide back and lose some of the prestige it's gained.

Except that it is not our national sport and that the origins of professional hockey that became the NHL are in Michigan, not Ontario or Quebec.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Except that it is not our national sport and that the origins of professional hockey that became the NGL are in Michigan, not Ontario or Quebec.

Yo, wut? Gary, is that you?

[ScreamingViking]

I can live with a few fights IF they're for good reason. When you see players getting bent over a solid but clean body check to a teammate, and going after the checker, that's a problem.

Old time hockey...

• Video Link

• Video Link

[Coldrsx]

Tonight should tell us A LOT given our recent losses and point in the season.

We are in tough and suspect that even with all things firing it will be a grind. Here's hoping for a 5-3 win, but honestly, I could see a 4-1 loss and if so, time to really, really look in the mirror to see what we want to do this year.

Over to you Oilers.

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Yo, wut? Gary, is that you?

Read this. An amazing history, retrospective and insight.
[IMG][/IMG]

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Anyway, this teammate of Lemieux told my friend that Mario didn't really apply himself that much on the ice, and said that "if Mario actually put in as much focus and effort on the ice as he did on the golf course, it's scary to think of how many points he'd get".

I watched a documentary recently that covered some of the greats from a few sports (I think it was on Amazon Prime). Gretzky was among the ones interviewed, and Jerry Rice and Pele too. It got into their mentalities, along with their histories including their upbringing and the coaching they received.

Gretzky seemed savant-like in the way he described his approach. The "focus" was definitely there in his case.


They also talked about how they were given the freedom to be creative, whereas these days kids tend to be wrung through "systems" that don't allow for it.

[WarrenC12]

Staged fighting and goons are stupid. When teams get feisty in the playoffs and drop the gloves that's good. Same with some cheap rat having to answer the bell after taking a shot at a star player. Unfortunately the refs tend to protect the rats a bit too much.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Except that it is not our national sport

Yes it is.

The game commonly known as ice hockey is hereby recognized and declared to be the national winter sport of Canada and the game commonly known as lacrosse is hereby recognized and declared to be the national summer sport of Canada.

[People_talking]

Finalized photos of the Coyotes (hopeful) new home in northern Phoenix. It looks very ambitious and also look amazing. If they are able to win the land auction nd build anything remotely close to this id say their future is promising.

"It will create 10,800 new permanent jobs and generate $15.5 billion in new spending over the next 30 years."

[Hardhatdan]

Perfect, the team no one cares about and should have folded a decade ago is going to play in the most expensive arena complex in the league...move the team, it's such a joke.

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Yes it is.

Well then; I stand corrected.

Obviously many of us believe it is, but I had only known about lacrosse.

Thanks for that source.

[Justanothermember]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Yes it is.

I did not realise that Canada has two national sports. All I knew is that I was taught Lacrosse was the sole national sport in Canada. Glad to see hockey recognised as well

Thank you for this link!

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Acajack

In terms of talent Lemieux was arguably the best player ever but as you say injuries and cancer kept him from posting the numbers that would prove that. This is also hard to quantify but I think he was also less passionate and driven than Gretzky was.

I always thought that and in fact one of his Penguins teammates was from Ottawa and a friend of a friend of mine. (I won't out him online though his name wouldn't be hard to find.)

Anyway, this teammate of Lemieux told my friend that Mario didn't really apply himself that much on the ice, and said that "if Mario actually put in as much focus and effort on the ice as he did on the golf course, it's scary to think of how many points he'd get".

Purely conjecture but pro sports today probably has the least amount of passion but the quality of play, on average, may be at its best ever

Mario's commitment to the game involves playing in pain during his prime years.

[megadude]

There's an intangible part that can't be measured that's often overlooked. Sometimes you might be better off not applying yourself so much. If it is your personality to be laid back, but you try to be or do something that is not you, it could possibly have hindered you. No way to prove it either way, but let's say you start trying harder. It could have changed you mentally, which then affected your game in a negative way.

Maradona is an example. He had room to slim down more. But that might not have only affected his centre of gravity, but could have thrown him off mentally and taken some joy from him.

When someone is so good at something, sometimes you just don't fix it if it ain't broken.

[WhipperSnapper]

Great insight.

That could easily relate to the Blue Jays right now especially Guerrero under their system

[megadude]

That is another good example. There's been plenty of chunky sluggers who did great without going on some exercise and diet program. Same with pitchers. Actually, Bartolo Colon did better when he got fat. He started out relatively slim in his career.

I also believe there's such a thing as too much practice. Not only can it wear guys out phsyically and mentally, but when you practice a particular system for instance, it might get engrained into guys so much that they're afraid to improvise or play with instinct out of fear of messing up the system. Basically, they start to think about it instead of just doing it.

[Coldrsx]

Massive win by the Oilers last night. Let's hope that continues tonight with the BOA.

I am off to Calgary shortly to get my pre-game on and head to the Dome.

[Djeffery]

LOL at Brady Tkachuk. No problem with one of his players slapshotting from 10 feet away into an empty net, but god forbid someone puts the puck into his empty net 1.5 seconds after the horn goes lol.