Rite of Spring '15: exhume our idols! bury our friends!

[youcan'tseeme]

Now, while I would like to see Chicago win, it needs to be noted that, if they do, they are not a dynasty. A "quasi-dynasty"? Sure. An "as-close-as-you-can-realistically-come-to-a-dynasty-in-the-salary-cap-world" success story? Yup. But a true dynasty? No chance. The '80s Oilers, '40s Leafs, and '60s Habs were all true dynasties. But the 2010s Hawks? Don't get me wrong, winning three Cups in six years would be very impressive, but it's nowhere near those historical precedents.

It's important to remember, though, that the 40's Leafs and 60's Habs only had 5 other teams to deal with. Even the 80's Oilers (plus 1990) were only working in a 21 team league with no salary cap. Fact is, winning the cup was easier back then. It's not too ridiculous to stretch the definition of dynasty to match where the league is in terms of size now.

If the Blackhawks win their third cup in 6 years I'll give them the dynasty label, this will be the Blackhawks era, and place them on the same level as the late 90's/early 2000's Red Wings who also won 3 cups in a 6 year stretch.

While I agree with the 2nd half of the post, the first half of the post does not support it. Less teams does not equal it being easier. Latvia will never win an Olympic Gold Medal in mens hockey so long as the NHL is participating. Less teams equals more talent per team and thus better teams. If we made 6 All-Star teams now, though you'd have 1 in 6 odds technically, the work required to actually defeat one of those 6 teams would be far greater than any team assembled today.

I've only ever seen O6 fans make the argument that fewer teams makes it harder to win and it makes no sense.

Fewer teams absolutely makes things easier. If there were 30 teams back in 1960 there's no way the Canadiens would've won as many cups as they did because they would've had 6 times as many opponents with the opportunity to knock them off.

If there's only 6 teams each team's level of talent would be better, but everything is relative so that means your team's level of talent is also better so that's completely irrelevant to the discussion. With a 6 team league versus a 30 team league there's only 5 other teams to out-manage, out-draft, out-skill, out-work, out-play as opposed to 29 other teams. It was more likely in a given year that you'd find the right combination of all those elements to beat your opponent if there's only 5 of them. That's just math.

Edit: Also, only 2 playoff series to win, which means a 4th place team, a bottom half team, could squeak in, get hot, go 8-6, and take home a stanley cup. There were way fewer landmines.

If the talent level really was truly relative than the Canadiens wouldn't have more cups than the Bruins, Hawks and Rangers combined in that era.

The talent was still relative. The talent is always relative. Just happened that more of the talent played for the Canadiens. The Canadiens had more cups in that era because rules for negotiating with local players gave them the ability to monopolize a scouting pipeline and there was no free agency so they were able to keep them forever. In addition to that only having 5 opponents to compete with made controlling that scouting pipeline much much easier on them. It wasn't a level playing field.

But that doesn't matter because that's not your argument. Your argument was that it's harder to win with fewer teams and that still makes no sense because of math.

It's not near as black and white as you're making it is my point. How was it easier for Chicago to win back in that era if they didn't have equal access to talent? Easier for Montreal evidently, but that doesn't translate across the board. If we're going on math, than the Hawks have the potential to equal their Cup total from 1926-67 (under 10 teams at all times), in 6 six years now with a 30 team league. I understand your points but the math on one side does not discount the other.

[Geoff]

I think for public relations purposes if nothing else, the NHL needs to step in and tell teams to knock this crap off with not taking out-of-state credit cards to keep Blackhawks fans out. It looks so Hooterville to have these teams trying to keep the "wrong" fans out of their buildings. Stop restricting your own commerce. Don't tell hockey fans you won't take their money.

LOL. It's Ticketmaster that won't take out-of-state cards. Call the box office and two things would happen: you'd get tickets and you'd save on fees.

[infrared41]

I think for public relations purposes if nothing else, the NHL needs to step in and tell teams to knock this crap off with not taking out-of-state credit cards to keep Blackhawks fans out. It looks so Hooterville to have these teams trying to keep the "wrong" fans out of their buildings. Stop restricting your own commerce. Don't tell hockey fans you won't take their money.

Not to mention, it takes about 30 seconds for a local to buy tickets and then put them up for sale online to Hawks fans. It's a lost cause.

[sportstar1212]

I think for public relations purposes if nothing else, the NHL needs to step in and tell teams to knock this crap off with not taking out-of-state credit cards to keep Blackhawks fans out. It looks so Hooterville to have these teams trying to keep the "wrong" fans out of their buildings. Stop restricting your own commerce. Don't tell hockey fans you won't take their money.

Not to mention, it takes about 30 seconds for a local to buy tickets and then put them up for sale online to Hawks fans. It's a lost cause.

I don't get why teams even bother with this nonsense. 1) it looks bad on your own fanbase, and 2) it's going to fail no matter what when you've got sites like Stubhub and whatnot. It's just really, really stupid.

[FiddySicks]

And the Lightning are apparently also enforcing a dress code?

https://fansided.com/2015/06/02/lightning-dress-code-stanley-cup-playoffs/

As if they weren't already hard enough to root for, now they go and pull this nonsense. So you can't buy the tickets through certain websites if you live in a specific area of the country, and even if you do, you can't wear your own teams gear in your section? Yeah, screw this team. Go Hawks.

[OnWis97]

It was cool when we had the series with Minnesota and there was none of this crap. There was a decent contingent of Hawks fans at the game but no one really cared that much. Looks like Minnesota beats the South in the hospitality department again.

Remember how hard it is for Rays fans to get to Rays games? Maybe it's actually easier for Chicago fans to get to Lightning games than it is for local fans.

[The_Admiral]

Credit where it's due to Anaheim as well as Minnesota. They were grown-ups about who came to their games.

[OnWis97]

And the Lightning are apparently also enforcing a dress code?

https://fansided.com/2015/06/02/lightning-dress-code-stanley-cup-playoffs/

As if they weren't already hard enough to root for, now they go and pull this nonsense. So you can't buy the tickets through certain websites if you live in a specific area of the country, and even if you do, you can't wear your own teams gear in your section? Yeah, screw this team. Go Hawks.

First: "imposing fans" LOL

That's pitiful. The only thing worse than having fans turn on the TV and seeing a bunch of opposing team jerseys in the audience is for fans to hear about the lengths to which the organization will go to hide that perception.

[Sport]

I think for public relations purposes if nothing else, the NHL needs to step in and tell teams to knock this crap off with not taking out-of-state credit cards to keep Blackhawks fans out. It looks so Hooterville to have these teams trying to keep the "wrong" fans out of their buildings. Stop restricting your own commerce. Don't tell hockey fans you won't take their money.

Not to mention, it takes about 30 seconds for a local to buy tickets and then put them up for sale online to Hawks fans. It's a lost cause.

I don't get why teams even bother with this nonsense. 1) it looks bad on your own fanbase, and 2) it's going to fail no matter what when you've got sites like Stubhub and whatnot. It's just really, really stupid.

Allow me to stick up for Tampa here.

If it fails it's because there's a lot of Chicago natives/bandwagon jerks living in Tampa, but I don't think it's that stupid. I saw it first hand when the Blue Jackets kept out of state credit cards from buying tickets for the Penguins series in 2014. Instead of the usual split of 60-40 Blue Jackets fans to a$$holes it was a 95-5 split of Blue Jackets fans to a$$holes. It kept out the great unwashed and the place was loud.

The front office wants to win too and they want to make sure their home crowd is actually rooting for them. I don't think it's a Glendale "we don't have enough fans let's pretend like we have more" thing. I think it's a "let's give our fans the first advantage or opportunity to get in the building" thing. They're looking out for their fans.

[FiddySicks]

I dunno, the whole "dress code" thing pretty much screams Arizona to me.

http://deadspin.com/dodgers-fans-at-chase-field-forced-to-change-clothes-or-472797108

That, BTW, was the moment I decided I wouldn't be renewing my D Backs season tickets for another year. It was early April!

Seriously, Lightning, don't try to be Phoenix. It's NEVER a good look.

[The_Admiral]

If anything, a dress code for club seating should prohibit any team sweaters. Look nice-ish if you're going to sit there.

[Cosmic]

I think for public relations purposes if nothing else, the NHL needs to step in and tell teams to knock this crap off with not taking out-of-state credit cards to keep Blackhawks fans out. It looks so Hooterville to have these teams trying to keep the "wrong" fans out of their buildings. Stop restricting your own commerce. Don't tell hockey fans you won't take their money.

This wouldn't be such a big deal if it happened in other sports, but as far as I'm aware it's only this. If I'm in the fan base that has this kind of attendance paranoia, I'm embarrassed.

Denver and Seattle both did this for their conference championship games in 2014. I'm in pad right now, so I don't feel like linking. That being said, it's a stupid idea that was outdated as soon as StubHub became a thing.

[monkeypower]

Did they about out of state Lightning fans?!?!

Think about little Jimmy from Chunky, Mississippi wanted to go see his beloved Lightning in the finals, but his parents have to tell him the Lightning don't want him.

[ninersdd]

I wonder if the Lightning would've done this if say the Coyotes had come out of the West? (Probably not)

[Crabcake]

Getting hyped! Only wish that my Caps were in it

This is why the NHL is so awesome: you want to watch games that your team has nothing to do with.

Btw even with this whole dress code fiasco, I'm still rooting for the Bolts because I want someone else to win it.

[Morgan33]

Looks just like an original six matchup. How awesome would colour vs colour be for this series

[Tigers6884]

Let's go Hawks!

[Crabcake]

Let's go Hawks!

About that...

[AHcreative]

One of the best goals I've seen in a while. Incredible hand-eye coordination.

[AHcreative]

Looks just like an original six matchup. How awesome would colour vs colour be for this series

Amazing. I don't understand when people say they don't like Tampa Bay's look. If Tampa were an O6 team, those same people would likely be claiming that they are among the best dressed in the NHL.