2023-'24 NHL season

[CS85]

9 hours ago, Unocal said:

There is not one likeable person on this despicable Panthers team. Not one.

 

Everything about them is despicable and unlikeable.

 

Their names will dishonor the Cup in every way possible.

 

9 hours ago, Unocal said:

This is a dark day in hockey. A thug and goon squad with crappy jerseys, fake fans, a crappy logo, the losingest coach ever, the most overpaid goalie ever.........is a Cup champion

 

I used to love the NHL. I used to revere the playoffs.

 

Now I barely tolerate the garbage the NHL has devolved into.

 

Rob Manfred was wrong- the real piece of metal is not the MLB's trophy, it's the NHL's.

 

THE FLORIDA PANTHERS ARE A DISGRACE TO HOCKEY! THEY DO NOT DESERVE A TEAM, LET ALONE A CUP!

 

9 hours ago, Unocal said:

 

It's the worst thing Bettman ever did. I miss when hockey was hockey, not the worthless husk it's become

 

9 hours ago, Unocal said:

 

Too bad there isn't a lockout. A lockout would be better than another worthless Sunbelt Stanley Cup

 

9 hours ago, Unocal said:

There has never been a less deserving Cup champion in my lifetime.

 

Screw Florida and all 15 of their fans. Enjoy your worthless metal trinket

 

10 hours ago, Unocal said:

RIP NHL

 

The Stanley Cup is no longer the revered trophy in sports.

 

It is now a worthless sunbelt souvenir to be paraded in front of bandwagoners who didn't know what hockey was until last month

 

Hockey is DEAD

 

Bettman's grow the game mantra has poisoned the league to the point where we are going to have the saddest Stanley Cup parade of my lifetime

 

10 hours ago, Unocal said:

 

Screw the Panthers and all 15 'fans'

 

10 hours ago, Unocal said:

 

And nobody outside of Florida cheered

 

9 hours ago, Unocal said:

I am not exaggerating when I say I'm rooting for a lockout. A year without hockey is better than the atrocity this league has become.

 

9 hours ago, Unocal said:

I used to love hockey

 

Not anymore

 

The NHL quite frankly can burn in hell

 

[OnWis97]

Southern expansion seems to have been a success. Atlanta and Phoenix didn't work out with the latter being a bad look of desperation (i.e., feeding the idea that Bettman is really trying to make things work against all rationality). It's good to have the game cover more of North America. That all said, I am getting burned out that the championship is almost always won by those teams.  My team will forever be mediocre so every year my rooting interest each spring is simply for a team that plays in an arena that has snow on its roof sometimes.  And to be excited to see championships in places like DC and St. Louis, mainly because they were around before my memory, is odd.

 

I admit it; it's frustrating not seeing the Cup in Canada for an entire generation, seeing a team in Vegas fast-tracked to being the league's signature franchise, and having so many recent wins in LA, Anaheim, Carolina, Dallas (not even that recent anymore), Tampa, and Miami (Sunrise?). I'm at the point where I'm surprised Arizona never raised the Cup and I'd be stunned if Nashville doesn't grab one in the next few years.

Some of you follow more closely than I do. Is it the taxes (Step 1 making it harder for Canada and Step 2 making it easier for conservative southern states - thought that would not account for LA and Anaheim)? Is it NBA-like player preference to not endure long winters? Is it the league still trying to sell warm-weather hockey? Or is it all just random?

[Sport]

6 minutes ago, OnWis97 said:

Southern expansion seems to have been a success. Atlanta and Phoenix didn't work out with the latter being a bad look of desperation (i.e., feeding the idea that Bettman is really trying to make things work against all rationality). It's good to have the game cover more of North America. That all said, I am getting burned out that the championship is almost always won by those teams.  My team will forever be mediocre so every year my rooting interest each spring is simply for a team that plays in an arena that has snow on its roof sometimes.  And to be excited to see championships in places like DC and St. Louis, mainly because they were around before my memory, is odd.

 

I admit it; it's frustrating not seeing the Cup in Canada for an entire generation, seeing a team in Vegas fast-tracked to being the league's signature franchise, and having so many recent wins in LA, Anaheim, Carolina, Dallas (not even that recent anymore), Tampa, and Miami (Sunrise?). I'm at the point where I'm surprised Arizona never raised the Cup and I'd be stunned if Nashville doesn't grab one in the next few years.

Some of you follow more closely than I do. Is it the taxes (Step 1 making it harder for Canada and Step 2 making it easier for conservative southern states - thought that would not account for LA and Anaheim)? Is it NBA-like player preference to not endure long winters? Is it the league still trying to sell warm-weather hockey? Or is it all just random?

 

Just have to look at Matthew Tkachuk. Forced a trade out of Calgary, wins a cup in Florida two years later.

 

Guys want to play where it's warm in the winter, where their taxes allow their money to go farther, which also allows teams in those markets to more easily build depth (the most important factor for cup winning teams in my opinion), and where they aren't hassled by the Steve Simmonses of the world or bozos on the street for every missed breakout pass. If you play in Sunrise you get to be rich, warm, and anonymous. The southern markets have huge advantages. 

 

I do think the Canadian cup drought is just a weird statistical anomaly though. It's kind of flukey that one of the 7 teams hasn't won one in a 30 year stretch where they should, in theory, win one every five years or so. Eventually we'll have another decade where a few Canadian based clubs win 6 or 7 out of 10. 

[JerseyJimmy]

13 minutes ago, OnWis97 said:

Some of you follow more closely than I do. Is it the taxes (Step 1 making it harder for Canada and Step 2 making it easier for conservative southern states - thought that would not account for LA and Anaheim)? Is it NBA-like player preference to not endure long winters? Is it the league still trying to sell warm-weather hockey? Or is it all just random?

 

yeah, selling your soul tends to result in material rewards, that's been pretty well-established by this point in human history.

 

I will say, I'm pretty fond of the Kings and have generally positive views of the other California teams and Vegas. make of that what you will.

[TBGKon]

I also think there’s a ton of pressure on guys who play in Canada to win in Canada, especially for guys playing in or near home.  Players in Canada are celebrities on a high level, yet in places like Florida and the sun belt they can go out in public and be under the radar a bit more to live their lives.

 

Not saying that means sun belt fans don’t care (because they do succeed in most locales), it’s just that the pressure in public isn’t as prominent 

[JerseyJimmy]

1 minute ago, TBGKon said:

I also thinks there’s a ton of pressure on guys who play in Canada to win in Canada, especially for guys playing in or near home.  Players in Canada are celebrities on a high level, yet in places like Florida and the sun belt they can go out in public and be under the radar a bit more to live their lives

 

see also: New York teams, in general

[SavardToColton]

Can't say I care for this iteration of the Panthers (Seeing Bennett and Cousins lifting the cup ruined my night) but credit to them. They did well to turn around from being a run and gun team when they won the President's trophy into a true 200 foot and nasty defensive team. I was hoping for Edmonton to pull it off because the chance at seeing history would have been so cool, but just felt like they ran out of gas by the final minute. Definitely a well deserved win for the Panthers.

 

 

Also wild to see a game such as this take place at the edge of the Everglades. For those who haven't been, you can see the arena from a good distance away on Alligator Alley. If they took a page out of the Lightning's book and added a twist by doing an airboat parade it would be appropriate. 

 

 

10 hours ago, TrueYankee26 said:

Feels like 2004

 

Alberta team loses to Florida team who never won the Stanley Cup on ABC, both ended in 2-1 scores

Fitting comparison because a lot of the last 10 minutes felt like the last 10 minutes of that game. Edmonton was surging for a lot of the period but couldn't get anything in the end. That McDavid and Hyman chance that didn't go in felt like it was around the same point in the game that Khabibulin made that save on Leopold.

[SavardToColton]

Also I definitely agree with the points made about the Canadian team cup drought (pressure/taxes are absolutely factors) but at the same time I do feel there's just an element of bad luck involved too. 94 Canucks, 2004 Flames, 2006 Oilers, 2011 Canucks, and now 2024 Oilers fell in Game 7 since the 93 Habs lifted up the Cup.  Definitely brutal to not get anything out of that stretch even with the systemic issues at play too.  

[spartacat_12]

10 hours ago, Unocal said:

I used to love hockey

 

Not anymore

 

The NHL quite frankly can burn in hell

 

 

49 minutes ago, OnWis97 said:

Some of you follow more closely than I do. Is it the taxes (Step 1 making it harder for Canada and Step 2 making it easier for conservative southern states - thought that would not account for LA and Anaheim)? Is it NBA-like player preference to not endure long winters? Is it the league still trying to sell warm-weather hockey? Or is it all just random?

 

People have tried to spin the narrative that it's all connected, but I think it's mostly random. Aside from all being based in Canada, the 7 teams up here all have their own unique challenges & benefits. With taxes, the Alberta teams are actually better off than some of the American markets. As far as the weather goes, Vancouver's winters are much milder than places like Chicago or New York.

 

The only link I can think of is that all the pressure to win has often led to short term decision making, but even then most of the teams have had some form of success. 5 of the 7 teams have been to Cup Finals since '93 (with the Canucks & Oilers both getting to Game 7 twice). There's also been 3 Canadian Presidents Trophy winners in that time. The Nordiques built most of a roster that won the Cup immediately after they moved.

 

In the NBA it's been over 40 years since one of the Knicks, Nets, 76ers, Wizards, or Hornets has won the Championship, yet you don't hear people talking about why Mid-Atlantic basketball has been such a failure.

[FiddySicks]

14 hours ago, Unocal said:

 

Screw the Panthers and all 15 'fans'

Touch grass. 

[Cujo]

Can we stop with all these Canadian tears?

 

Without the U S of A, there is no National Hockey League. Canada franchise supporters need to have a little more respect for the States.

[See Red]

I don’t think any tax disadvantage is so great that it can’t be worked around. To my knowledge, the NHL allows its clubs to use RCA’s, which allows players on Canadian teams to invest a portion of their earnings on a tax deferred basis and then collect it at the rate for wherever they live when they do.

 

 The NBA thinks that was a big enough advantage for the Raptors that their CBA doesn’t allow players to do it.

 

I imagine it’s the weather and relative anonymity. 

[Cujo]

@Unocal Show us where the Sun Belt hurt you

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rmackman]

21 hours ago, Unocal said:

This is a dark day in hockey. A thug and goon squad with crappy jerseys, fake fans, a crappy logo, the losingest coach ever, the most overpaid goalie ever.........is a Cup champion

 

I used to love the NHL. I used to revere the playoffs.

 

Now I barely tolerate the garbage the NHL has devolved into.

 

Rob Manfred was wrong- the real piece of metal is not the MLB's trophy, it's the NHL's.

 

THE FLORIDA PANTHERS ARE A DISGRACE TO HOCKEY! THEY DO NOT DESERVE A TEAM, LET ALONE A CUP!

 

I wasn't going to post anything, but after a comment like this (and some others) I have a response. 

 

First, hating the Panthers is pretty dumb. A franchise with ZERO championships until last night. The epitome of underdogs for most of their existence. '93-'97 were wonderful. '98-'14 were... let's just say not great. Since 2015 they've been growing in the right direction, and the last three seasons have been three of the best iterations of this franchise we've ever seen. 

 

For years the Panthers were just...there. Now everyone loathes them? GTFO. Don't whine about Florida's lack of state taxes. For years big free agents didn't really come here because ownership didn't want to spend well, and they had some good drafts but nothing amazing. 

 

Before Bobrovsky and Tkachuk, the last big star that was here who was huge upon arrival (and wasn't on the last legs of their careers) was Pavel Bure. Roberto Luongo did arrive via trade, but he wasn't a star yet. Neither was Olli Jokinen who grew in South Florida. 

 

This ownership started building this team the right way. They put smart people in the right places. In sports, that's not always so common. I don't love everything they did, but they did a TON of good. This team is gritty, resilient, intense, and opportunistic. Kind of like the '96 Year of the Rat squad, but with far more depth and talent. 

 

Don't tell me you hate hockey in Florida because it's not a traditional hockey market. Since the Panthers arrived, youth hockey has exploded. It's even produced an NHLer (Shayne Gostisbehere). That's pretty darn quick for 30 years. 

 

Also, only 33% of South Florida residents are natives, so yes, road fans pack our barn. Guess what...that happens to the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, and the Miami Marlins. There's no avoiding it in the regular season because of the number of transplants...but what happens in the playoffs? Did you see how full Amerant Bank Arena was? It was LOUD...and I know because I flew down from Milwaukee for Game 1.

 

See, in South Florida there's a LOT to do. Fans have choice, and they show up when a team is successful. If you lose, they'll go spend their discretionary dollars on one of the other four major sports teams live (don't forget Messi and Inter Miami). Either that or they stay home because taking your family to games is expensive! You can't tell how many people are actually watching/following the Panthers on TV, though. 

 

One last thing... whatever happened to Canada Nice? Edmonton Oilers have been so godawful this series. I'm a part of a few Florida Panthers fan groups on Facebook, and holy crap were they ever Trojan Horsed by Oilers fans. The amount of trolling and nastiness by Edmonton fans just looking to pick fights was nauseating. I don't have time to fight the internet. Bunch of fools probably living in their mom's basements. One Panthers fan shared a story about flying to Edmonton with his son for Games 2 & 3, and Edmonton fans blocked his young son from the restroom and told him to use the women's restroom. Being a prick to adults is one thing, but to a kid?!? What a bunch of a-holes. I've been to Toronto and Montreal, and nobody was like that...yet they, too, have passionate fan bases. These last three weeks have really soured my opinion of Edmonton fans. Maybe it's a loud minority, but that group is embarrassing. 

 

So, here's one of the "6" or "15" fans. I've waited and watched for 30 D**N YEARS! This franchise has been woven into the fabric of my life in so many ways. From getting my first hockey jersey from my mom in '93, to experiencing the 1996 Year of the Rat with my brother and dad. I actually worked for them from '06-'08; made lifelong friends from it. It's where I first learned data analytics, which I use in my career today. The Panthers were in my wife and I's engagement photos, they're already imprinting on our son! I can't even tell you how many games I've been to over the years. They connect family, friends, and then some. From John Vanbiesbrouck and Scott Mellanby to Pavel Bure to Olli Jokinen to Roberto Luongo to even Jaromir Jagr to THIS TEAM RIGHT HERE WITH FUTURE HALL OF FAMERS LIKE SASHA BARKOV AND SERGEI BOBROVSKY! From the Miami Arena to Amerant Bank Arena. To experience this live for Game 1 and to see them win it all in an electric Game 7. This is incredible. I don't think I ever thought this would happen, but it did.

 

Be sour if your team didn't win this year, but don't hate on an underdog franchise that's lasted longer, and actually done more (now) than the Quebec Nordiques, Minnesota North Stars, Hartford Whalers, Atlanta Thrashers, and Winnipeg Jets v. 1.0.

 

WE HAVE ARRIVED, AND I COULDN'T BE MORE ECSTATIC! LET'S GO PANTHERS!!!!

 

 

[Cujo]

24 minutes ago, rmackman said:

I've waited and watched for 30 D**N YEARS! 

 

 

 

Ryno! So happy for you and fam.

 

[rmackman]

4 minutes ago, Cujo said:

 

Ryno! So happy for you and fam.

 

 

Thanks, buddy! Much appreciated.

 

[Unocal]

58 minutes ago, rmackman said:

 

I wasn't going to post anything, but after a comment like this (and some others) I have a response. 

 

First, hating the Panthers is pretty dumb. A franchise with ZERO championships until last night. The epitome of underdogs for most of their existence. '93-'97 were wonderful. '98-'14 were... let's just say not great. Since 2015 they've been growing in the right direction, and the last three seasons have been three of the best iterations of this franchise we've ever seen. 

 

For years the Panthers were just...there. Now everyone loathes them? GTFO. Don't whine about Florida's lack of state taxes. For years big free agents didn't really come here because ownership didn't want to spend well, and they had some good drafts but nothing amazing. 

 

Before Bobrovsky and Tkachuk, the last big star that was here who was huge upon arrival (and wasn't on the last legs of their careers) was Pavel Bure. Roberto Luongo did arrive via trade, but he wasn't a star yet. Neither was Olli Jokinen who grew in South Florida. 

 

This ownership started building this team the right way. They put smart people in the right places. In sports, that's not always so common. I don't love everything they did, but they did a TON of good. This team is gritty, resilient, intense, and opportunistic. Kind of like the '96 Year of the Rat squad, but with far more depth and talent. 

 

Don't tell me you hate hockey in Florida because it's not a traditional hockey market. Since the Panthers arrived, youth hockey has exploded. It's even produced an NHLer (Shayne Gostisbehere). That's pretty darn quick for 30 years. 

 

Also, only 33% of South Florida residents are natives, so yes, road fans pack our barn. Guess what...that happens to the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, and the Miami Marlins. There's no avoiding it in the regular season because of the number of transplants...but what happens in the playoffs? Did you see how full Amerant Bank Arena was? It was LOUD...and I know because I flew down from Milwaukee for Game 1.

 

See, in South Florida there's a LOT to do. Fans have choice, and they show up when a team is successful. If you lose, they'll go spend their discretionary dollars on one of the other four major sports teams live (don't forget Messi and Inter Miami). Either that or they stay home because taking your family to games is expensive! You can't tell how many people are actually watching/following the Panthers on TV, though. 

 

One last thing... whatever happened to Canada Nice? Edmonton Oilers have been so godawful this series. I'm a part of a few Florida Panthers fan groups on Facebook, and holy crap were they ever Trojan Horsed by Oilers fans. The amount of trolling and nastiness by Edmonton fans just looking to pick fights was nauseating. I don't have time to fight the internet. Bunch of fools probably living in their mom's basements. One Panthers fan shared a story about flying to Edmonton with his son for Games 2 & 3, and Edmonton fans blocked his young son from the restroom and told him to use the women's restroom. Being a prick to adults is one thing, but to a kid?!? What a bunch of a-holes. I've been to Toronto and Montreal, and nobody was like that...yet they, too, have passionate fan bases. These last three weeks have really soured my opinion of Edmonton fans. Maybe it's a loud minority, but that group is embarrassing. 

 

So, here's one of the "6" or "15" fans. I've waited and watched for 30 D**N YEARS! This franchise has been woven into the fabric of my life in so many ways. From getting my first hockey jersey from my mom in '93, to experiencing the 1996 Year of the Rat with my brother and dad. I actually worked for them from '06-'08; made lifelong friends from it. It's where I first learned data analytics, which I use in my career today. The Panthers were in my wife and I's engagement photos, they're already imprinting on our son! I can't even tell you how many games I've been to over the years. They connect family, friends, and then some. From John Vanbiesbrouck and Scott Mellanby to Pavel Bure to Olli Jokinen to Roberto Luongo to even Jaromir Jagr to THIS TEAM RIGHT HERE WITH FUTURE HALL OF FAMERS LIKE SASHA BARKOV AND SERGEI BOBROVSKY! From the Miami Arena to Amerant Bank Arena. To experience this live for Game 1 and to see them win it all in an electric Game 7. This is incredible. I don't think I ever thought this would happen, but it did.

 

Be sour if your team didn't win this year, but don't hate on an underdog franchise that's lasted longer, and actually done more (now) than the Quebec Nordiques, Minnesota North Stars, Hartford Whalers, Atlanta Thrashers, and Winnipeg Jets v. 1.0.

 

WE HAVE ARRIVED, AND I COULDN'T BE MORE ECSTATIC! LET'S GO PANTHERS!!!!

 

 

 

Hey look, I found the one actual non-bandwagoner Panther fan amidst a sea of frontrunners

[Unocal]

Florida Panthers hit the beach with the Stanley Cup after winning championship - Yahoo Sports

 

The Stanley Cup on a beach......... I just threw up in my mouth

 

THIS is what hockey has been reduced to. Stanley Cups do NOT belong on beaches.

[Unocal]

The NHL is a joke. Might as well rename it Sunbelt Hockey League, because that's all Bettman cares about.

 

He has whored and defiled and EMBARASSED the sport. He has turned the Stanley Cup into a worthless sunbelt souvenir to be parades for a bunch of bandwagoners who just started watching last week.

 

Florida has held hockey hostage. This is BAD for the NHL. Sunshine hockey is a mistake. It has bastardized hockey and devalued the trophy into a worthless useless piece of metal.

[GDAWG]

4 hours ago, Cujo said:

@Unocal Show us where the Sun Belt hurt you

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is California and Las Vegas considered Sun Belt though?