What's wrong with the NHL?

[youcan'tseeme]

TSN

Canadian Press

2/4/2007 6:37:10 PM

MONTREAL (CP) - Sidney Crosby is no longer sure what he's supposed to do when he takes a stick in the face.

Crosby was high-sticked in the lip by Francis Bouillon late in the third period of the Montreal Canadiens' 4-3 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The infraction went uncalled by referees Chris Rooney and Dave Jackson and Crosby took a long time getting up off the ice before slowly skating back to the Penguins bench.

Upon his arrival there, Canadiens enforcer Aaron Downey started yelling at the 19-year-old superstar while derisive chants of "Faker, Faker" rained down from the upper reaches of the Bell Centre.

"He told me not to go down, so I told him that if he gets a stick in the face we'll see how tough you are, we'll see if you don't go down," Crosby said of his conversation with Downey. "It's funny how you get a high stick and you're not supposed to go down any more."

When asked to relate what exactly happened on the play in question, Crosby sternly replied, "If you see the replay, I think you should see it."

For his part, Downey said his little chat had the desired affect.

"I can't give away any secrets, but it worked," Downey said. "Agitating is part of my game. I told him that if you're going to be a superstar in this league, you shouldn't be acting like that."

Penguins head coach Michel Therrien said the referees may have chosen not to blow the whistle after handing out the game's first six penalties to the Canadiens over the first and second periods.

"Sometimes the referees, it's not intentional, but they will look away and they're going to be more severe on your team," he said. "That's what happened."

Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau preferred not to comment on whether or not Crosby was embellishing the high-stick to draw a penalty, but he said that once the game starts, Crosby is just another player on the ice.

"We obviously have to protect him, we have to protect our superstars because they sell the game," Carbonneau said. "But at the end of the day, he's just one out of 20 guys on the other team."

why is this a story and an issue after regular season game? I mean is Sidney Crosby the only player in the league to have a none call of him? sure if you get high sticked there should be a penalty, but when there is no call why is he complaining about it after the game? There a multiple none calls every game how come i don't come on TSN every morning and see so and so is upset about a none call? how come everytime something happens to sidney crosby it's huge news yet it happens to ever player in the league all the time, and we hear nothing? Coliacovo (sp) of the leafs was hit from behind twice in the last wek both were none calls how come I'm not seeing tha coliacovo is upset about this. sure Crosby is gonna be upset, but he needs to learn to brush these things off like a real proffesional would due. But instead he just vents it after everygame.

If you read the quote about going down when you get high sticked it shows jsut how wimping Sid can be. I mean unless your Bryan Berard and you jsut had your eye knocked out, then why are you on the ice. He got high sticked in the lip, last time i check he didn't stand with his lip, he uses legs for that so why can't he just hold his lip and skate off the ice, like 85% of the other players do?

Ovechkin gets runs on him by other players he a young star how come we never hear anything like this about him. it wouldn't bother me if it was a once in a while occurance, but it seems like everyday he's complaining about something else.

So I agree he was high sticked and yes there should have been a penalty but this really needs to stop, there is more then 1 player in the league you has bad calls happen to them.

[Phil]

I think this is more a result of the "faker" comments and Downey's reaction than the non-call (that's N-O-N... not N-O-N-E) on Crosby.

Give Crosby a break. The weight of the entire NHL is on the shoulders of two men between the ages of 19-21 (I'll let you guess which ones), and that's a big load to bear. And as much as Sidney has chosen this path, we still can't expect perfection.

He (Crosby) is under a microscope - that's the reality of the new NHL. The NHL needs to realize this. As much as the purists would hate to see it happen, you have to protect your top performers and blue-chip investments.

[leedsunited]

This is hardly what's wrong with the NHL.

What's wrong with the NHL is the diluted product in too many cities and the asinine TV deal. That's what's wrong with the NHL.

[youcan'tseeme]

I think this is more a result of the "faker" comments and Downey's reaction than the non-call (that's N-O-N... not N-O-N-E) on Crosby.

Give Crosby a break. The weight of the entire NHL is on the shoulders of two men between the ages of 19-21 (I'll let you guess which ones), and that's a big load to bear. And as much as Sidney has chosen this path, we still can't expect perfection.

He (Crosby) is under a microscope - that's the reality of the new NHL. The NHL needs to realize this. As much as the purists would hate to see it happen, you have to protect your top performers and blue-chip investments.

I've given him a break for the past season and a half and it continues.

as for the faker comment, Darcy Tucker is called a diver by a lot of players yet we don't see articles every other day about him. it's funny how everytime something happens with sid and another player he is always called a diver by the other players. so if 10 incidents happen involving Crosby and in each one he referred to as a ediver by the other player I'm starting to think it's Sidney and not the other players.

As for the wait of the NHL on his and AO's shoulder si understnad that the NHL is trying to make it that way, but it not the case. Was the NHl going to have to fold and sudden these two have come along and save the day? no they are just marketing these players more so then they have with any other player. if Crosby and Ovechkin both got injured tommorow and could never play again I think the NHL would due just fine.

So in no way do these guys have the weight of the NHl on there shoulders, but the NHl and the media are sure trying to make it look that way.

Someone who has a whole league on there, back would be David Beckham who is really the only superstar to ever play in the MLs if he gets injured then it could be the downfall of MLS.

Crosby & Ovechkin = Better NHL

NHL - Crosby & Ovechkin = NHL still doing the same

Beckham = better MLS

MLS with failing/injured Beckham (now that he's signed) = likely an end to MLS

[IceCap]

Garry Bettman.

[officeglenn]

Ovechkin gets runs on him by other players he a young star how come we never hear anything like this about him. it wouldn't bother me if it was a once in a while occurance, but it seems like everyday he's complaining about something else.

You don't hear about Ovechkin because he has Donald Brashear there to protect him. Anyone runs Alex, Donny's there to take of 'em. Crosby doesn't have an enforcer to protect him. So he feels he has to tell the refs and the media about his troubles. Trust me, if the Pens had an enforcer, you wouldn't hear about it nearly as much.

Wayne Gretzky had Dave Semenko. Pavel Bure had Gino Odjick. Steve Yzerman had Bob Probert. Ilya Kovalchuk had Jeff Odgers. Crosby needs some protection.

[youcan'tseeme]

Garry Bettman.

and him, but the NHL needs to somewhat stop marketing there stars and start marketing there teams, it's not basketball where 1 player can do it all, it's a team game, you win as a team and lose as a team

Ovechkin gets runs on him by other players he a young star how come we never hear anything like this about him. it wouldn't bother me if it was a once in a while occurance, but it seems like everyday he's complaining about something else.

You don't hear about Ovechkin because he has Donald Brashear there to protect him. Anyone runs Alex, Donny's there to take of 'em. Crosby doesn't have an enforcer to protect him. So he feels he has to tell the refs and the media about his troubles. Trust me, if the Pens had an enforcer, you wouldn't hear about it nearly as much.

Wayne Gretzky had Dave Semenko. Pavel Bure had Gino Odjick. Steve Yzerman had Bob Probert. Ilya Kovalchuk had Jeff Odgers. Crosby needs some protection.

yah, i think a lot of the enforcers don't want to protect Crosby cause they don't respect him,m they respect his skills I'm not doubting that but not him as a player, nad aleader in the dressing room, very rarely can a19 year old kid be the leader of a team in the history of the NHl we've reqally only seen one that being Steve Yzerman. and Crosby though skill wise yet, leadership wise will never be half the man Stevie Yzerman is.

[leedsunited]

Ovechkin gets runs on him by other players he a young star how come we never hear anything like this about him. it wouldn't bother me if it was a once in a while occurance, but it seems like everyday he's complaining about something else.

You don't hear about Ovechkin because he has Donald Brashear there to protect him. Anyone runs Alex, Donny's there to take of 'em. Crosby doesn't have an enforcer to protect him. So he feels he has to tell the refs and the media about his troubles. Trust me, if the Pens had an enforcer, you wouldn't hear about it nearly as much.

Wayne Gretzky had Dave Semenko. Pavel Bure had Gino Odjick. Steve Yzerman had Bob Probert. Ilya Kovalchuk had Jeff Odgers. Crosby needs some protection.

Something tells me that even without Brashear, AO wouldn't be whining as much as Sid does.

AO's a tough dude. And he can back it up. Sid just takes it.

[whitedawg22]

Garry Bettman.

Everything.

[griffelh]

This is hardly what's wrong with the NHL.

What's wrong with the NHL is the diluted product in too many cities and the asinine TV deal. That's what's wrong with the NHL.

ding ding ding, we have a winner. Let's go back to 24 teams and a better TV deal.

[Original6]

What better TV Deal? They got peanuts for their television deal a decade ago too.

[Jigga]

How do you geniuses suppose they get a better TV deal. Those things don't just grow on trees. The NHL does not pull high enough ratings to justify a better TV package...it's a cycle. Networks don't put leagues on because they "like" them, networks put leagues on because they can make money off of them.

Do you understand this or does it just sound better to say that all the NHL needs is a better TV deal without knowing why the hell their current deal is even in place?

[leedsunited]

How do you geniuses suppose they get a better TV deal. Those things don't just grow on trees. The NHL does not pull high enough ratings to justify a better TV package...it's a cycle. Networks don't put leagues on because they "like" them, networks put leagues on because they can make money off of them.

Do you understand this or does it just sound better to say that all the NHL needs is a better TV deal without knowing why the hell their current deal is even in place?

Uh, ESPN gave them the option of continuing the deal, but at little payout. Essentially, they'd televise the games for free, NHL would get nothing from ESPN. Bettman blinked and went with the fledgling netlet.

The ESPN exposure was/is monumentally important. That should have been maintained at ALL COSTS.

[Jigga]

How do you geniuses suppose they get a better TV deal. Those things don't just grow on trees. The NHL does not pull high enough ratings to justify a better TV package...it's a cycle. Networks don't put leagues on because they "like" them, networks put leagues on because they can make money off of them.

Do you understand this or does it just sound better to say that all the NHL needs is a better TV deal without knowing why the hell their current deal is even in place?

Uh, ESPN gave them the option of continuing the deal, but at little payout. Essentially, they'd televise the games for free, NHL would get nothing from ESPN. Bettman blinked and went with the fledgling netlet.

The ESPN exposure was/is monumentally important. That should have been maintained at ALL COSTS.

I completely agree...and you totally proved my point.

[griffelh]

Part of the reason they can't get a decent deal is that fans don't watch. Fans don't watch because tehre are too many teams they don't give a crap about and the talent pool is diluted by expansion.

Expansion was the beginning of the problem.

[leedsunited]

How do you geniuses suppose they get a better TV deal. Those things don't just grow on trees. The NHL does not pull high enough ratings to justify a better TV package...it's a cycle. Networks don't put leagues on because they "like" them, networks put leagues on because they can make money off of them.

Do you understand this or does it just sound better to say that all the NHL needs is a better TV deal without knowing why the hell their current deal is even in place?

Uh, ESPN gave them the option of continuing the deal, but at little payout. Essentially, they'd televise the games for free, NHL would get nothing from ESPN. Bettman blinked and went with the fledgling netlet.

The ESPN exposure was/is monumentally important. That should have been maintained at ALL COSTS.

I completely agree...and you totally proved my point.

So basically it was better to get a cut rate anyway from Versus, and have the product shown in a fifth of the households as it would be on ESPN? That extra 72 mil a year, spread among all the teams, is really worth being in virtual obscurity in terms of media exposure now?

[maz]

Crosby needs some protection.

He does. Ruutu and Thorburn are the tough guys of the team. They did have Colby Armstong until he got jumped and injured after making a legal hit.

But I understand what you mean, we do need a real enforcer.

[Jigga]

How do you geniuses suppose they get a better TV deal. Those things don't just grow on trees. The NHL does not pull high enough ratings to justify a better TV package...it's a cycle. Networks don't put leagues on because they "like" them, networks put leagues on because they can make money off of them.

Do you understand this or does it just sound better to say that all the NHL needs is a better TV deal without knowing why the hell their current deal is even in place?

Uh, ESPN gave them the option of continuing the deal, but at little payout. Essentially, they'd televise the games for free, NHL would get nothing from ESPN. Bettman blinked and went with the fledgling netlet.

The ESPN exposure was/is monumentally important. That should have been maintained at ALL COSTS.

I completely agree...and you totally proved my point.

So basically it was better to get a cut rate anyway from Versus, and have the product shown in a fifth of the households as it would be on ESPN? That extra 72 mil a year, spread among all the teams, is really worth being in virtual obscurity in terms of media exposure now?

Are you just looking to start an argument? I said I completely agreed with you! You explained wonderfully why the current NHL TV deal is in place and why it's too simplistic to say they should just "get a better TV deal" or whatever.

[spyboy1]

Crosby needs some protection.

He does. Ruutu and Thorburn are the tough guys of the team. They did have Colby Armstong until he got jumped and injured after making a legal hit.

But I understand what you mean, we do need a real enforcer.

Ruutu is NOT a "tough guy". He's an agitator. He'll only fight Europeans like Sergei Zholtok and runs and hides from anyone who can actually make a fist.

[leedsunited]

How do you geniuses suppose they get a better TV deal. Those things don't just grow on trees. The NHL does not pull high enough ratings to justify a better TV package...it's a cycle. Networks don't put leagues on because they "like" them, networks put leagues on because they can make money off of them.

Do you understand this or does it just sound better to say that all the NHL needs is a better TV deal without knowing why the hell their current deal is even in place?

Uh, ESPN gave them the option of continuing the deal, but at little payout. Essentially, they'd televise the games for free, NHL would get nothing from ESPN. Bettman blinked and went with the fledgling netlet.

The ESPN exposure was/is monumentally important. That should have been maintained at ALL COSTS.

I completely agree...and you totally proved my point.

So basically it was better to get a cut rate anyway from Versus, and have the product shown in a fifth of the households as it would be on ESPN? That extra 72 mil a year, spread among all the teams, is really worth being in virtual obscurity in terms of media exposure now?

Are you just looking to start an argument? I said I completely agreed with you! You explained wonderfully why the current NHL TV deal is in place and why it's too simplistic to say they should just "get a better TV deal" or whatever.

Yes! Come on, you're not making it any fun!