You Don't See Them Brawl

[Thrillhouse]

Hate the "New NHL"? Well here's your venting/ranting thread.

This will be treated like an Official Team Thread - so if you like the NHL, this isn't for you. We have debate threads, so if you're not in agreement, chime in on one of those.

With an official thread, this means any ranting towards the NHL should be posted here; nowhere else on the site, especially in the "You See Them Brawl" forum.

Have at 'er.

[Smerri1029]

Minor Changes to make the "New NHL" better

1) Revert the hooking penalty to "Hooking is when contact is made with the stick to the midsection of an opposing player which drastically slows the player or takes him down to the ice". Putting your stick paralell and barely making contact is not hooking. Therefore, this one simple rule would cut back on all the 5on4's and 5on3's, which would in turn cause more 5on5 hockey and less power play goals.

2) Remove the instigator rule. (The rule which craig berube describes a few posts below)


-Some not so minor changes (which I can live with one way or the other)

a)Let the goalie play it in the corners.

b)Take out the shootout. In the Florida vs. Tampa Bay game on Monday 10/09/06, Alex Auld played an amazing game for the Florida Panthers. The game ultimately went to a shootout where he lost. Auld did not deserve a loss, but a tie at worse.

-Off the top of my head, this is sort of all I can come up with right now.

[Lead]

I feel this thread will be very popular...

[Merlin401]

I haven't watched any games this year (except pre-season of course which is fun) but I see we are already UNDER the pace of fighting majors for last year. People who haven't played a minute: Cote (gone), Parker, Parros, Brookbank, Orr, Cairns (IR), Downey, Erskine, Boulton...

I really dont think I have any place in the new NHL...

[craig berube]

I'd also like to nice list smerri!! and also I would add one thing in it!! And it's this one:

# A player who instigates a fight in the final five minutes of a game will receive a game misconduct and an automatic one-game suspension. The length of suspension would double for each additional incident.

# As well, the player's Coach will be fined $10,000 -- a fine that would double for each such incident.

I mean come on!! The best sh*t happens in the last 5 min of the game!!

[davesakiller]

the game has become soccer on ice....with less contact. i don't think the NHL is for me anymore. i'm not 8 years old or a soccermom driving a minivan. this crap is so difficult to get excited about it's really a shame what gary ballick has done to a once proud league.

[Humpzilla]

Here's what stands out most to me about the New NHL:

Either it be during the play or after the play -- almost every NHL arena is virtually dead silent now-a-days compared to the years prior to the lockout. I mean seriously, I rarely if ever hear many home team chants anymore, either it be on tv or in person. Now, of course, this might be because the efforts of their team no longer matters in the game outcome due to the officiating, but c'mon, its f'n pathetic!

I mean, honestly, have you ever seen so many clearly bored and frusterated people in the rows behind the player benches and the seats against the glass? Before the lockout I would have killed to be against the glass at an NHL game, and now you very well could be sitting up in the nose bleeds and get a better feel for the crowd atmosphere. I guess even free tickets isn't enough in today's NHL.

How does Gary Bettman not hear the Boo'ing and non-reactions penalties and powerplays get now? Seriously, remember the days when a penalty late in the game was considered a great dramatic storyline and source for energizing the fans and tv viewers? Oh, I forgot! Thats every game now.....minus the middle to last the part, though.

Sadly, the entertaining aspect of the game have been diluted, and ultimately replaced by meaningless penalties and play stoppages.

[Humpzilla]

I'm also sick and ****ing tired of the NHL ruining minor leagues like the United Hockey League, and possibly even the Southern Professional Hockey League this season.

ITS ****ING AA and A level hockey! Hell, more than 70-80% of the players will never see NHL ice, let alone a cup of coffee in the American Hockey League. Believe it or not, not every person enjoys the "New" hockey....which is maybe why many have quit watching & supporting the NHL alltogether!

Although why allow other leagues to have a hockey product that is more entertaining than the ****ty over-priced one? I guess Gary's group of fellow lawyers figured out a solution....

[TaskerVsSenn]

Good posts Hump!

[Smashing Machine]

Thank goodness for this forum.

We can pass the time here instead of watching the games !

So who won't fight tonight ?

My pick is Eric Boulton vs Wade Brookbank.

This heavyweight bout will feature Wade Brookbank and Eric Boulton in their respective dressing rooms, riding a bike, or eating all the free food. I expect Boulton to play cards with injured defenseman Braydon Coburn as well.

Brookbank will relax and listen to music, and perhaps ponder the meaning of the "Big Bad Bruins"...and perhaps contemplate getting traded for the millionth time in his young career.

Thoughts ?

[BGDDYKWL]

Here's another problem. Everyone's excited Brookbank is in the lineup tonight (and don't get me wrong, I can understand the enthusiasm because we're all so fight starved), but he'll play 3 minutes, and likely commit a stupid penalty. These guys feel like they need to go out there and make their presence felt, and that leads them to take dumb penalties, re-cementing themselves to the bench for the rest of the game, and likely the press box or the A thereafter. Gratton did it the other night in like 5 minutes. And Boogaard was a minus one with a bad penalty in 3 minutes yesterday. Another problem is even though Brookbank is in tonight, Boulton still isn't playing. Even when teams see the opposition is playing their enforcer they aren't always playing theirs. As Merlin mentioned, there were several semi-regulars from last year who haven't seen the ice yet this year, and for the most part I wouldn't expect that to change. On a positive note, the Yotes, Ducks, Kings, and Blues have dressed pretty tough teams thus far this year, so I've spent my time primarily watching them. Still hasn't been amazing, but it's better than nothing.

[Smashing Machine]

Originally Posted by BGDDYKWL

Here's another problem. Everyone's excited Brookbank is in the lineup tonight (and don't get me wrong, I can understand the enthusiasm because we're all so fight starved), but he'll play 3 minutes, and likely commit a stupid penalty. These guys feel like they need to go out there and make their presence felt, and that leads them to take dumb penalties, re-cementing themselves to the bench for the rest of the game, and likely the press box or the A thereafter. Gratton did it the other night in like 5 minutes. And Boogaard was a minus one with a bad penalty in 3 minutes yesterday. Another problem is even though Brookbank is in tonight, Boulton still isn't playing. Even when teams see the opposition is playing their enforcer they aren't always playing theirs. As Merlin mentioned, there were several semi-regulars from last year who haven't seen the ice yet this year, and for the most part I wouldn't expect that to change. On a positive note, the Yotes, Ducks, Kings, and Blues have dressed pretty tough teams thus far this year, so I've spent my time primarily watching them. Still hasn't been amazing, but it's better than nothing.

in the possible fights forum they are saying no changes from the B's last lineup that did not feature Brookbank.

So which is it, is he scratched or not ?

Hartley has not played Boulton yet, and he normally does not change the lineup wwhen the Thrashers win. I do not expect Boulton to be in, and obviously if he is, he will play about a minute and a half.

[GO HABS]

Originally Posted by davesakiller

the game has become soccer on ice....with less contact. i don't think the NHL is for me anymore. i'm not 8 years old or a soccermom driving a minivan. this crap is so difficult to get excited about it's really a shame what gary ballick has done to a once proud league.

What's sad is that my 8 year-old brother will no longer watch NHL hockey unless someone tells him to because there is no more fighting. He prefers to watch juniors, or the odd LNAH that gets broadcast here in Montreal.

Before the lockout, my brother used to love the NHL, he would channel surf to find games, and especially loved the last 5 mins. You should have seen his face the first time he saw a fight... he was grinning ear to ear.

F*** Buttman and his new stupid NHL

[spiderarms]

This is going to be a very popular thread. Especially as the season wears on and the "DISNEY ON ICE" posters, realize that in the REAL WORLD, the NEW NHL is systematically elimating fighting and ITS NOT JUST THE PLAYERS HAVING TO GET USED TO THE NEW RULES!!! WAKE UP GARY BETTMAN BOBBLEHEADS, YOUR SPORT IS BEING STOLEN FROM YOU!!!

[AvsFanatic]

My neighbor had tix to opening night and asked me if I wanted to go. The look on his face was priceless when I said "no way" and that I'd rather go watch the local beer and pizza league. Guess he won't be asking me to go again.