Lockout Problem As a Fan of the AHL

[chilly666]

if comcrap picks up the games in allentown, it's be via simulcast as all home games are gonna be shown on a local cable channel

[shaud19]

I think I'm the group your targeting. I have no interest in AHL and the no name young players coming up. Sure I like when a guy comes up and make an impact for the Sabres but I'm not going to watch an "inferior" game to see them. I want to watch the best of the best in the NHL not the best of the rest in the AHL. Guys have great talent down there, I'm not cluelees (well maybe so) it's like watching Triple A baseball I don't case unless they get called up.

Boom. Done arguement.

Originally Posted by Phillyfan11

This has been gnawing at me a bit lately but I just want to know if I'm alone in feeling like this. I'm getting annoyed at the way NHL fans seem to think the AHL is terribly inferior. Annoyed that they don't take the time to maybe follow the AHL team in general let alone now that their star prospects are playing down in teh AHL. I'm not saying go to games or order them on AHLlive but seriously, have a clue.

[GIANTSFAN]

The AHL sadly, like most leagues, has become extremely soft & nearly unwatchable most nights. It doesn't help that the Heat have basically zero toughness, & it seems as if about half the league does too. I don't need a fight to make the game worth watching, but some animosity is really lacking & the Heat have no real rivalry. Teams like Toronto, Chicago & Rochester have no toughness, or they don't dress against the Heat.
How I long for the days of the Roberge brothers, Malkoc, Armstrong, Mailhot, Kimble, Flemming, Potvin, Smyth or any crazy nutjob to be in the AHL. Looking back on those old clips from Rinkside made me an instant fan of the AHL 25 years before an AHL team came to Abbotsford, but this season, I could care less. They may be a top team, but there are reasons they have about 700 people in the stands for a playoff game. Can you spell snoozefest?

[havoc00]

CN8 needs to show more Phantoms games

[Phillyfan11]

Originally Posted by shaud19

I think I'm the group your targeting. I have no interest in AHL and the no name young players coming up. Sure I like when a guy comes up and make an impact for the Sabres but I'm not going to watch an "inferior" game to see them. I want to watch the best of the best in the NHL not the best of the rest in the AHL. Guys have great talent down there, I'm not cluelees (well maybe so) it's like watching Triple A baseball I don't case unless they get called up.

Boom. Done arguement.

you are indeed. And you've made my point clear. Seriously, how can you not check in on the Amerks? If you "care" so much about the Sabres you would care about how some guys in the A are doing. You know, have an idea what you're getting when a call up happens.

And to think the NHL game is far "superior" than the NHL is truthfully far from the truth. The games are so similar with the AHL providing, even in its softer style lately, more passion in rivalries and better games. The best of the best is truthfully a joke too because the NHL in their expansion watered down the talent. There's so many guys in the NHL right now that should simply be career minor leaguers or North American's playing over in Europe.

I'm sorry but, as much as I like the Flyers and the NHL, I'd rather watch a team like Adirondack (who has 16 players with at least a FM) trying to battle it out to make the playoffs or a team like the Syracuse Crunch who are arguably the best in all facets of the game most nights play night in and night out rather than an NHL team that goes through the motions on most nights. Especially being a fan of a Lindy Ruff coached team, I would think you'd get that too.

[R.Middleton]

Originally Posted by Phila26Flyers

It's not just you. The AHL used to be tougher than it is now. Fortunately, it's still miles more physical than the NHL. You'll still see a couple teams hit 100 FMs like usual and a bunch more in the 80s and 90s. It doesn't seem to be as nuts during this lockout as it was during the 2004 lockout though. The top 12 teams had over 100 FMs that year. Definitely wont see that this year at this pace like you pointed out. It's cool you follow Portland though, especially since they're so far from you and there's no easy way to watch them.

Definitely. Its not just the fighting majors, its also the amount of heavies that are not on rosters or that are routinely scratched. AHL fight fans may blame the lockout for this but like you said, it didn't matter in 04-05.

It sucks that hockey is like this and the softer fans are taking over in every league.

[Phillyfan11]

That Phantoms team in the lockout season had 3 bonafied heavies on the team who dressed REGULARLY at the same time. Fedoruk, a PTO signed Riley Cote (teams don't really sign fighters to PTO's anymore these days like they did back then either, it still happens a little, like Gallant for example last year, but not as much), and Josh Gratton who was in his first full season of AHL action. Then you had a Wade Skolney on the backend who wasn't afraid to step up if need be. And you also had Ben Eager who fought a ton that year too. Was good hockey.

The closest team this season could be Syracuse with Nightingale, Neilson, and Labrie who are all capable of fighting heavyweights when need be with Neilson being the only one who's a legit heavy.

[theknuckler]

Originally Posted by Phillyfan11

you are indeed. And you've made my point clear. Seriously, how can you not check in on the Amerks? If you "care" so much about the Sabres you would care about how some guys in the A are doing. You know, have an idea what you're getting when a call up happens..

In his defense, the amerks are being a soft boring **** team this year. Bunch of ****heads. Finleys playing with oven mitts on, tarnaskys doing alright, but the other ones need a kick in the ass to get going.

[RayzorEdge]

Originally Posted by Phila26Flyers

Comcast used to televise a game or two a month when the Phantoms played in Philly if I remember right. Hopefully the coverage picks up a bit more when the team moves to Allentown in 2014, but I doubt it. At least the team will be in driving distance though.

Yeah, plus they would have highlights of every home game. That's how I got most of their fights on tape.

[SyrCrunch11]

Originally Posted by shaud19

I think I'm the group your targeting. I have no interest in AHL and the no name young players coming up. Sure I like when a guy comes up and make an impact for the Sabres but I'm not going to watch an "inferior" game to see them. I want to watch the best of the best in the NHL not the best of the rest in the AHL. Guys have great talent down there, I'm not cluelees (well maybe so) it's like watching Triple A baseball I don't case unless they get called up.

Boom. Done arguement.

Guys like Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Justin Schultz from OKC are "inferior?" They are some pretty sick NHL guys noted as towards the top. Braden Holtby playing a fantastic playoff run with Washington? Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier? Come on, sure there isn't a Pavel Datsyuk in the AHL but these guys are recognized pretty solid when the NHL was playing...

[IhateLindros]

Originally Posted by Phillyfan11

That Phantoms team in the lockout season had 3 bonafied heavies on the team who dressed REGULARLY at the same time. Fedoruk, a PTO signed Riley Cote (teams don't really sign fighters to PTO's anymore these days like they did back then either, it still happens a little, like Gallant for example last year, but not as much), and Josh Gratton who was in his first full season of AHL action. Then you had a Wade Skolney on the backend who wasn't afraid to step up if need be. And you also had Ben Eager who fought a ton that year too. Was good hockey.

The closest team this season could be Syracuse with Nightingale, Neilson, and Labrie who are all capable of fighting heavyweights when need be with Neilson being the only one who's a legit heavy.

Gallant was on an SPC for Bridgeport.

But anyway, you all have pretty much said it all. Now that hockey fans are "forced" to pay attention to their prospects in the A, thats pretty much all they pay attention to. Take the Islanders for example, where pretty much the entire Bridgeport team has played for the parent club. With all the damn injuries this team has, the PTO is given out like candy. Last year it was Steven Oleksy, Kael Mouillerat, Scott Howes, John Landry, Blair Riley, Russ Sinkewich among others. All of these guys contributed to the team winning their division.

All I hear this year from "fans" is how Marc Cantin, Blair Riley, John Landry are "no named ECHL fodder" and boy does that piss me off. You know what, be a fan of your team but if you have no clue what you're talking about because you don't know who these players are then STFU!

[SyrCrunch11]

Besides going to every game possible while in college, I just bought the stream for syr/bing tonight. Considering myself a great AHL fan buying a feed for $7 lol