Blackhawks Ink Patrick Kane & Jonathan Toews To Eight-Year Extensions

[Bloody Brian Burke]

You're lucky 95% of women would be happy getting hitched in Napa...word of advice: make it seem like her idea. Brides can be...touchy. (Sidenote: I hate the whole "groom shuts up is just a prop" in a wedding thing. It's stupid.)

Well duh haha. Biggest reason I want to do it away from here is because I simply don't want a huge wedding where people I don't care about have to be invited for political reasons. Our close family, close friends and that's it. Save the money for a big wedding and buy a house.

Also, wine

 

[Abe Vigoda]

Baseball has no salary cap and achieves the same parity as the NHL and NFL. Teams develop different models to be successful and it's working. The team with the highest payroll in baseball has won once since 2000, and if I recall correctly the Rangers weren't exactly throwing parades down Broadway every June when they were the league's highest spender by a mile, and a certain second-highest spending team wasn't having any more luck than NYR was.

Have you seen the Cup winners in the NHL the past five years? You say "welcome to a league with 5 teams". We're already there. And would you bet against LA or Chicago winning more? It's 1996-2003 all over again.

In the last year before the lockout, the Red Wings had the league's highest payroll at $77.8 million; in comparison, Tampa had $33.5 million and Calgary $35.2 million. In 2002-03, the Rangers had the highest payroll at $69.2 million; New Jersey had $52.4 million and Anaheim $39 million. Teams were spending modestly then and they were winning doing so.

I would agree here. This year we just got lucky the stars aligned and more importantly Sather's "second chances" worked out and didnt end up becoming complete busts. Oh well.

 

[Abe Vigoda]

Love the city life but give me a beach in a quiet spot anyday.

I'm with you brother

 

[pixburgher66]

Baseball has no salary cap and achieves the same parity as the NHL and NFL. Teams develop different models to be successful and it's working. The team with the highest payroll in baseball has won once since 2000, and if I recall correctly the Rangers weren't exactly throwing parades down Broadway every June when they were the league's highest spender by a mile, and a certain second-highest spending team wasn't having any more luck than NYR was.

Have you seen the Cup winners in the NHL the past five years? You say "welcome to a league with 5 teams". We're already there. And would you bet against LA or Chicago winning more? It's 1996-2003 all over again.

In the last year before the lockout, the Red Wings had the league's highest payroll at $77.8 million; in comparison, Tampa had $33.5 million and Calgary $35.2 million. In 2002-03, the Rangers had the highest payroll at $69.2 million; New Jersey had $52.4 million and Anaheim $39 million. Teams were spending modestly then and they were winning doing so.

There are more than 5 teams that can conceivably win every year. Before the playoffs start, of the 16 teams that make it in, there are usually about 10 that one can see winning. Taking away the cap in the NHL would ruin likely 10 teams. If you want to cut the league in half and get rid of it, go for it...but a team in a small market will die. I'm a fan of a team in a small market. Now, "my" team won't die out, only because it has the face of the league on it. But how does a team in Columbus, who is up and coming, survive? I agree that there are teams in markets right now that shouldn't be there, but I don't think that means you should get rid of the balancing factor.

 

[pixburgher66]

Well duh haha. Biggest reason I want to do it away from here is because I simply don't want a huge wedding where people I don't care about have to be invited for political reasons. Our close family, close friends and that's it. Save the money for a big wedding and buy a house.

Also, wine

I'm the same way. The average wedding costs? $40,000US.



Ummmm...orrrrr you could simply get married simply and have money to, you know, live.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

There are more than 5 teams that can conceivably win every year. Before the playoffs start, of the 16 teams that make it in, there are usually about 10 that one can see winning. Taking away the cap in the NHL would ruin likely 10 teams. If you want to cut the league in half and get rid of it, go for it...but a team in a small market will die. I'm a fan of a team in a small market. Now, "my" team won't die out, only because it has the face of the league on it. But how does a team in Columbus, who is up and coming, survive? I agree that there are teams in markets right now that shouldn't be there, but I don't think that means you should get rid of the balancing factor.

Essentially, teams these days need very wealthy ownership. Most teams already have that, though, and with the new Canadian TV deal and more and more lucrative local TV deals, there is more revenue than ever to share. Teams like Pittsburgh and Buffalo (although they have a billionaire owner) won't be at risk of spending themselves to bankruptcy like they were a decade ago, while teams in places they shouldn't be (the Floridas and Arizonas of the hockey world) will need to move to one of the many places they can go where they can be viable financially. A 30 team league can work with open spending.

Anyway, all moot because the cap's not going anywhere. Chicago has done an excellent job of rebuilding itself into a true contender twice, and will have to do it a third time now because they wanted to keep their two best players. I don't know how that's fair.

 

[Cobiemonster]

I guess I am not understanding what you are saying. Sounds like you are trying to say that the Florida Panthers are viable because they are profitable, but then stating the reason they are profitable is because of Beyonce concerts and Monster Truck Rallies. What is the point of even having a team, then? Instead of paying 35m in salaries for a hockey team, just get rid of them and open up 42 more nights a year for Taylor Swift and the Idol tour.

Florida doesn't need to win to be viable, they need people that genuinely care what happens day in / day out with the team and the sport. A big knock on all the sports teams there is that the "fans" look at them as social events and whichever one is popular makes the money. Bron Bron shows up, and everyone's a basketball fan. See what their attendance is next year.

I remember the Stanley cup final run, every crowd shot showed confused people looking at each other as if they were saying "Now? Is now when we throw the rats?" Panthers have been there 20+ years and as far as I can tell, there are three sheets of ice in the city, not including the one in the Arena.

3 rinks. There are 2.6 million people. There simply aren't enough people who care about hockey passionately. You can't build a franchise on a fickle base.

The point I'm making is that everyone says the Panthers are losing money and that's why they should be moved, when in reality they're not losing money, so I guess I'm agreeing with your point then?

The fact is, the Panthers just need to win - if they do that, then fans will come - it's hard to judge when the team doesn't win - they're in a similar situation to what teams in California were in 10-15 years ago when those teams weren't winning either, start winning and the fans will come - it takes a while sometimes

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I'm the same way. The average wedding costs? $40,000US.



Ummmm...orrrrr you could simply get married simply and have money to, you know, live.

It's insane. No wonder people are always in debt.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

The point I'm making is that everyone says the Panthers are losing money and that's why they should be moved, when in reality they're not losing money, so I guess I'm agreeing with your point then?

The fact is, the Panthers just need to win - if they do that, then fans will come - it's hard to judge when the team doesn't win - they're in a similar situation to what teams in California were in 10-15 years ago when those teams weren't winning either, start winning and the fans will come - it takes a while sometimes

Incomparable markets. San Jose is the only game in town, and LA is the second biggest market in the US and while one of their teams does well, the other wins and still is in the red. Remember their Stanley Cup parade in Anaheim? 10,000 people in a parking lot. That's pathetic.

 

[HUBSTER]

Love the city life but give me a beach in a quiet spot anyday.

P.E.I.?

 

[dash]

Love the city life but give me a beach in a quiet spot anyday.

May I recommend Parksville/Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island? Or you could join the hipsters on the other side of the island at Ucluelet or Tofino.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

P.E.I.?

Heard it's beautiful. I'm also originally from Nova Scotia so sure why not!

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

May I recommend Parksville/Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island? Or you could join the hipsters on the other side of the island at Ucluelet or Tofino.

I've seen some quite lovely pics from Tofino.

 

[Harry Crack]

I've seen some quite lovely pics from Tofino.

It's amazing......... the odd hippie running about though LOL

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

It's amazing......... the odd hippie running about though LOL

I live in Toronto, i'm used to it. Hipsters, too.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

That number would be higher with hockey teams playing in places where hockey is actually enjoyed.

I guess now would be a bad time to point out that the biggest loss that year (again, per Forbes) was Minnesota.

Though in fairness, Phoenix and both Florida teams were on the list as well.

But so were the Devils, Islanders, Blues, and Sabres.

And for the record, I'm not defending the continued existence of the southern teams. I'm making the point that the salary cap is what allows some of these teams that are in good - but small - markets to continue to exist.

 

[DragonfromTO]

That's called baseball, and it sucks. Does it help the league as a whole to allow this and then cut the viable contenders in half? Then you have teams in decent markets with bad owners (Hiiiiii NYI!) who won't spend money, and thus not be competitive. And you have big money markets and teams (NYR, TOR, etc) who poach those low budget teams' developed players by giving contracts they simply can't afford. It's not a good system. I'd rather not see the Rangers become the Yankees, poaching players. I've seen it...I'm a dang Pirates fan. If you want viability and parity, you need restrictions. Otherwise, welcome to a league with 5 teams that can actually compete.

21 different teams have made the MLB playoffs over the past 5 years (44 playoff spots).

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I guess now would be a bad time to point out that the biggest loss that year (again, per Forbes) was Minnesota.

Though in fairness, Phoenix and both Florida teams were on the list as well.

But so were the Devils, Islanders, Blues, and Sabres.

And for the record, I'm not defending the continued existence of the southern teams. I'm making the point that the salary cap is what allows some of these teams that are in good - but small - markets to continue to exist.

Was this post Suter and Parise signings? Because they both got some huge bonuses and their contracts were heavily front-loaded salary-wise. The Sabres spent big for a few years too after Pegula took over.

Devils and Isles both have their own very public problems.

Like I said in another post, the current financial landscape would allow teams in smaller markets, the Pittsburghs and St. Louis of the world, to compete financially given the new TV revenues and revenue sharing.

 

[Abe Vigoda]

I live in Toronto, i'm used to it. Hipsters, too.

UGH! They ruined Brooklyn!

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Was this post Suter and Parise signings? Because they both got some huge bonuses and their contracts were heavily front-loaded salary-wise. The Sabres spent big for a few years too after Pegula took over.

Devils and Isles both have their own very public problems.
Like I said in another post, the current financial landscape would allow teams in smaller markets, the Pittsburghs and St. Louis of the world, to compete financially given the new TV revenues and revenue sharing.

The Devils have new ownership and they have Lannister money. The team actually operated at a profit, the old owner's fortune went in the shitter when the economy tanked.