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Post by ocelot on Oct 5, 2005 14:50:21 GMT -5
I'm a big hockey fan and I'm so excited about the new hockey season. My favourite team is the Vancouver Canucks. It's going to be great to watch NHL hockey again. Tonight is the season opener and I most definitely will be watching.
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Post by shavonfan on Oct 5, 2005 17:42:21 GMT -5
Well, I'm a Pittsburgh Penguins fan! It will be interesting to see if they can go from worst to first. Anyway, good luck to those Canucks (but the Penguins are gonna beat you!)
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Post by ocelot on Oct 5, 2005 18:17:52 GMT -5
We'll see who wins on January 16th. It would be nice if they met in the Stanley Cup Finals. I'm hoping the Canucks do better in the playoffs this season, last season they lost to the Flames in the first round.
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Post by shavonfan on Oct 5, 2005 18:21:18 GMT -5
Correction: last season EVERYBODY lost! No season...
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Post by ocelot on Oct 5, 2005 18:29:06 GMT -5
You are so right. I meant the last season that was played.
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Post by shavonfan on Oct 5, 2005 18:31:42 GMT -5
I know what you meant. I was just referring to the fact that all involved (players, owners, fans like us!) all lost out on that one. But it should be as exciting as ever this year, and attendance should be up as well. Hey, Leona, GO PENGUINS!! (lol)
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Post by ocelot on Oct 5, 2005 18:41:08 GMT -5
Go Penguins. I hope they beat the Devils. It also was a lost for bar and pub owners in Canada because with the NHL down they lost money because not as many people came to the bars. I absolutely agree everyone lost.
I'm really excited for the hockey season because anyone could make the playoffs or miss the playoffs. It seems like it's an even playing field and that should make for some exciting games and exciting playoff races.
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Post by shavonfan on Oct 5, 2005 18:52:08 GMT -5
I agree with everything you have stated. Also, how about NHL merchandise? Jerseys and other such items dropped drastically in sales (at least in the USA.)
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Post by ocelot on Oct 5, 2005 19:00:45 GMT -5
I think the only winners were Junior Hockey and international hockey. We got to watch hockey from the Russian, Swedish, and Finnish leagues, and junior hockey got more attention. Yes, here too NHL merchandise was not selling as good, I'm not sure how much but it dropped alot. Team Canada merchandise and merchandise from Junior teams really increased in sales.
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Post by shavonfan on Oct 5, 2005 19:05:08 GMT -5
The good thing about it all is that the powers that be realize that life will go on without them if they leave, so they had better get on and stay on the ice! Also, rule changes promise for a very exciting season!
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Post by ocelot on Oct 5, 2005 19:12:56 GMT -5
I absolutely agree. I looking forward to this season more than any season before. There's no longer teams that are going to be good because they have more money than other teams and no longer any teams that are going to be bad because they don't have enough money to truly compete.
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Post by shavonfan on Oct 5, 2005 19:22:19 GMT -5
A level playing field is so important in sports because it's one thing to have more money, or be in a market that gives you more money, which is a huge advantage. I'm not against that, but when a team with less money, or from a small market tries to climb, it has almost no chance. Even if that team sold out every game, it would not help its financial situation. That is pretty unfair to those markets, who sometimes have to endure watching their favorite team go through many consecutive years of losing seasons. There is nothing fun or exciting about that at all.
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Post by ocelot on Oct 5, 2005 19:34:24 GMT -5
I know what you mean. My brother is an Oilers fan and he has continued to watch each of their great players traded because they couldn't afford to keep them. Gretzky, Messier, Arnott, Weight, Joseph, and etc. The same thing happened in baseball to Montreal in which situation the fans eventually gave up on the team and felt the league was against them, therefore eventually resulting in them losing money and moving to Washington.
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Post by shavonfan on Oct 5, 2005 19:42:42 GMT -5
Well, just so you know, the league is not and was not against Montreal. I am a life-long Pirate fan and have endured thiteen consecutive losing seasons. Major League Baseball is its own worst enemy, and ultimately is against itself. Every year, the entire season is over throughout most of the league except for NY, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, and maybe two other markets. Very boring.
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Post by ocelot on Oct 5, 2005 19:46:52 GMT -5
I know the league was not against Montreal but a lot of their fans felt that way. Their best season was in 1994 (which was cut short my the strike) and the fans never forgot it. And they are a market that never recovered from that. Because since then all their good players were traded because they couldn't afford them.
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