2006/2007 Hockey Season Thread

[Toe]

Anaheim moves onto the Cup finals!

In the Stanley Cup Finals, I think that the Anaheim Ducks will be able to outplay the Ottawa Senators, but it will be a tough and close series. I see this series going to Anaheim in 7 games.

[Slogger]

Game JUST finished over here and must i say after the Wings scored with like 3 left, I was on edge, But the main thing is the the Ducks made it to the FINALS! *Happy Dances*

[Guest Grapehead]

every year that has ended in 7 since 1918, the cup has been won by a canadian team or the Red Wings

[Hajjhowe]

Too bad Ottawa is going to get swept. [/generic trash talk]

[Plubby]

lol, Ducks.

[gunnar hendershow]

I'm going with the Sens in 6. The Sens have been playing above and beyond what they should be playing all playoffs and I don't see them stopping. Momentum is a great thing to have on your side.

[Only In Dreams]

Ducks in seven, because Gigure is better than Emery. True story.

[Plubby]

I'd say the Sens in 5 - you gotta respect the streak, but the ducks are a tad tougher opposition.

Senators in 6. Because Giguere is in fact NOT better than Emery. Sugar Ray for the Cup. THERE'S a true story.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Miller was better than Emery too, but what Buffalo lacked that I predicted would be their downfall in the series was a lack of size and grit. Anaheim's got all sorts of that. Unfortunately I don't see Anaheim as a team that's been scoring well in the playoffs. If they can step up their play to another level they could easily take it in 5 or 6 games, granted with scores like 5-3, 6-4 etc. I say it's a toss-up for a 6 game series.

Also, Jim Basille has apparently made plans to purchase the Preds. The deal would supposedly have an out clause which would allow him to move the team after 1 season if the attendance doesn't average over 14,000.

Edited May 24, 2007 by The Sultan of Swank

[gunnar hendershow]

So there's potential of a 7th Canadian team pretty soon then?

I also predicted this a few years ago, that by 2010 or so the southern hockey teams, not all (I'd say Anaheim, Tampa Bay, Dallas look safe) but some, will start a migration north to warmer hockey climates.

[Gabriel]

So there's potential of a 7th Canadian team pretty soon then?

I also predicted this a few years ago, that by 2010 or so the southern hockey teams, not all (I'd say Anaheim, Tampa Bay, Dallas look safe) but some, will start a migration north to warmer hockey climates.

[The Sultan of Swank]

I'd like to see Hockey return to Quebec City. I mean Atlanta and Colorado both have had 2 franchises. I'd also like a return of the Hartford Whalers please.

[Gabriel]

I think Winnipeg will get a franchise long before Quebec City ever gets another one.

[gunnar hendershow]

The 6 biggest metropolitan areas in Canada have teams. The next 2, Quebec City and Winnipeg, had teams. Winnipeg SHOULD get a team back in the next few years I'd anticipate. The region around Hamilton, London, Waterloo probably will have a team relatively soon it looks like. I would assume Halifax and one of the two big Saskatchewan cities could have a team as well. So adding that up and that's presumably 5 cities/regions that could have an NHL franchise.

[Draevyn]

I hope Colorado makes a pitch for either Drury or Briere honestly. As for the finals, I've got 30 on Anaheim to win the cup against my brother. Really it was anyone against Ottawa unless it had been Detroit. I can't cheer for Ottawa for some reason despite being Canadian.

[Toe]

It's not that I dislike the Senators (and I do dislike them), I just think the Ducks are a better team.

You can't really say that Giguere is better then Emery, since people have said that "_________ is better then Emery" in almost every round.

[Draevyn]

It's not that I dislike the Senators (and I do dislike them), I just think the Ducks are a better team.

You can't really say that Giguere is better then Emery, since people have said that "_________ is better then Emery" in almost every round.

Because for the most part, every other goaltender has been better than Emery. What made the difference were the guys up front. Alfredsson and Heatley have both been firing on all cylinders. For some reason the sharp shooters on the other team seem to be shut down each time. I don't think that's going to happen during the finals, which comes down to the goaltenders, and in this case Jiggy beats Emery every time from my viewpoint.

[The Sultan of Swank]

I would really hate to see a third team in southern Ontario. I think that there are other areas in Canada that could hold a franchise long before Kitchener could. Winnipeg and Quebec City are obvious choices. I would love to see a team in Halifax or somewhere around Regina or Saskatoon. If there HAS to be yet another Ontario franchise I would rather see it in some place like Thunder Bay. I really don't see a point in having 4 Canadian teams within 600 Km of each other, I mean if Kitchener/Waterloo gets a team, which I really want someone to inform me as to why they've become the top Canadian prospect for a team, but you could basically take the 20 from Montreal and just stay on it as it passes Ottawa, turns south and becomes the 401(I believe on the ontario side when it turns it's the 416, then the 401) but could basically take that through Toronto, Kitchener and then cross the border to Detroit because it's right there. Hell if Quebec got a team, you could go see 6 teams basically in a straight line.

Anyways, I don't think that a Toronto suburb deserves a team. If that were the case, then I suppose Drummondville deserves a franchise aswell.

[SeanDMan]

With the new salary structuring, the Canadian teams have been allowed to compete more than they were 10 years ago.

Wrong, but nice try.

As far as putting a team in Winnipeg again, don't bother; they've gotten an AHL team up to a competitive state and there's only room for one team in that market. The NHL would kill the Manitoba Moose. As far as Ontario, I wonder how much hockey that province can support, what with the OHL, the AHL in Toronto, the NHL in Toronto, Ottawa, splitting time with Buffalo and Detroit... I think Halifax would be an interesting candidate if not for travel troubles. It'll probably be the Toronto Red Leafs, no doubt.

As far as Giguere vs Emery, Giguere is the better goaltender, Emery is the better athlete. Depending on how his team plays in front of him Giguere can get 4 shutouts in a series, something that hasn't been done since Stefan Liv did it. But Emery I think has a deeper team with the Ducks playing 2.75 lines and 1.75 defense pairs, while Ottawa can and will attack with 3.14 lines and 2.87 defense pairs, I'd say Giguere has to be 4.279 percent better then Emery to secure victory.

As for Briere vs Drury, I'd pick Drury, which means Buffalo would pick Briere. Don't be suprised to see both stick around, though. Buffalo has already made a name for themselves for cheating the cap (the Tim Connelly situation last year is a prime example) and with some creative math and a few juggles they might be able to slot both in. Unlikely, but not impossible.

As for Nashville moving, don't be so sure; that's actually one of the stronger markets with a lot of local support. Nashville just doesn't have the big corporations that an Atlanta or a California or a Detroit or a Toronto have. They do better numbers and have better crowds then the New Jersey Devils and if they had any corporate support they'd be in no danger. If they can get their act together they wouldn't be in this bad a situation. And as for the out clause triggered at 14,000 fans, they averaged over 13,800 last year and that was before most people in town knew the team was in trouble. If you don't think "Save the Preds!" campaigns can get another 200 people to buy tickets you probably missed the Calgary Flames getting saved by a similar campaign back in the late ninties. They can still make it, they just need some more money from businesses.

As for Ryan Kesler, ugh.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Basha, Basha, Basha...

Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge is the top choice for Balsille moving the Predators for a number of reasons - if it was an expansion team, or had anyone other than Balsille behind it, of course Winnipeg or Kansas City or Seattle or Quebec would be the top candidate. But Balsille is from the K/W area, and let's not forget that he has his money because of RIM, which is based in Waterloo - and recently purchased 26 acres of vacant land in Cambridge just off the 401 highway.

The ONLY logistical hurdle to a team in this area is the need for a new arena - and there's no way Balsille would let that stand in his way, considering RIM's history with building sports facilities in the area. Fan support is there - Kitchener is always in the top 3 in the OHL in attendance, behind only London and Ottawa, which both play in much larger arenas, and we also have actual fans supporting our semi-pro baseball team. Plus it's closer to London than Toronto is, so it would draw from that market, along with people from Hamilton and Toronto who can't get Leafs tickets. The area can DEFINITELY support a second team.

Honestly, I think a team ending up here is a bit of a pipe dream, but it's realistic this once because of Balsille - all the clues point to this area being his first choice, but I doubt the NHL would want to go along with it.