2021-22 NHL Season

I think that’s the same number they offered to Gaudreau. I wonder what their offer to Tkachuk was. Now, if they can extend Weeger, they’ve made off like bandits in that trade.

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When Gaudreau and Chucky walked,
They took a combined 220 points with them.
Very difficult to replace that!
They did very well under the circumstances

Ballsille was trying to circumvent the process by selling season tickets before acquiring the Nashville Predators.

Mark Chipman was able to get the Thrashers by doing what the NHL wanted him to do.

Can’t debate numbers, the GTL line was the highest point line in the league I believe last season…but it was a first for both Matthew and Johnny to break a hun in their pro career so maybe a fluke…another take is that it was because of Lindholm they did so…who knows…

Balsillie used that as a tactic by trying to show that there was tremendous interest in the Hamilton area. In the end that didn’t matter to Bettman and his cronies. Hamilton was not where they wanted to expand to. He was focused on expanding to the South and other U.S. markets. It’s pretty sad that a province such as Saskatchewan doesn’t have an NHL team. They are rabid for their Riders and would be the same for an NHL team but Bettman doesn’t care about under-represented Canadian markets even though they would be highly profitable.

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I think it would be an issue in Saskatchewan as to whether there are
** enough ** big companies to provide the necessary corporate support.

Similarly, the Winnipeg Jets are bottom 5-8 in revenue and franchise value.

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Exactly. Chipman did whatever Bettman told him to do and honoured his code of omertà. Balsillie was like a bull in a China shop. I don’t think any league would have treated him differently. You just can’t force your way into the old boys club and for whatever reason he wasn’t smart enough to know that.

Having said that, I have been of the view that Hamilton should have a team in the NHL since at least the mid 1980’s. Southern Ontario could probably support three teams. It’s the best hockey market in the world. I think the real problem is that the Leafs don’t want any competition and they will always veto any new team that they might have to share their market with. And let’s face it, the Leafs are a fat pigeon sitting on a ledge. A monkey could have drafted as well as them over the last 55 years. Any competition will be bad news for the Leafs and their obscenely profitable bottom line.

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They may have gotten something that looks decent but there is no doubt in my mind that they are a far worse team now than last year. And don’t forget that Huberdeau only plays well when he is paid, that being the regular season. I suppose the Flames had to do something to show their fans that they weren’t taking the loss of their two best players lying down. And it certainly wasn’t their fault that Gaudreau and Tkachuk bailed on them, although they might have gotten something for Gaudreau had they acted before the deadline.

They far overpaid Huberdeau, in my opinion. In a few years his contract and that of Gaudreau will become financial albatrosses. Similar to the worst contract in the league (Tavares) and several others of recent vintage such as now Wheeler (although still a point a game player), and formerly Lucic and Neal, who both never earned even half of what they were paid.

As a Jets fan I could say it’s great that Calgary will be weaker and might even miss the playoffs (the Jets might as well), but I am not of that view. Calgary has now had a taste of the medicine the Jets have been taking in losing Trouba and Copp because they wanted to return to the US. Since then Scheifele has mused about leaving and Dubois has all but said he will leave when he is a free agent in two years. I fear this Canadian disadvantage will only get worse and harm all Canadian teams. There is just no way around the tax advantages US players enjoy over Canadian players, especially in states that have no income tax. The weather is generally better too.

And with a salary cap the Leafs are making even more money than before.

The decline of the Leafs began with Harold Ballard (how was he able to get control of the franchise is beyond my understanding) and has stayed that way since.

Since the last Stanley Cup in 1967 Toronto based pro sports have won a total combined 17 championships.

Argos (7)
Blue Jays (2)
Raptors (1)
Rock (6)
FC (1)

Any thing else I am missing in terms of other championships.

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I have been following this list by Forbes with other fans for years, but I have not been an NHL fan nearly as long and only since about 2011.

Look who is at the very bottom of the list of course. :unamused:

#26 are the Jets who do have a long way to go so as to generate positive operating income, but on the other hand their valuation jumped by 42% in 2021 alone, which there are some results putting the team in the right direction.

We’ll see where teams stand when the 2022 list is out. Coming off two pandemic seasons, it’s a matter of progress and nothing near perfection for most sports teams.

Table:

Full Article with Narrative

Did the Blizzard win anything ?

It is weird losing fetish that seems to be generational thing like a badge of honour . I Get it at that level as I can talk 70’s . 80’s Leafs talk as good as any .

But your right not winning and making the team some sort of niche dark theme of ineptness seems to have made them like the Chicago Cubs before they finally won or

something closer to the White Sox , Red Sox … maybe .

But I would say much darker where they bleed blue in a family loyalty thingy …

and turn some sort of pride from losing .

If they won a few times and had the high of it not sure the passion would be the same I think it would be more a Montreal level .

Not sure about the Blizzard myself

Would you be able to find out?

[quote="mahalcflers, post:1099, topic:73909"]

Not sure about the Blizzard myself

Would you be able to find out?

The Blizzard were members of the NASL until 1984, the last year of league operations. The team were runners-up for the league championship in 1983 , losing the Soccer Bowl to the Tulsa Roughnecks 2–0 in front of nearly sixty thousand people at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium.

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Cool.

What was the attendance at Blizzard games on average?

11 or 12 k .

So like TFC’s actual paid attendance :rofl::sweat_smile::joy:?

I will stop now (Red Patch Boys might get upset and throw a hissy fit.)

The Blizzard played on concrete like turf in a multi use stadium .

And they didn’t complain .

Now that I have said Blizzard enough I really wish I had one of the DQ treats the Turtles one is incredible .

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My Dad used to take me to Blizzard games. The name Blizzard started in 1979 but the franchises history goes back to 1971. From 1975-1978 they were known as the Toronto Metros-Croatia. They actually won the NASL championship in 1976. For me it is important because my ancestry is Croatian. Here is an article on how it happened:

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Never knew …

Metro Croatia won the NASL championship in 76 .

Playing out of Lamport at the time may have kept it hidden a bit .

I did KNOW Brian Budd as he won the superstars competiton three times .

The ABC network didn’t like this unknown Canadian soccer player win their precious title .

They changed the rules to stop him from competing .

I loved that some unknown Canuck kicked US superstar ass .

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Blizzard Oreo for me

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