Mike Chen's Hockey Blog
Category: NHL
General NHL posts
Planning Future Winter Classics
by Mike Chen on 01/02/09 at 01:59 PM ET
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I should start off with a disclaimer that I don’t think this idea will necessarily please everyone, nor will it necessarily bring the biggest ratings and/or revenue to the NHL. Heck, I’m not even sure I’d vote for it if I was on the Board of Governors but it’s an idea that got me thinking after it popped in my head, so it couldn’t have been the worst idea in the world. At the very least, it’s an interesting idea that tries to fulfill a few different things.
That being said, here’s a proposed way to spread the Winter Classic love around the league without getting into arguments about what’s a hockey market and what’s not (re: who “deserves” it and who doesn’t). It’s also a way to not kill the Golden Goose of the WC through overexposure.
What if the Winter Classic becomes an every-other-season regular season contest between the last two winners of the Stanley Cup? The team with the better the overall head-to-head record over the past two seasons has the option to host (and considering the revenue/publicity, who would turn it down?).
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: Winter+Classic,
Peace & Love, Hockey-Blogger Style
by Mike Chen on 01/01/09 at 02:05 PM ET
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What do some of hockey’s top bloggers wish for come New Year’s Day?
This may be a pipe dream, but I wish for the mainstream media to recognize the N.H.L. for the beautiful moments we all enjoy. An Alex Ovechkin goal, a Sidney Crosby pass, a Henrik Lundqvist save, that’s what we live for, so much more than the uncontrolled mouth of an idiot or a random act of stick-assisted violence.
Read more over at the New York Times Slap Shot Blog, and a big thanks to Jeff, Stu, and company for letting me be part of the fun for 2008.
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: New+Year,
A California Classic?
by Mike Chen on 12/31/08 at 01:05 PM ET
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On the eve of the Winter Classic (oh, there’s something about a new calendar year happening tomorrow too), I took a look out the window to the gray skies and morning frost of this early Northern California day and pondered whether the NHL would ever bother trying something like that in Sharks territory. I know Sharks ownership actually inquired about it, including proposing a few feasible locations, but I imagine a California Winter Classic is way, way down on the NHL’s selection list. If it ever happened, I’m guessing we’d have already exhausted the Original Six and Canadian teams several times over.
Still, just like Jim Carrey said in Dumb and Dumber, the fact that the league actually listened to the Sharks means that there is a chance. Ok, but are the logistics feasible?
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: San+Jose+Sharks, Winter+Classic,
Who’s Still In It?
by Mike Chen on 12/23/08 at 05:36 PM ET
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I’ve often said that the Christmas break (or the days after Festivus, for you true believers) is the turning point in the NHL season. Before that time, teams still have a chance of making a come back. Come December 24-25, all teams are somewhere in the 30-35 games-played mark and large gaps in the standings become too much of a chore to overcome.
With that in mind, who’s still got hope? I used to say that .500 teams at Christmas are still in the hunt for a playoff spot. However, I’ve tweaked that a little bit this season because the log jams are so immense, especially in the Western Conference. Instead of being .500 (having the same amount of points as games played), I’ll change that to say that if your team is within two points of .500, you’re still in it.
Let’s look at the bubble teams with just a few hours to go before tonight’s games:
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: Standings,
What’s Motivating The Coyotes?
by Mike Chen on 12/22/08 at 12:51 PM ET
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You might have noticed that those pesky Phoenix Coyotes have risen up the standings and now have a precarious hold on a playoff spot. A big part of this is their recent surge in play, coupled with win-one-lose-one patterns of the Nashville Predators and the free fall of the Minnesota Wild.
But I know the truth. It’s not just Ilya Bryzgalov returning to form or the emergence of Martin “He’s So Hot Right Now” Hanzel or the leadership of Shane Doan.
No, Don Maloney motivated the Yotes with this simple threat: play well or Gretzky leaves and you get coached by this guy. (Sorry for not getting the embedded video, I could only find a link.)
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: Phoenix+Coyotes,
The Waiting Game
by Mike Chen on 12/15/08 at 10:37 AM ET
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Still waiting for Jordan Staal to be a superstar? What about that Stamkos guy in Tampa Bay? Those two and guys like Kyle Turris have lofty expectations thrust upon them, but how long should fans wait to actually get a return on their investment?
I’ve taken a look at the top-drafted forwards dating back to 1997 and made note of how many seasons it took them to get over the .80 points-per-game (PPG) mark and what age they were when they began the season where they achieved it. There’s a pretty consistent through-line with these players. Check it out:
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: Draft,
Tampa Bay’s Total System Failure
by Mike Chen on 12/11/08 at 12:32 PM ET
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Like a train colliding with a Zamboni that’s crashing into a rusty old shack, the Tampa Bay Lightning story is just something I can’t stay away from. All personal bias aside (I always loved Barry Melrose’s enthusiasm on TV, even though I thought he was wrong much of the time; I’ve also been a closet fan of the Bolts since their 1996 Alexander Selivanov-Daren Puppa run), this story just keeps going and going. In summary:
-Barry Melrose thinks he wasn’t given a fair shake, Steven Stamkos isn’t ready for the NHL, and Rick Tocchet is a puppet of the ownership.
-The ownership thinks that Melrose is guilty of gross negligence when it comes to preparation and research and that he should, to steal a phrase from old Bolts coach John Torterella, shut his yap.
-Rick Tocchet thinks that Melrose is sour grapes and sees the team as slowly evolving into using a real system.
The real culprit? I can see why people can point fingers at one guy or another (though Stamkos is absolved of everything other than simply being an 18-year-old rookie learning the ways of the NHL) but when it comes down to it, everyone is at fault here, from the wacky ownership duo of Len Barrie/Oren Koules to Melrose and his then-assistants to veteran leaders like team captain Vincent Lecavalier.
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: Barry+Melrose, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
If Michael Stipe Sang About The Standings
by Mike Chen on 12/09/08 at 12:01 PM ET
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Since we’re a little bit past the quarter point of the season, it’s time to do my semi-regular look at standings if the whole system was changed. The league’s system trumpets parity, and it’s definitely working in terms of keeping things interesting as technically only five teams are below .500. In the east, four teams are within four points of eight place and in the west, 9-15 are within six points of eighth.
Now, how do those records look when you make a loss of any kind just a loss? Before we get to the pure numbers, cue up R.E.M.‘s Stand and sing along to the tune:
If OTs were losses, teams would be falling
Listen to reason, reason is calling
Your point system keeps teams around
Shootouts lift bad teams off the ground
Standings in the place where you live
They go north
Think about wins and losses like we had them before
Ok, so we’re not REALLY looking at them like we had them before (no ties in this number crunching) but here’s a quick look at how bad some good teams suddenly become. Chicago, Montreal, I’m looking at you. And Tampa Bay? Those are numbers that rival the worst NBA team.
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: Standings,
Tampa Bay’s Revolving Door
by Mike Chen on 12/08/08 at 02:04 PM ET
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God, I love the Tampa Bay Lightning. Every time you think they’ve settled down, the do another thing to stir the pot. This time, Radim Vrbata told ownership that he wants to go home because his confidence is low. I believe that’s the hockey equivalent for “I’m a celebrity, get me out of here!” or “You guys are freakin’ bonkers!”
Oh, and Chris Gratton was waived too. So let’s look at significant transactions since the start of June. Guys in bold have already come and gone with the team.
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Customized Jersey Update #2
by Mike Chen on 12/03/08 at 03:59 PM ET
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For anyone following my saga with the whole customized replica jersey, I just put in an order over at Ice Jerseys for a new Sharks 3rd jersey replica with customized (if you recall, customized replicas from NHL.com only have heat-transferred lettering/numbering while Ice Jerseys and a few other places have authentic stitching and materials). Unfortunately, that particular jersey is on back-order for about a month, but once I get it, I’ll give a full report on the quality vs. my NHL.com replica I bought last year.
Also, if you’re looking for holiday savings, here are the coupon codes I used for my purchase.
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: Jerseys,
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