NHL playoff round one update: Blackhawks don’t fear The Reaper
After spiriting away the fourteen NHL teams that were not strong enough to make beyond the regular season, hockey’s Grim Reaper had a few days off to enjoy the opening games of the playoffs. But yesterday he had to gather up his hockey stick scythe, tear himself away from the Afterlife Bar & Café and make his way the windy city.
There the Chicago Blackhawks awaited his arrival, down three games to none in their matchup with the Vancouver Canucks
However, the Hawks were determined to not go quietly into the night and spanked the Presidents’ Trophy winners 7-2 to avoid being given the broom treatment.
David Bolland notched one goal and assisted on three others in the win while Patrick Sharp converted on a pair of power play goals in the third period to send the Reaper away empty handed on this night. Goalie Corey Crawford turned aside 21 of 23 Canuck shot for the win…and even helped out the offense by earning a secondary assist on Brian Campbell’s goal that broke a 1-1 tie in the second period.
The two teams return to Vancouver for game five Thursday night.
Also last night, the Los Angeles Kings died a painful death in game three of their series with the San Jose Sharks. After building a 4-0 lead early in the second period, the Kings watched as the visiting Sharks gnawed their way back with three unanswered goals. But just 15 seconds after Logan Couture got San Jose back to within one Ryan Smyth gave LA a two-goal cushion.
Ryane Clowe and Joe Pavelski then each scored in the final 1:25 of the period to send the two teams into the second intermission deadlocked at five apiece. The scored remained that way through the third and Devin Setoguchi capped off the comeback with a tally at the 3:09 mark of overtime.
Setoguchi, as you may remember, was the 8th overall draft pick by the Sharks back in the 2005 draft, a pick they acquired from the Atlanta Thrashers. Then-GM Don Waddell and the Thrashers eventually traded their way to the 16th pick where they snagged “the player they had wanted all along”…Alex Bourret.
…sigh…
Anyway…Hockey’s Grim Reaper will now make his way to Arizona where the Phoenix Coyotes face elimination tonight. There, the Detroit Red Wings will be looking to do what the Canuck’s failed to accomplish in Chicago…advancing to round-two via a four game sweep.
Prior to puck drop there, we’ll be treated to a quartet of game-fours. Washington will be in New York, Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, Philadelphia at Buffalo and Anaheim is in Nashville.
The Caps, Pens, Flyers and Preds will all look to take a 3-1 lead in their respective series.
If those four teams are successful, it will set up a very hectic travel schedule for the Reaper later this week. However, hockey’s Angel of Death slipped me some 411 this morning saying that the Fat Lady has availed herself to sing the final song for teams facing elimination if scheduling conflicts should arise.
Cats to be Torched?
According to this tweet by Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Thrashers have given permission to the Florida panthers to interview John Torchetti for their vacant head coach position. Torchetti came to Atlanta from Chicago last summer as the team’s associate coach.
This didn’t come a huge surprise to me as I heard some buzz surrounding this during the closing weeks of the season. Plus, I think Torchetti is indeed worthy of such consideration.
If Torch does actually take over behind the Cats bench, he will become the first associate or assistant Thrashers coach to be tapped for an NHL head coaching gig elsewhere.
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83 comments Add your comment
ben
April 20th, 2011
9:44 am
el first
ben
April 20th, 2011
9:47 am
also i saw that game and the ‘nucks looked beyond flat. this was the best team all year and they’ll clobber the hawks at home. still, it was good to watch
Red Light
April 20th, 2011
9:48 am
Rounding out my roster, I signed 35-year-old Jose Theodore for $1.75 million to back up Pavelec, added Zenon Konopka from the Islanders as my fourth line center, designated disturber and top face-off man (57.7%) for $750,000, and will let Klingberg or Cormier (or someone else) battle for the 12th forward spot. Thus, my 23-man roster including bonuses is $50.71 million for the 2011-12 season.
Smoothie: If it’s OK for you to dream about stealing Sharp, Setouguchi, etc., then it’s OK for me to dream about Yandle and Sauer.
Defense (7)
Yandle $4.45 million
Sauer $1.55 million
Enstrom $3.75 million
Byfuglien $5.2 million
Stuart $1.7 million
Hainsey $4.5 million
Meyer $600,000
Forwards (13)
Korpikoski $1.5 million
Berglund $2.25 million
Antropov $4.0625 million
Kane $900,000 Bonuses $2.2 million
Little $2.3833 million
Burmistrov $900,000 Bonuses $600,000
Thorburn $866,667
Dvorak $1.5 million
Ladd $3.95 million
Wheeler $2.65 million
Klingberg $790,000 Bonuses $110,000
Boulton $650,000
Konopka $750,000
Goalies (2)
Pavelec $1.15 million
Theodore $1.75 million
ZAvalanche
April 20th, 2011
10:13 am
Nice piece Blog Master. I think Chicago is as good as done, and if it is possible, the Yotes are going to be well done. Not sure in the East……an upset is just around the corner.
ZAvalanche
April 20th, 2011
10:15 am
RL, betting on Theodore, as you well know, is a scary, scary bet.
Hoof Arted
April 20th, 2011
10:23 am
Cats being ‘torched”?
Oh my.
Smoothie
April 20th, 2011
10:24 am
Looking at San Jose’s large payroll for next year, they have nearly $51 M tied up in 7 forwards, 3 d-men and 2 goalies. I reckon they will want to address their blueline UFA’s (Wallin, Huskins, White) before they figure out how to / what to pay Setoguchi. Plus, if they pay just Wallin and White market value, and give Setoguchi a handsome raise as a RFA (from his $1.8 M), that doesn’t leave them much to sign 4-5 depth forwards, a depth D-man and any key prospects coming off ELC.
Just sayin’…Setoguchi isn’t nearly the pipe dream that you may think. Of course, if the cap goes up to $62.4 M, they may be able to swing it, but I don’t see why they wouldn’t be interested in a younger option to replace Wallin and Setoguchi may just be the price it takes. Although San Jose may be vulnerable (and ripe for) to an offer sheet on a player like Devin S. Also, Wellwood might be an attractive UFA option for a team on a budget like the Thrashers. His speed and passing might help Kane take the next step in his development.
kracker
April 20th, 2011
10:34 am
The Grim Reaper is splitting travel and lodging expenses with the Fat Lady.
Hoof Arted
April 20th, 2011
10:39 am
kracker, I actually think there’s something more to the Reaper and Fat Lady “travelling” together.
wink-wink-nod-nod
Red Light
April 20th, 2011
10:43 am
Love Jose ZAvs. What he did last year in Washington after the death of his newborn was other-worldly in my opinion. Jose for $1.75 over Mason at $1.85 million any day of the week and twice on Sunday! 51 playoff starts to 9 by Mason. A year and a half younger too.
Smoothie: Sharks have plenty of space to sign Setouguchi if they utilize entry-level players in three other positions.
Smoothie
April 20th, 2011
10:53 am
That’s a big IF!! We shall see. I say slap an offer sheet on him for 4-5 years and see what happens. Might as well keep Bogosian and give him another 1-2 yrs to get his act together. But I could see Duds going the trade route since Wilson did us a favor in the wake of the Buff deal and we returned it, sort of, in the form of Ben Eager. Goodwill has been established, now it’s up to Duds to work the phones and pull another rabbit out of his butt!
Fan from Carolina
April 20th, 2011
10:59 am
Oh, that Kings collapse was epic. No recovering from that, not in the playoffs. The Reaper is on the way to L.A.
ZAvalanche
April 20th, 2011
10:59 am
RL, I didn’t know about his loss. My most sincere condolences to he and his wife – that is something nobody should go through. All I was saying is that he is streaky. Perhaps he has ended his ways of clubbing and severe drinking and is his former self from Montreal, I really hope so. I met him when he was in CO and he seemed very genuine.
Alan R.
April 20th, 2011
11:03 am
The always funny Down Goes Brown has done some searching, in light of the recent suspensions and non-suspensions, and dug up an updated map of the NHL playing surface.
http://www.downgoesbrown.com/2011/04/official-map-of-nhl-rink.html
(Re-posted here, because I got ranallo’d)
Smoothie – Wellwood is all well and good, I suppose, but all Atlanta restaurants would have to become “all you can eat” establishments. Then again, I’m fairly certain Wellwood could afford establishments like Fogo De Chao.
ZAvalanche
April 20th, 2011
11:03 am
FfC, I totally agree. LA crapped the bed last night. That game should have been locked up after the 1st. Tells you a lot about the Sharks though, doesn’t it?
alex
April 20th, 2011
11:06 am
what about offer sheet for parise? can lou to fight with us for star forward because of kovy bad deal? am i wrong? sorry with asg running we couldn’t afford him. just dreaming.
Badger Bob
April 20th, 2011
11:12 am
Despite their come back, the Sharks look like fish bate for the Wings or Nucks. Smoothie, the Eager deal is definitely a “sort of”. He is pure liability on the ice, and it seems like the Sharks locker room is not a perfect environment to absorb his problematic personality. I’ll take a 1% chance of landing a Buff or Enstrom (i.e., 7th rounder) for him every day.
And Kunitz’s elbow looked similar to ones thrown by Cormier that got him banned from juniors. Hmmm…
Still working out my GM moves. Real work keeps interfering!
R. Stroz
April 20th, 2011
11:36 am
If the Grim Reaper is splitting expenses with the Fat Lady, he better keep a close eye on the checking account.
Smoothie
April 20th, 2011
11:45 am
Damn it all to hell this work thing keeps cutting into my blog time!
Alan – if Wellwood is still eating Horton’s donuts by the dozens AND skating that fast, then I’m fine with giving him a $200-300K raise so he can buy lots of Metabolife and Hydroxycut to offset his donut intake. I think he has progressed past that stigma as he hardly looks pudgy to me.
Dwayne
April 20th, 2011
11:49 am
dang Rawhide, first you leave your cats out in the sub zero weather for days not end now your torching the poor things….. you got hot ones and cold ones, i perfer mine hot
SYK
April 20th, 2011
11:59 am
Torchetti leaving would be very bad. Switch him and Rammer. Torch will be the in your face disciplinarian/strategist while Rammer is the soother of hurt feelings/Hockey 101 teacher/where not to buy your suits–guy.
Rawhide
April 20th, 2011
12:14 pm
Dwayne – Hmmm….this would explain all the hate mail I get from PETA.
hockeygoon79
April 20th, 2011
12:30 pm
At first it looked like the Sharks were ready to tank in the first round, but in the end it was the Kings who had a royal collapse.
Is it just me, or does San Jose look flat. It’s a good thing they drew LA in the first round or they might just be down 3-0 to anyone else.
Alan R.
April 20th, 2011
12:37 pm
Smoothie – He may have progressed past the stigma, but the fat jokes live on. Even today.
Hoof Arted
April 20th, 2011
12:43 pm
“Blackhawks Don’t Fear The Reaper”
Ah, I see what you did there. Blue Oyster Cult. Very crafty, BlogMaster.
Joe Friday
April 20th, 2011
12:55 pm
Let’s go Rangers, Pens, Sabres, Preds, and Yotes!
Hockey Biltong
April 20th, 2011
1:03 pm
I can only agree with the Preds sentiment…
World Be Free
April 20th, 2011
3:17 pm
Red Light-to be able to get Konopka, that would be nice. tough, gritty, in you face fighter.
ben
April 20th, 2011
3:43 pm
we, those of us who aren’t living in Canada or New England, should all be Yotes fans. If a town smack in the midst of nothing can take a team from one of the largest and fastest growing cities in America, no one’s team is safe. The very day that True North puts an NHL team in spudville, start the clock. 25 years later or less it’ll move again.
Moe
April 20th, 2011
4:57 pm
Will the Sharks play Nittymaki for the rest of the playoff series? I hope the coach makes that mistake and replaces Niemi, it will breath liife into the current LA corpse..!
Red Light
April 20th, 2011
5:35 pm
Stay with Niemi. He was a bit shaky but don’t give up on him yet.
glovesave29
April 20th, 2011
5:36 pm
Waaaaaay off topic here, but MLB has announced that they are taking over operations of the LA Dodgers. This is mostly due to a messy divorce, but it springs some interesting questions. Now league offices operate teams in the NHL, NBA and MLB. Only the cash cow NFL has not had such an occurance (although there are problems in both Minnesota and Jacksonville). Are the tides turning? The salaries actually going to come back down? Certainly never going to come down to the levels of the average joe…but are the days of $30M baseball players coming to an end? I can certainly see the death of the municipalities forking over free stadiums and arena as belts continue to be tightened. I wont be surprised to see teams folding due to continual losses. Could the whole house of cards be ready to collapse? I am a free market kinda guy…I have no problem with the players getting as much as the owners are willing to pay. But the gates are down because people cannot afford a night at the game costing them several hundred dollars. Even good teams in traditional markets are not filling their arena and stadia. Will players unions realize they are killing the golden goose? Are they more amenable to lower paychecks or fewer players? These are certainly interesting times in pro sports!
Joe Friday
April 20th, 2011
5:40 pm
Niemi has always been shaky, was for the Hawks all year, the club was just so stout last year they overcame it. Nittymaki is the same way, both of them are feast or famine, you never know which will show up when . . . that series is far from over. But first tonight, let’s go Rangers, Pens, Sabres, Preds, and Yotes!
Joe Friday
April 20th, 2011
5:42 pm
Oh, and someone make sure to get Luongo a box of kleenex, poor guy!
Joe Friday
April 20th, 2011
6:13 pm
Channel 11 just reported that Glavine confirmed he’s part of group looking to buy Thrashers. Looking for additional investors
Myrtle also just tweeted that Bettman says Atlanta staying put is his only expectation after new ownership takes over
glovesave29
April 20th, 2011
6:20 pm
Well, Joe – if this is true and comes to pass, I will forgive him for signing with the hated Mets!
ben
April 20th, 2011
7:14 pm
@Joe Friday:
YAY! WOOT! WOOT!
Thrashniac
April 20th, 2011
8:31 pm
Glovesave29 makes great points.
In addition I continue to believe the 500 lb gorilla in the room is HDTV. It’s so good there’s little incentive to fight the traffic, overpay for tickets and food and put up with obnoxious fans whO consider themselves privileged to stand in your line of sight all night and curse.
TV can’t duplicate the feeling you get from being there, but it’s a much better alternative on many nights.
Brendan
April 21st, 2011
12:18 am
I always thought the large NFL and MLB salaries were outrageous due to lucrative TV contracts. Fans have awakened to the realization that the person/entity that stands to make money of the new stadium is the owner. They stop and start thinking, “So, why are WEEEEE financing it?” *Crickets.*
Right. So, maybe less money is the way to go, for the players. If I were a player, I’d be happy to cut my losses, and be thankful for a multi-million dollar job, rather than less teams/opportunity in the league. The pay disparity between the pros and the minors leagues is pretty substantial, in most sports. You do have ask yourself, what can you do with $30 million that you couldn’t do with $20 million?
I’m a free market guy, too. Let the market set the value. Let the players grab all they can for their services. But, that also includes knowing when the market has taken a downward turn, and preparing to ’salvage’ what you can.
In hockey, I have, pretty much since the 2007 season forward, felt the cap was ‘too high.’ I think the NHL cooks its books, and its cap is fantasy. It’s permitted because everyone wants it to go higher. The players do. The owners in markets trying to win do. The fans want their teams to spend more, even though it leads to increased ticket prices. I think that if the league set the market at $50 million out of the lockout, and kept that figure in place through the end of the CBA, that it’d be in fine shape, today. Instead, it has gone from $39 million to $59.4 million, and if reporting above is true, to $62.4 million. That’s more than a $22 million increase, in just seven seasons. The floor of the cap cannot be met in over 10 markets without the assistance of revenue-sharing dollars propping up the financial health of such franchises. That’s not a ‘healthy’ NHL, the way Commissioner Bettman envision, as a stated goal of the Lockout.
It’s true … that without Coca-Cola or Chick-Fil-A Family nights out, that a family of four cannot escape the arena for less than $200. Parking, food, souvenirs, it all adds up. And when the team loses, everyone feels like someone just cut the cheese in a crowded elevator. By the time the empty-net goal goes in, we’re all scurrying for the exits, trying not to breathe in the stench. And that car ride home. Uggh. Not even calling in to the post-game show, to chat with Kamal and Eliot will make it better.
I think NHL honestly believes … that if doesn’t pay its players the highest salaries around … that they’d bolt for European league. I don’t buy that, at all. I think players want to make money, but also play for the most established, best known, highest skilled league on the planet. That’s the NHL. While it’s true that, every now and again, some player bolts for the KHL, the KHL is not the best league in the World. And truthfully, I think that league is in some financial trouble.
When the Knights were here, I did very much enjoy going to those IHL games. In the end, we just want our team to win. It’s not NHL caliber, but it’s still entertaining hockey. Hockey, that families can easily afford. The NHL should give some consideration to that. But, they probably won’t, citing some marketing research that indicates that people will always pay whatever the NHL team says is required for entry to the game.
Thrashers27
April 21st, 2011
12:22 am
Glavine=owner=very cool!!!
Brendan
April 21st, 2011
12:35 am
Congrats to the Penguins and Capitals for taking their respective series to 3-1, with back-to-back road wins. Congrats to the Buffalo Sabres, and especially Ryan Miller, for evening their series with Philly at 2-2. It’s Miller’s 2nd shutout, I believe. Gee, all he has to do is shutout the Flyers two more times, and the Sabres could advance. I have the Flyers in this series.
Phoenix and Detroit and are tied, 3-3, going into the 3rd period. C’mon Coyotes! Avoid the sweep! Could be their last game in Arizona. Ducks got a big, big win in Nashville, to even their series at two apiece. Best-of-Five now. Go Preds! Though, I have the Ducks in this series.
My picks were Washington, Philly, Pittsburgh, and Boston. Out West, Anaheim, SJ, Detroit and Vancouver. Same as “Russ.”
Brendan
April 21st, 2011
12:54 am
This has been a tremendous 3rd period between Phoenix and Detroit. And, as I type this, Dan Cleary has just scored to give the Red Wings the lead, 4-3.
Brendan
April 21st, 2011
12:55 am
The Coyotes just might be the 1st team eliminated. They’ll draft 15th, right? Or is it based on other factors? I have forgotten the methodology for determining the draft order of playoff eliminees.
litz
April 21st, 2011
1:01 am
5-3 DET now … I’d say the Fat Lady is singing warmup scales in the green room …
litz
April 21st, 2011
1:03 am
Holy crap … I just read the scroll back above …
Glavine ??? GLAVINE ???
There is only ONE answer to that … please please please pretty please?
litz
April 21st, 2011
1:11 am
Fat Lady has sung … DET 6 PHX 3 …
How long do you think, now, before it’s announced that PHX is relocating to a colder climate?
Tom
April 21st, 2011
7:21 am
I was in the car yesterday listening to the NHL network. It was sickening listening to the the anticipation of the Canadian announcers to the demise of the Phoenix Coyotes. They were salivating over getting the Yotes to the great white north.
The only good point I heard was that the wives of the players will not want to move to Winnipeg. If I was Dudley I would set up an office in Phoenix and invite the free agent players and their wives to Atlanta to “take a look” if the move goes through.
Back when players earned the bare minimum and had to chase the dream to the far outposts of the NHL it was one thing. But now the top players are marrying celebrities and are living a completely different lifestyle.
Winnipeg’s owners may be rich with oil shale money but they can not buy location. When the city realizes that top talent will avoid their city and they will constantly field teams of itinerant travelers whose families live in other cities they will get frustrated.
Think about it, remember how we felt about Sopel leaving every chance he got to go to Chicago? He never bought into ATL and while he was a stand up guy on the rink his heart was never with this team. That is the fate of a Winnipeg franchise.
hockeymom92
April 21st, 2011
7:49 am
Aha – I had not heard report from 11Alive, but did know about the Glavine thing a few weeks back from a parent during our tournament (that was my rumor I did not want to jinx). I had heard though there was already someone else in with him, but maybe they backed out. Also understood from someone close to situation that our staying or going could not be determined until Phoenix was out of the tournament. Though this person seriously did not want to go to Winnipeg.
As for my pitiful predictions for the first round – I can at least blame it on the drugs!
glovesave29
April 21st, 2011
8:02 am
Tom Glavine is PERFECT as the face of any ownership group. He’s well spoken, and comfortable with both the fans and the media. His contacts within the sports world would make the games THE place to be. I can see a game where you look around in the stands and you see Matt Ryan, Chipper Jones, etc in the seats around you. He understands getting the players out there in the community a la Nashville and Minnesota. I am sure the NHL brass is DROOLING over this. I am sure something can be worked behind the scenes where Tom does things in the corporate world to “assist” the companies that are owned by the other team owners…outings, speeches, etc…
Hulsizer was in PHX last night talking to fans. I still think this is a bad deal for the people of Arizona and the team will inevitably move back to Winnipeg. But after reading the trolls here, on PHX, NYI and PIT boards – in conjunction with the total jerks on TheFan590 in Toronto to commissioner Bettman – I would love to see them get screwed and have Hulsizer get PHX and Glavine get ATL both with looooong term contracts. Karma’s a……
World Be Free
April 21st, 2011
8:12 am
Tom – it is pretty sickening listening o the Canadian media talk about Atlanta, Phoenix, or any other U.S. franchise that might have an uncertain future. What would be the reaction in Canada is we urinated on Tronna, Vancouver or Montreal?
Alan R.
April 21st, 2011
8:30 am
You guys want jerks? The Canadian announcers on NHL Radio have nothing on what went on in Phoenix last night.
At the beginning of the third period, CBC cameramen were pointing out members of the audiance, talking rather evenhanded about the possibility of Phoenix moving back to the Peg. After a little bit, they mentioned that there were actually people selling Jets gear outside Jobing. Thats right. I couldn’t believe it.
DWTOO
April 21st, 2011
9:00 am
That’s why I didn’t renew the Hockey News – tired of reading that drivel and actually paying to be insulted. When the NHL Live guys start talking this crap on the radio immediately switch to music.
ZAvalanche
April 21st, 2011
9:27 am
Lo Siento Phoenix. I really hope ‘Peg gets stoned on a deal and you keep your team.
Smoothie
April 21st, 2011
9:46 am
glove & Brendan makes some interesting points about the future of pro sports and the impact of HDTV on the future of the game. Real estate, financial markets and just about every other industry have had serious market corrections. Pro sports are next I imagine. The lockout in NFL and the potential lockout looming for the NBA are emblematic of the broken system that makes attending live sporting events too great of a financial burden for the masses who are struggling to not only make ends meet but put some savings in the bank for a rainy day.
I would write more but alas, I don’t really feel like typing anymore.
Good luck to the Coyotes, but both scenarios are rife with uncertainty and Winnipeg only seems like a good solution for the next 5-10 years. What happens when players refuse to re-sign and they start losing perennially? How patient will Thompson be?
ZAvalanche
April 21st, 2011
9:47 am
Also – Rangers!!??? WTF? You left your keeper out to dry. And based on Ovi’s comments, he is one egotistical dude.
ZAvalanche
April 21st, 2011
9:53 am
Smoothie – agreed. Pro sports are going to go through a situation akin to the ‘dot com’ bubble burst. Hockey is the only game I will pay for to watch in person consistently. I simply can’t afford to sit close to the lines for NFL, don’t care about NBA and baseball is more of a social gathering for me, and tickets are relatively cheap. College football I will pay for just because of the atmosphere and I won’t sit anywhere besides the student section – too much fun to be had there.
So yeah, the comments regarding HDTV are spot on unless you can be right in front at the game.
Smoothie
April 21st, 2011
10:00 am
z – I used to have season tkts for the Falcons during the Vick era, and thought it was the most exciting thing ever at the time. During that time I started going to hockey games again after the lockout. Now I can hardly stand watching football live. If I can’t DVR the Falcons and watch after I play a round of golf or something, I really don’t want to watch. Strange considering I can sit through 7-8 hours of a major golf tournament, but I’m a golf junkie and I’m always looking for things that might help my game. Plus, I just really admire how consistently they strike that little white orb when the pressure is on. I’m ecstatic if I can get through a round with 2 or less double bogeys and card a 82.
But that’s besides the point. Just about every sport is better on HDTV now, except hockey. The speed of the game is such that you either want to “feel” it up close or watch it high above so you can see the ebb and flow perfectly as plays develop and unfold. It really can be a beautiful game. I hope pro league executives realize this and gradually ratchet down salaries and find better ways to streamline operations to deliver better pricing. But until TV production companies start to feel a greater pinch, perhaps the market correction for pro sports will be a protracted and painful one such as the excrutiating drama in the desert of Arizona.
Daayum, guess the caffeine is kicking in. Now I’ve got to do some actual work, poo.
Red Light
April 21st, 2011
10:18 am
OK, don’t get me started, but I can tell you that the airwaves are ruining, yes ruining, all sports and the experience of attending hockey games still outweighs TV any day of the week.
Pro sports leagues and college conferences are on their backs, legs spread wide, waiting for any network to have their way with them. Corporate sponsors think the best way to engage fans is through TV broadcasts, but how many of you actually pay attention to the message? So, they are reluctant to spend money in the arenas and with the teams, and that means the TV broadcast portion of revenues are one of the only sources of additional revenues for teams, outside of merchandising. So, we listen to the diatribe about the new NHL TV contract, which simply means local broadcasts simply carry no cache with potential sponsors (except in select cities). If I am an owner, I broadcast not one single home game unless it’s sold-out. There is simply too much broadcast access.
Many here have said it before…”I’m not going downtown to put up with the high parking prices, traffic, overpriced concessions, ticket costs etc., when I can sit on my couch and watch a game in HD.” Therein lies the problem and it most certainly affects ticket sales, individual game and season tickets.
College football is a bit different, because there is an emotional and real investment (if you are an alumnus) in your school or favorite team. Some hockey franchises, particularly those who are the only game in town (Montreal for example unless you count the Alouettes), have that same kind of emotional attachment. As it has long been stated, Atlanta has so many options for your entertainment expenditures, but the only ones who are getting rich off these TV deals — particularly in a sport like hockey — are the networks. They get programming (cost is about $150,000 to broadcast a game in HD) and the opportunity to sell, sell, sell ads and sponsorships. One day they’l wise up when there are few potential owners for the franchises because it’s a losing proposition with most of them.
Why else would the Canadiens ever have been for sale? 24 Stanley Cups, A new arena. A feverish fan base and how many straight sell-outs. The quick answer is local sponsorship revenues can’t help offset the costs. Sure, they get a great share of national TV revenues and RDS TV revenues, but obviously, it simply is not enough to offset costs.
Think of it this way, if you’re a hockey fan and got to watch only two games a week on TV, wouldn’t you show up a little more often in person to watch the team/game you love?
Tom Lysiak
April 21st, 2011
10:31 am
There is so much greed in place that it is difficult to see salaries ratcheting back to affordable levels. I am old enough to remember when going to a Braves or Falcons game was an alternative to other choices of “things to do”. It wasn’t a major investment for a night of “entertainment”. I suppose one needs to look no futher than Andy Messersmith for the start of the demise of “affordable sporting events”. I go through this conflict all the time. I can plop down $150 +/- for two seats in the lower level, $30 for a couple of beers each, and $20 for something to eat…..totalling around $200 for 3 hours of entertainment. OR……..I can spend that same $200 to rent a cabin in the mountains for an entire weekend. That is when you realize things are out of whack. Or at least I do.
Red Light
April 21st, 2011
11:04 am
It wasn’t so much Messersmith, McNally or Curt Flood as it was the head of the MLBPA Marvin Miller. But, here’s the crux of the matter, according to an article written by Ross Porter in Feb. 2009…
“The free agency era has made a generation of baseball players wealthy. Only one—Ken Singleton—has ever thanked Andy Messersmith for his efforts.”
That figures doesn’t it?
Smoothie
April 21st, 2011
11:08 am
R/L – can you expound upon how the local network TV arrangement works? I understand it at the national level because it’s obvious Comcast/NBC is paying a large sum of money to the NHL for exclusive rights etc. But is it radically different at the local level when there really isn’t a lot of competition for hockey? IOW, if it costs FOX so much to produce a game in HD, and they only have like 4 or 5 main sponsors, how in the world can they justify paying to broadcast more than 60 games? Or is it more of a partnership b/w ASG and FOX to increase advertising and sponsorship revenues that a) defray production costs and b) help pad the revenue streams for each?
At any rate, you’d think in a perfect world, with the Thrashers playing well and selling out home games, it would make more sense to televise ALL road games and just a few select home games in the local mkt. And then offer to provide re-runs on-line for a per game or per month fee.
Red Light
April 21st, 2011
11:23 am
Smoothie: Local broadcasts are a losing proposition for teams like the Thrashers, but here is the truly diabolical part of the entire mess…Using Fox Sports as an example, approximately 70% their revenues come from cable and satellite TV providers like Comcast, Charter, Dish or DirectTV, et al, and they are substantial revenues. Of course, the cable/satellite providers make their money from subscribers like you and me.
As a result, cable networks like Fox throw a lot of the money they derive from the cable/satellite providers in hopes of earning their own advertising-based revenues, ie the “gravy” because they are in desperate need for both content and viewership. Content and viewership for Fox Sports are essential in order to get the providers to put them in their lineup, and thus charge their own clients. When Fox Sports negotiates deals, the cache is having professional sports teams, college sports teams etc from being part of that content and potential viewership numbers.
Imagine being part of the Comcast Cable Network, owned by Comcast/NBC and having to pay competitors like ESPN to be a part of their cable lineup of channels. A slippery slope indeed, wouldn’t you say? That’s why the merger took so long to complete…”potential monopoly.”
AtlFlamesFan
April 21st, 2011
11:26 am
I believe that the Canadiens former owner, George Gillett, had to sell the Habs because of the huge mess he got into when he and Tom Hicks went in together and bought the Liverpool Football Club of the English Premier League. They lost their shirts in that deal, incurring huge debts. Hicks lost the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers.
Tom Lysiak
April 21st, 2011
11:26 am
Enough of this “don’t televise home game” craziness. Silence, you fools!!!!
Red Light
April 21st, 2011
11:28 am
In order to watch the professional or college sports you want to watch on TV these days, you have to pay a cable or satellite provider, unless you want to use antiquated antennas or newer HD antennas on the roof of your house, to acquire the old-fashioned local VHF and UHF bands. So, the teams, the providers and the cable networks have you over a barrel, wouldn’t you say?
ChippersLoveChild
April 21st, 2011
11:46 am
Red Light,
I gave up cable and use Apple TV and my Roku Box to watch… I can subscribe to MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, and Centre Ice and watch all the games I want… my total bills are around $20 a month, the feeds are HD, and I haven’t missed any programs that I was watching before when I had DirecTV, so no they do not have you over a barrel, you just have to take action.
Red Light
April 21st, 2011
12:09 pm
Good to know CLC!
AtlFlamesFan
The Habs have been sold numerous times during their history but they always come back to Molson.
J. Ambrose O’Brien 1909-10
George Kendall-Kenndy 1910-1921
Jos. Cattarinich and Léo Dandurand 1921-1935
Canadian Arena Company 1935-56
Hartland Molson 1957-1968
David, Peter and William Molson 1968-1972
Placements Rondelle Ltée, Edward and Peter Bronfman 1972-78
Molson Breweries 1978-2001
George Gillett 2001-2009
The Molson Brothers June 2009 to present
Red Light
April 21st, 2011
12:15 pm
JF:
Niemi has played for two solid teams, but a record of 79-33-11 (playoffs and regular season) doesn’t seem “always shaky” to me.
World Be Free
April 21st, 2011
12:18 pm
Red Light-College football is my favorite, even more than hockey (tough to admit). Despite ESPN almost ruining the spirit of college football by employing buffoons like Bob Davie, Lee Corso, “Dr. Lou” and 1/2 dozen other idiots that have no business being in front of a camera or microphone. No wonder Keith Jackson “retired-to get away from the ESPN clowns.
Joe McGrath
April 21st, 2011
12:20 pm
Speaking of HD, did anybody catch th Vs camera goof last night? Prior to faceoff, Pierre McGuire (I believe it was McGuire and it was probably for TSN) was interviewing a Sabre in front of the Sabres bench. Darren Pang was was working for VS. and he was also in front of the Sabres bench intervieiwing a Sabre. As Panger’s interview is the audio, the cameraman pans back from MCGuire and then focuses in on Panger.
ZAvalanche
April 21st, 2011
12:24 pm
Hmm, smart move Chippers, I should consider that.
@RL – I understand where you are coming from, but I respectfully disagree. I am a HUGE hockey fan, as you can tell and love going to games. However, not everybody can afford tickets for every home game, much less, say, 4-5 a year. I cannot as I am still looking for work so the only way for me to see games is on TV (BTW the job market blows – anybody want to hire a M.S. in Aerospace from Tech?, lol, jk – mostly). When I do get gainfully employed, absolutely yes I will have season tickets and will cherish every moment. But until then, I really hope they don’t decide to blackout home games.
And yes I agree that Atlanta has a LOT of activities other than going to a hockey game, but so do a lot of other cities with 4+ major sports. For example: I am sure you know that Broncos fans are DIE HARD, win or lose. And when they were good, from 95 to 2000 they were selling out every game. Also during that exact same time span the Avalanche sold out 400+ games in a row and of course the seasons overlap. Will get to my point here in a sec……Denver Metro at that time was maybe 1.5 Million so there is a much smaller populace to pull from (I will concede that you have Boulder, Ft Collins and Colorado Springs which are all less than 60 miles from Denver, but I digress). Atlanta has the ability to be a HUGE market. So here is my point……the teams that pay for good players have good teams and everybody likes a winner, which is why even smaller market teams (Detroit, Phoenix, Denver, etc.) sell out games. Look what happened in CO, the team started sucking and people stopped showing up. Sure, I could use the $$ I use to pay for my hockey leagues to attend a game, but I would rather play than pay to watch a sub-par team. Sorry, that was very convoluted.
Glovesave29
April 21st, 2011
12:31 pm
The new tv deal pays each team $6.6m per season. More than any other major pro sport, the NHL relies on gate receipts. That is why we are all frustrated the asg has not reached out to the non converted with free or severely discounted prices just to get the building full. We know what a great sport it is…once you are in, you are hooked. The CFA deal is ok, but still pretty costly for some…plus it’s a family pack and there’s nothing for the single or couple.
The Thrash need tobe at local schools playing the kids during recess. Great way to co nect with the community.
The tickets could have a Marta pass barcode on them. Pay Marta a bit for each used…plus ridership goes up and subsequently, so can ad rates. What about party buses? Have a player join in on one…arrive a few hours before game time, have a behind the scenes tour, then a discount for the group at taco mac
ZAvalanche
April 21st, 2011
12:32 pm
Joe, yeah, I caught that too and was like “what the hell is going on?”. Still cannot believe the resilience the Sharks showed the other night – crazy strong determination. I am also impressed at how LA is doing without their leading scorer.
Tonight’s predictions:
Boston comes out P!SSED! Takes the game.
Lo Siento Chicago – it is lights out time.
San Jose – quickly get it over with so Detroit’s fossils don’t have time to rest up.
ZAvalanche
April 21st, 2011
12:37 pm
Glove – those are great ideas! Some of them I have not thought of. How about allowing kids with free-or-reduced lunch a voucher for a couple of games a season? Gotta have the star players in the schools, absolutely imperative. Back when I was a teacher in Fort Collins, John Michael Liles would routinely visit the kids and they loved it!
I like the MARTA idea, that is the only way I went to Thrasher’s games (mostly so I could spend the parking $$ on beer).
Does anybody know if ASG gets a part of the concessions? I know some owners don’t.
Glovesave29
April 21st, 2011
12:40 pm
This isn’t only a north american issue…watch soccer from Brasil, Spain, Italy…the stadiums are hardly full. Player salaries have escalated so much that average joes cannot attend games. Tv is fine, but even in hd, there is much missed versus being there live.
ZAvalanche
April 21st, 2011
12:44 pm
Another thought, and please don’t anybody take this the wrong way: have the NHL and Play It Again sports subsidize equipment and league fees for low income families. Hockey equipment is very expensive, as you all know. I paid something like $400 for my last pair of skates and a decent piece of lumber costs about $80 (very low end) and that stuff brakes all the time (though I have had my Grip Lite for over 9 years now – thing is a beast). In the span of 3 games I broke 2 Grip Bubbles, there goes $280. Until I am rich I am never buying a one-piece again. Anyhow, get the kids to skate and play they will never leave the game.
ZAvalanche
April 21st, 2011
12:53 pm
Looks like SJ is going with Neimi tonight. I think he will bounce back just fine after being a sieve on Tuesday. Too bad most of you will be in bed by the start of the game
Glovesave29
April 21st, 2011
1:00 pm
ZA…try playing the net. That’ll set ya back a bit!
ZAvalanche
April 21st, 2011
1:03 pm
Glove, oh, I know man. I have two good friends that play the net with me and every league we play the team pays their league fees due to that very reason.
Joe McGrath
April 21st, 2011
1:10 pm
ZAvs
http://1.usa.gov/eEtMTz
ZAvalanche
April 21st, 2011
1:15 pm
Ohh! That looks good Joe, my specialty is in safety/reliability engineering! Thank you for that, sincerely.
Rawhide
April 21st, 2011
1:19 pm
OK gang…now that the Detroit Red Wings have kicked the Phoenix Coyotes to the curb, one can’t help but wonder if we’ve seen the last of NHL hockey in the Arizona desert.
ZAvalanche
April 21st, 2011
1:50 pm
Thanks again Joe, just finished applying. Cheers!