evilmrt

Good point. Labor and material costs will be lower now than in good economic times. Plus, I'm sure some kind of tax breaks could be worked out with the city and state, again, due to the recession. I like the Joe, and have fond memories of games there....but it is not an Olympia in terms of history. It needs major updates...and thinking of the actual structure of the building, I'm not sure much can be done other than slapping in some new seats, bringing the bathrooms out of the dark ages, and putting more lights in the concourse so it doesn't look like a dungeon anymore. That doesn't solve a ton of other problems. A new arena (a new Olympia?) should be built.

HAHA! GOLD! Meanwhile CBC takes a backseat even though it generates how much money for the league?

Well, this is better than Bruins/Caps...but honestly, I'm not at all surprised about the NHL being pushed around by NBC, who broadcasts the games for FREE. Yay Bettman! I guess when you have a situation like that, you can't expect an american broadcaster to recognize that it should have been Montreal and Boston instead.

DUMB! Make it the Montreal/Boston matchup LIKE IT SHOULD BE and save Ovechkin for 2011's game....How about NYR and Washington? I'm not sure how a Washington/Boston matchup makes sense....that isn't a historic rivalry like Habs/Bruins is. Plus you get a combined interest from both CBC and NBC viewers...no need for two classics.

Give Jimmy Howard a chance...if it doesn't pan out after a couple months, call up Larsson, who is a better goalie anyway (but could benefit even more from another AHL season).

Well on second thought, I do like the current logo MUCH more than the "third" logo, which honestly looks like something from a minor league: And maybe replace it with something a little more along the lines of this (rumored to be the new third logo?): As far as the current logo, it just needs tweaking. Its too detailed and needs some simplification to look more like the "classic" logos around the NHL. I think the biggest problem is the color scheme. Maybe something like this (I didn't make it): or this, with some more tweaking:

No disrespect, but get your head out of your ass. Illitch knows better than any of us how Bettman has mismanaged and hurt the league, the sport of hockey in general, and made running a business like the Wings not as smooth as it should be (I'm thinking of the promise Bettman made to put the Wings back in the East, retarded scheduling like all of the last season couple seasons - not this season, and "revenue" sharing that takes alot of money from very profitable teams like the Wings and throws it in a toilet (Phoenix)).

The logo thread got me thinking about the Yotes trying to succeed in Phoenix. The logo and color scheme is pretty lame, and I think once a new owner comes in (if that even happens) and cleans house, he should make a change. But why stop at just the logo and colors? Why not change the name? I think that the Roadrunners name is a much better choice, and since the team folded earlier this year, they should be able to buy the rights for a song. Thats the old WHA/WHL logo, by the way. I think its better than the latest ECHL version. It could use some updating. My question is, to any one who knows out there....can new ownership buy the rights to a defunct ECHL team name and change an existing NHL team's name to it?

Maybe I'm biased, but the Phoenix Coyotes have the worst logo in the league. I liked the "native american" theme that they originally had when they moved here. While not the best, it certainly is a huge improvement of the current main logo, and the rediculous new "third" logo, that looks like a cartoon dog jumping. The Nashville Predators also get low marks for an ugly logo and an even uglier color scheme. They really should change that up. And the final on my "worst" list is Tampa Bay Lightning...its such a DRAB and boring logo! Even just changing the font and making it a little more interesting would be great. I like the team colors, however! All the Original Six logos are fantastic, and shouldn't change. They're classics. Beyond that I like the Flyers and Blues logos (also classics). The current Vancouver Canucks logo is okay, but I love the green/blue "throwback" logo...which is supposed to be a "third" but seems more popular with the fans than the first. The Kings' current logo is uninspiring, yet not bad enough to single out. The old purple and yellow crown logo is very cool, and I wish they would bring it back.

I couldn't agree more. The loyalty of the city's sports fans lacks foundation, just like mru22 noted about the music scene (and in my opinion, culture in general in Phoenix). The only way I can see this team succeeding is to quickly put them into the playoffs (beyond the first round), and do it consistently. Not to mention improving the piss-poor marketing and tv/radio presence the Yotes have in Arizona. I live in the largest city in the whole northern half of the state, and there is NO radio station that carries Coyotes games!!! Can you guys see that happening in Michigan? They had a very large amount of games that were not televised at all last season. Also, with the coaching, management, and players that they have....I cannot realistically see a turnaround happening. Yes, some owner with a knack for turning crap into gold could take over, but it seems like a long shot. Arizona hockey fans think this ruling by Judge Baum is a success, and it is...partially. What they don't recognize is that now the likelyhood of the team FOLDING altogether has gone up significantly. I hope the organization lives on, but none of this makes good business sense. The league is full of itself.

Shoreline, I would expect better from you, sir. The point I was trying to make was to rate the "NHL as a product" which is being sold to (under Bettman), at least in OUR country, people that are not already hockey fans. I am not in that segment of the market, and neither are you...or anyone else on this board. The reactions that new fans or potential fans have to "the product" are very telling when it comes to rating said product. I was not saying the game was staged, merely passing on comments. Honestly, I think they mistook pathetic officiating in a pro league for something alot worse. In any case, it is a poor reflection on the NHL and how Bettman is attempting to sell it to new fans. I mean that is the whole point behind hyping up Crosby to Americans, and sticking teams in non-hockey cities, right?

HAHAHA! Dude, have you spent much time in the GTA and Southern Ontario in general? The market is tremendously underserved by one NHL team. This is the place where they dump water on the tennis courts in winter to play hockey. It would be VERY successful. I think Milwaukee makes sense, but it doesn't seem like anyone is interested in bringing a team there. Plus I don't think there is a suitable arena, so they'd have to build a new one.....and Hamilton has a NHL-ready arena that needs some updating...which is much quicker than building a new one.

HAHA RIGHT ON! I was just talking with some Yotes fans who watched the Finals and Semis, and they couldn't agree more. This being Arizona, I watched with alot of buddies who aren't hockey fans at all...they frequently remarked during the entire playoffs that it looked like things were being staged and the officiating was a joke. The non-suspension of Malkin, which was a complete violation of NHL rules, and the CONSTANT jabbering by both Versus and NBC (especially NBC) about CROSBY, CROSBY, CROSBY turned off most non-hockey people I know. Bettman and his cronies are ruining the league, and I doubt I'll subscribe to Center Ice next season. Why watch hockey all season to see the joke that the Playoffs have become? I won't spend any extra money on it, thats for sure. And as far as Gary's great and grand plan to broaden the hockey-viewing market....it sure is doing the opposite from what I can see.

my feelings are....daddy bettman is so happy that he's going to take cindy crysbaby out for a ice cream after the game. enough said.

I was hoping they would throw s*** at the pens, too bad I turned the TV off.

BYE HOSSA! WE CAN USE 7MIL TO GET SOME REAL PLAYERS! DONT LET THE DOOR HIT YOUR ASS ON THE WAY OUT! LOSER!

You have to eat at Fishbone's. Thats all there is to it. You cannot find good food like that in the Southwest

I completely echo this statement. Rafalski not only looked physically tired....he looked MENTALLY tired tonight. I expect giveaways, dumb plays, and missed passes from Stuart.....but Rafalski? COME ON MAN!

You guys try this on an NBC broadcast and you're asking for alcohol poisoning

uhhh.... wow, yeah this guy is weird....yay NBC for hiring him!

HAHAHA INSPECTOR GADGET! Watching the interview, he seems so clueless about how hes damaging the NHL. I liked his brush-off of the head of the player's union....very classy. Then he dismisses the 212.5 million offer, saying its "way less", yet we have not ONCE seen any such report in the media, or in the trial. However, we DO know that the offers to keep the team in Phoenix (not even Phoenix!!! Glendale, folks!) is much less. Then he seems to have no problem with a team losing 400 million dollars, and taxpayers footing the bill for hockey arenas in the middle of nowhere. What an arrogant little prick.

More bulls*** from Bettman and his cronies. What a clown league....we can only hope that these idiots are replaced by professionals who will restore integrity to the sport before it becomes a complete laughing stock. It just amazes me that they can change rules on a whim. Congrats, Gary!

HAHAHA that poor ref! I saw Z hit him a couple times as well as Malkin. After the fight was broken up, you could see the ref swearing under his breath

Alot of laughs were had here at Pierre for being such a ****** when both benches were talking back and forth after the Zett-Malkin fight. The announcers asked what was going on, and Pierre hilariously tried to act like nothing was going on. What a dumbass.

Haha I love Don Cherry, he's like the cranky old grandpa who has been around hockey forever. Yeah he's biased towards Canadian players, but I think he adds alot to the broadcasts. Alot more than the sad intermission reports that NBC has with Pierre, for sure. Helm is a great player, and I really hope Kenny can lock him down for a long-term deal. The Wings need to find more prospects like this in the future, as well.