So you know, if I had to make one change...

[Flip-check 6]

I'd eliminate the regular season. Why? Because who wants to wait another whole year for their team to enter the playoffs and try all over again?

I'm kidding. I just hate having got this far and having to wait 10 mos. to get back to the playoffs. Once this disappointment wears off we'll all be fired up again about the next season, and every little bit of each thing we analyze and pick apart about Detroit hockey.

I bet you all that seeing a healthy (and re-signed) Bert, a playoff-proven Datsyuk, a healthy Zetterberg, a few rookies getting improved roles, no Lang (kidding, I'll miss Bob, but not his play), and if we keep Dom's interest..

It'll be quite an exciting year to watch and babble about.

Edited May 24, 2007 by Flip-check

[Superman54 91]

I cannot wait until the regular season. I feel it will be better then 06-07. Our team is better and if we get Bertuzzi who would be healthy we could rock! WINGS FOR 07-08!!!!!!!!!

[Gordie Howe hat trick 110]

Oh man, you are correct on so many levels. The worst part of the year is waiting for the season to start again. The summer is bad enough with all the heat, but all the unanswered questions that teams are left with after the season like the ones you posed...I suggest (not really, but it would be neat) after the playoffs a 3 week break for the players, then start the season all over again...all I will have in a few weeks here to hold me over will be nintendo's Blades of Steel and NHL 06.

And I guess talking on these boards in the off season too...but still it's not hockey.

[CdnWingsFanEh 2]

I prefer to think of it as 82 games of nhl play-off previews/warmups... We know we'll be in, we just need to see how we're going to play against all the possible match-ups! (of course we play more games against the more likely teams...

Edited May 24, 2007 by CdnWingsFanEh

[Mickeyisms Rule! 0]

To answer the original topic posted a bit more seriously, the one thing that I would change about the NHL would be that Gary Bettman is running the show. The man has done everything he can to ruin the game that I love. A thousand slow, painful deaths to that man.

[CdnWingsFanEh 2]

To answer the original topic posted a bit more seriously, the one thing that I would change about the NHL would be that Gary Bettman is running the show. The man has done everything he can to ruin the game that I love. A thousand slow, painful deaths to that man.

Death by suntan peeling!

[Gordie Howe hat trick 110]

I agree with the Bettman thing. I think it would be much better if we could get him out of there, and get someone who actually understood the game. But then again what do I know? I'm just a fan, I don't make money on the NHL so dont listen to me.

[Dabura 12,207]

I've concluded the regular season is way too long.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

LOL today I was crying to my parents about the Wings. Literally. I was all.. *wipes tears away* "And now we have to wait another 4 months till the season starts..and then another 11 for the playoffs to begin! WHAT IS THIS CRAP!" and then they just stared at me and said that I need to be patient. PSH.

[Flip-check 6]

I've concluded the regular season is way too long.

The thing that sucks hardest: that the playoffs are the only important part of the year.

The thing that sucks harder than that: the playoffs wouldn't mean as much without the regular season.

Luckily I heard that the NHL has decided the '06-'07 are being wiped out and replaced with a far more popular match-up: the 2002 Red Wings vs. Hurricanes. They won't play or televise the Ducks versus Senators, they're simply going to rely on the '02 result to award this year's grail.

We just won the Stanley cup, guys! Babs can retire a Wing and Dom may be back another season!

Edited May 24, 2007 by Flip-check

[evilmrt 636]

Oh this one is easy. I'd change Gary Bettman and put someone in like oh....Shanny? Someone who gives a damn about the game would be just fine. Then all the other problems might get addressed through that.

[Flip-check 6]

LOL today I was crying to my parents about the Wings. Literally. I was all.. *wipes tears away* "And now we have to wait another 4 months till the season starts..and then another 11 for the playoffs to begin! WHAT IS THIS CRAP!" and then they just stared at me and said that I need to be patient. PSH.

So in other words, next year's playoffs don't start until September of '08?

I know, your parents totally don't understand, though they're right. "WHAT IS THIS CRAP!" indeed!

[Drake_Marcus 890]

I've concluded the regular season is way too long.

Hell no! I love the regular season. Every game is a new game. In the playoffs the games blend together for me and the inherent worth of each game makes losses too emotionally sapping

I love seeing our boys in red play against a variety of opponents in a variety of situations with different heroes each night. Playoff hockey is fun, don't get me wrong, but it lacks that creative flair that we see players like Dats and Z play with during the regular season. The grinding, bone-crunching hockey is awesome, but it's fun to see some players skate circles around the opposing D and embarass the goalies in ways they might not risk in a playoff situation.

So, in summary, give me 82 games and the playoffs over a 14 game NFL snoozefest. (My father will never convince me to like football)

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

No More seasons

We should restart the playoffs , Give us a healthy Schnieder.

If only , if only.

Anyways , if there was one thing I could change , it'd be getting more games on CBC on days other then Saturday in the reg. season.

Also , no more VS. or Ed Olzyky or Mike Emerick. Too stupid for my liking.

Oh , and a healthy Bert = destruction. Wait till next year Pronger

[Flip-check 6]

I love seeing our boys in red play against a variety of opponents in a variety of situations with different heroes each night.

So, in summary, give me 82 games and the playoffs over a 14 game NFL snoozefest. (My father will never convince me to like football)

Do you mean.... 8 games against the Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Preds, and Blues, then a handful of the Eastern teams?

I just can't get people who like other sports. Even basketball - which is a more fluid game than baseball, or football - can't make me interested in it. I'm not sure where actual love for football - and not 'everyone else watches it so, so do I' - starts actually.

[Stevie Y. 0]

My first choice: Banish Bettman.

Second: Contraction. (Bye bye: Florida, Nashville, Atlanta, Columbus)

Third: Undo the East/West garbage and get back to Campbell/Wales.

Imagine hockey losing it's popularity when Detroit plays Toronto, TORONTO, once a year. Chicago languishing in mediocrity. Rangers next to useless for a decade. Montreal not in contention. Boston not a real contender in quite some time.

Why would we want to pay attention to those old teams when we've got real work to do in Phoenix, and Atlanta, and Florida, and Kansas City...

In summation: I hate you Gary Bettman.

[Guest MrSandMan]

I for one really enjoy the regular season. But man! Playoffs is where it is at! After 82 games of regular season, you (I) seem to forget how rockin' the playoffs really are.

I can't wait til next season... It's going to be a long boring summer, bleh.

[evilmrt 636]

Third: Undo the East/West garbage and get back to Campbell/Wales.

Imagine hockey losing it's popularity when Detroit plays Toronto, TORONTO, once a year. Chicago languishing in mediocrity. Rangers next to useless for a decade. Montreal not in contention. Boston not a real contender in quite some time.

Great post. One of the things holding back Bettman's dream of the NHL gaining NATIONAL popularity are "national" teams. I mean teams like the LA Lakers, who have fans in every corner of the country (and around the world it seems). Any one (or more) of the Original Six could be the NHL's Lakers if the league actually could wrap their heads around that idea. Add in national attention to CLASSIC rivalries.....and I think my dog could accomplish Bettman's goal better than he could.

[HenrikRules40 14]

My first choice: Banish Bettman.

Second: Contraction. (Bye bye: Florida, Nashville, Atlanta, Columbus)

Third: Undo the East/West garbage and get back to Campbell/Wales.

Imagine hockey losing it's popularity when Detroit plays Toronto, TORONTO, once a year. Chicago languishing in mediocrity. Rangers next to useless for a decade. Montreal not in contention. Boston not a real contender in quite some time.

Why would we want to pay attention to those old teams when we've got real work to do in Phoenix, and Atlanta, and Florida, and Kansas City...

In summation: I hate you Gary Bettman.

Quoted for astonishingly eery resemblance to my thoughts. Right on.

[vangvace 12]

Dear God I'm afraid of the rule changes the NHL/compition commitee are going to make this off season...

[glasgowcelticwing 18]

My first choice: Banish Bettman.

Second: Contraction. (Bye bye: Florida, Nashville, Atlanta, Columbus)

Third: Undo the East/West garbage and get back to Campbell/Wales.

Imagine hockey losing it's popularity when Detroit plays Toronto, TORONTO, once a year. Chicago languishing in mediocrity. Rangers next to useless for a decade. Montreal not in contention. Boston not a real contender in quite some time.

Why would we want to pay attention to those old teams when we've got real work to do in Phoenix, and Atlanta, and Florida, and Kansas City...

In summation: I hate you Gary Bettman.

I would love nothing more than seeing the amount of team's in the NHL reduced. There's far too many team's that are sucking every season and drafting all the future super stars and stopping all the great Hockey team's from having some of the best young talent's that are playing the game.

[Kp-Wings 3]

Bleh. 4 months is too long.

Oh well. This should give Z plenty of time to recover if he has back surgery.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

So in other words, next year's playoffs don't start until September of '08?

I know, your parents totally don't understand, though they're right. "WHAT IS THIS CRAP!" indeed!

LOL. My bad.

I meant 4 months till the season then after that another 6 months till the playoffs.

[Guest Agalloch]

I prefer the regular season to the playoffs. I can actually enjoy the games in the regular season. Once the playoffs start, I get nervous when I watching every game, and get pissed whenever a goal is scored on the Wings.

[Flip-check 6]

I would love nothing more than seeing the amount of team's in the NHL reduced. There's far too many team's that are sucking every season and drafting all the future super stars and stopping all the great Hockey team's from having some of the best young talent's that are playing the game.

I think it'd be a great move, but it's tough when it's a business and you want to spread it.

The quality of the game would, I feel, go up if the talent pool were picked at from a smaller pool of teams though.