The Yankees of the NHL?

[raasc1dj 0]

I dont know if a topic has already been started about this but I am sick and tired of the Wings being called the Yankees of the NHL! They dont just go out and buy their talent. I liked the statistic last night... that nearly half of the Wings starting roster last night was made up of their own draft picks. Where as lets just use... idk.... the Ducks for starters, they only have 3 players on their roster that they drafted (Getzlaf, Perry , Ryan). Plus, in the salary cap era, you cant have a Yankees because everyone can only spend a specified amount of money.

*just for another quick fact... the Wings are 12th out of 30 in the salary department (ANA, BOS, CGY, CHI, DAL, EDM, NYR, PHI, STL, TOR, and VAN)

***thoughts?

[YoungGuns1340 1]

I havent heard the Wings being called the Yankees of the NHL in a long time. And at any rate, whoever makes comments like this nowadays is as dumb as a brick. In a salary cap era, where almost every team has the ability to contend with one another in UFA offerings - assuming they manage their cap space well - then comments like this are grossly outdated. The Wings have made one substantial UFA addition in a few years - Brian Rafalski. No one saw them go out and replace Yzerman with Niedermayer or Shanahan with Drury.

[Jwo 7]

Exactly YoungGuns1340.

[raasc1dj 0]

I havent heard the Wings being called the Yankees of the NHL in a long time. And at any rate, whoever makes comments like this nowadays is as dumb as a brick. In a salary cap era, where almost every team has the ability to contend with one another in UFA offerings - assuming they manage their cap space well - then comments like this are grossly outdated. The Wings have made one substantial UFA addition in a few years - Brian Rafalski. No one saw them go out and replace Yzerman with Niedermayer or Shanahan with Drury.

I heard it on ESPN two nights ago

[BlakChamber 8]

^^^

Was it because of the money the Wings spend, or the fact that the Wings win a lot?

I haven't heard the Wings called the Yankees of the NHL in terms of spending in a few years, since the cap was introduced.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

If you mean they are the Yankees as though they have the largest fan base and every other team and their fans hate them because they are successful and the dominant name in the sport, then yeah.

[Lovin Jiri Fischer 147]

I think it's funny that people say that when a lot of our players come here because they want to be a Red Wing, rather than money. They could have had a much higher salary in other places, but they chose to be part of this team.

[Lidsyukerberg 0]

I think the whole Hossa situation speaks to this. If we were the Yankees of the NHL he would be here right now.

"Unhand me damn Yankee!"

[sergei_is_still_a_wing 1]

people only say it because of our nearly 15 years of pretty dominant hockey. we haven't had a losing season since 1990 and have only missed the post season twice since 83/84. Also, we have one of the most widespread and devout fanbases in all of sports. by far the highest attendance for games across the nation are at wings games.

so in these regards: yes, we are the yankees of hockey (i think i just threw up in my mouth a little while i typed that).

however, any idiot that says its because they buy their talent would lose a battle of wits with a doorknob.

i take it as a compliment when someone says it due to my first few reasons...

sidenote: last wings game i attended against LA a kings fan walks up to me and says "i really hate it when you guys come to town.... because i haven't been able to say that your team sucks in twenty years..."

love it.

[Louisville 112]

I heard it on ESPN two nights ago

Oh well that makes sense.

ESPN is full of idiots, besides John Buccigross

[DYags 0]

I prefer to think of us as the Patriots of the NHL. I think it fits the best.

[irishtemper14+25 11]

the only time i heard that reference was in 02 and the following years too, like when we would just go after lets say hasek, lucky luc, and brett...then the addition of hatcher(big worthless dbag)

[lfd250 1]

We are the Yanks of the NHL, lots of talent, not a lot of Cups. However if they are saying it because of Money, that's kind of funny due to the arena we play in has dirt floors ( I kid) But think about it and take it as a compliment.

Our owner cares about the team

We have our own plane

Our fans LOVE our team and hates anyone who doesn't.

We don't accept failure or second place

The common folk can't afford to go (for Osgod)

See both teams are alike.

[auxlepli 17]

Oh well that makes sense.

ESPN is full of idiots, besides John Buccigross

There you go. That's the reason right there.

The comparisions are lame. If I have to make them, I prefer to think of the Yankees as the Red Wings of the MLB, and the Patriots as the Red Wings of the NFL.

Which current organization has been at the consistently good level longest? The Wings.

Which sport is the best? Hockey.

So it all stems from hockey and the Wings as far as I'm concerned.

[Jwo 7]

I read on hockey boards a lot that we are only good because we buy our players to make us good and this is in the salary cap era.

[Lidsyukerberg 0]

I read on hockey boards a lot that we are only good because we buy our players to make us good and this is in the salary cap era.

They're just dusting off tired old excuses because they have nothing else and they can't just admit that we have the best team in the league with or without a salary cap. To me this sentiment just shows ignorance to the NHL. If they really paid any attention at all, they would realize that with the salary cap we can't buy any more talent than their team can. I would say it's a testimony to our front office, we know how to pick good hockey players and then develop them into world class hockey players.

[zetterberg_fan_40 0]

The Red Wings and the yankees should NEVER be used in the same sentence.

[Doggy 130]

We are the Yanks of the NHL, lots of talent, not a lot of Cups.

I'm not a baseball fan, but haven't the Yankees won like a ton of championships?

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

I'm not a baseball fan, but haven't the Yankees won like a ton of championships?

Yeah, they are the Montreal Canadiens of the MLB.

EDIT: Yanks have 26 championships.

Edited April 12, 2008 by Wings_Dynasty

[betterREDthandead 58]

Yeah, they are the Montreal Canadiens of the MLB.

EDIT: Yanks have 26 championships.

Which is far more impressive than the Canadiens' many Cups when you consider that baseball has had at least 16 teams since the beginning of modern record-keeping - the Habs, for most of their Cups, had only six to deal with.

Anyway, if you're gonna get mad about the Wings being compared to the Yankees, you gotta see what context. In some senses it's a compliment. I hate the Yankees as much as anyone, but they've been so consistently successful that it can't be all bad being mentioned in the same company. They're probably the world's premier baseball club, and I consider the Wings the same in hockey.

[lfd250 1]

I'm not a baseball fan, but haven't the Yankees won like a ton of championships?

True, but we live in an era of what have you done lately.

[Kira 451]

The Red Wings and the yankees should NEVER be used in the same sentence.

Not unless there is a negative between them.

Let's see, I think I heard we're playing 12 draft choices on our team this year... that doesn't sound like a team that goes out and buys their Cups. I mean, if you want a team that is trying to buy their way to a Cup, you need look no farther than the Rangers or the Flyers.

This "Yankees of the NHL" is pure bullcrap.

Now, there is another little thing you might have missed, but it's food for thought. Sports Illustrated recently did a poll among hockey players and asked which coach they would most like to play for. The majority answer - Mike Babcock. Players would give anything to be a Red Wing before their careers are over. That should tell you something.

[Millertime 0]

I prefer to think of us as the Patriots of the NHL. I think it fits the best.

Are you calling the Wings a bunch of cheaters?

[glasgowcelticwing 18]

Not unless there is a negative between them.

Let's see, I think I heard we're playing 12 draft choices on our team this year... that doesn't sound like a team that goes out and buys their Cups. I mean, if you want a team that is trying to buy their way to a Cup, you need look no farther than the Rangers or the Flyers.

This "Yankees of the NHL" is pure bullcrap.

Now, there is another little thing you might have missed, but it's food for thought. Sports Illustrated recently did a poll among hockey players and asked which coach they would most like to play for. The majority answer - Mike Babcock. Players would give anything to be a Red Wing before their careers are over. That should tell you something.

Totally agree with you Kira. the only thing that links the Red Wings and the Yankees are the fact that they are both very rich franchise's in their own right . apart from that they are poles apart . the Wings success's have always been built from within with a few addition's to strengthen them . only the Cup in '02 could maybe be considered as being "baught". but even then that one had all those home grown players in it too. were as the Yankees have always baught success. there are no comparison's between the Yankees and the Red Wings.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

We are the Yanks of the NHL, lots of talent, not a lot of Cups. However if they are saying it because of Money, that's kind of funny due to the arena we play in has dirt floors ( I kid) But think about it and take it as a compliment.

Our owner cares about the team

We have our own plane

Our fans LOVE our team and hates anyone who doesn't.

We don't accept failure or second place

The common folk can't afford to go (for Osgod)

See both teams are alike.

Are you talking recent years, or overall? Because winning 10 Stanley Cups, even though Montreal has won a lot more, is still plenty to me.

I take it as a compliment as well. I don't really care if people aren't considering it is a salary cap era. Just shows that more often than not the Wings consistently know how to win a lot more than other teams.