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The NHL thread

WalkerboyUK

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2009
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Oh, yeah, you need the proper apparel - hats, gloves, scarves, and hip-flask with a wee nip in.

I don't find it quite that cold. I had forgotten how chilly it was though so told the wife and kids they'd be fine in a jumper..... :oops:
Winter coats came out this time though.
 

WalkerboyUK

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2009
21,658
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NHL preseason gets underway today.
Currently watching Toronto v Ottawa.

World Cup of Hockey has also been taking place, with some rather interesting results so far.
 

WalkerboyUK

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2009
21,658
23,476
Season started last night.
Watched the first period of Ottawa v Toronto.
Stunning NHL debut for 19 yr old Auston Matthews - 4 goals for Toronto. 2nd goal was stunning!
 

Shea

Well-Known Member
Apr 5, 2013
7,711
10,930
Season started last night.
Watched the first period of Ottawa v Toronto.
Stunning NHL debut for 19 yr old Auston Matthews - 4 goals for Toronto. 2nd goal was stunning!
Are you American or ever lived in America or did you get in to NHL Hockey while purely over here? (through the MK team?)
 

WalkerboyUK

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2009
21,658
23,476
Are you American or ever lived in America or did you get in to NHL Hockey while purely over here? (through the MK team?)

Always had a mild interest, but first game was MK last year.
Am now somewhat hooked, although probably only getting to one MK game per month.
Sportsmania on Kodi means I can watch pretty much any NHL game live, but unlike Baseball, the games all tend to be 7pm US time starts which is a ball ache.
Will be tuning in for the Winter Classic on the 23rd though.
 

Shea

Well-Known Member
Apr 5, 2013
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10,930
Always had a mild interest, but first game was MK last year.
Am now somewhat hooked, although probably only getting to one MK game per month.
Sportsmania on Kodi means I can watch pretty much any NHL game live, but unlike Baseball, the games all tend to be 7pm US time starts which is a ball ache.
Will be tuning in for the Winter Classic on the 23rd though.
I've never really known anyone in the UK (and purely from the UK) who was a fan of Ice Hockey, most likely because it's never really been accessible to us on tv etc (that I know of anyway)

With the pretty big and growing popularity of US sports like NFL and NBA over here I'm quite surprised NHL isn't making more waves too

I've only ever really watched it in the winter olympics but it always seems like quite an exciting sport (and I used to have an EA sports game on the Megadrive as a kid so I'm practically a connoisseur)
 

WalkerboyUK

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2009
21,658
23,476
I've never really known anyone in the UK (and purely from the UK) who was a fan of Ice Hockey, most likely because it's never really been accessible to us on tv etc (that I know of anyway)

With the pretty big and growing popularity of US sports like NFL and NBA over here I'm quite surprised NHL isn't making more waves too

I've only ever really watched it in the winter olympics but it always seems like quite an exciting sport (and I used to have an EA sports game on the Megadrive as a kid so I'm practically a connoisseur)

That's the key element...
It's constantly end to end, high speed, high impact. Once you've been to a game, there's nothing that competes with it.
We've always sat right above the player benches at MK, which is a bit of a laugh and gives you a bit more insight into what's going on.
I took my 10 yr old son the first time I went, although he had been with his sister and my parents before.
On a whim I also convinced my wife to come along one time and she loved it!!
We were considering season tickets, but it's a lot to commit to.
 

yankspurs

Enic Out
Aug 22, 2013
41,884
71,188
Henrik Lundqvist is good again. 400 career wins. Fastest ever. Simply incredible.

Gotta get a defensemen though at the deadline. Would LOVE Shattenkirk but that wont happen.
 

danielneeds

Kick-Ass
May 5, 2004
24,179
48,764
I've never really known anyone in the UK (and purely from the UK) who was a fan of Ice Hockey, most likely because it's never really been accessible to us on tv etc (that I know of anyway)

With the pretty big and growing popularity of US sports like NFL and NBA over here I'm quite surprised NHL isn't making more waves too

I've only ever really watched it in the winter olympics but it always seems like quite an exciting sport (and I used to have an EA sports game on the Megadrive as a kid so I'm practically a connoisseur)
NHL has suffered from poor to diabolical marketing compared to the NFL and NBA. Viewing figures have been going down for years in the US and only really staying strong in Canada.

I've always had an interest because my dad was born in Ottawa and my grandfather played in the NHL before coming to England and playing for Haringay in the late 50s and early 60s.

I'd say that watching the game in the flesh it is very dynamic and you can feel the impact of the hits. On TV some people get turned off because it can be difficult to follow the puck.
 

EJWTartanSpur

SC Supporter
Jan 29, 2011
4,805
10,087
Well the Wings are finally tanking. 25 years of trying to rebuild on the fly with no high draft picks has finally caught up to them, allied with some poor long term contracts that Holland signed such as Abdelkader, Glendenning, Helm etc.

Bit of a shame that it's occurring in the last ever season in the Joe Louis Arena, but in today's salary cap era, the Red Wings desperately need some high end talent from drafts in the next couple of years

I know plenty of ice hockey fans in Scotland, but maybe that's more the case because I played field hockey all my life and an interest appreciation in the sports seem to go hand in hand.

The point about poor marketing is definitely correct though. And perhaps the slight difficulty in novices being able to always follow the puck effectively when watching. Just a thought.

American football is my favourite US sport, but I always feel it's a sport that's sometimes not as good live as it is on tv in some ways. Ice hockey is kind of the reverse. Watching it live can't be beaten, being able to see th skill, physicality and speed in confined small quarters lends itself to first hand viewing
 

Spurger King

can't smile without glue
Jul 22, 2008
43,881
95,147
I love ice hockey. Such a shame it doesn't get better coverage in the UK.

I took the time to learn the rules and work out what was going on. If I ever move to Canada I'll be getting a season ticket.
 

MattPhilpott

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2013
844
3,176
Over the last 2 and a half years I have managed to get into the NHL and am now mad for it! Been to watch a few games in England here, been to Sheffield a few times, however me and one of my best friends went travelling around Canada and managed to get tickets to see the Cannucks play the Sharks. I have to say that I would almost take live hockey over live football. The intensity and skill involved is simply exhilerating, such a shame it doesn't get more coverage over here:(
 

WalkerboyUK

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2009
21,658
23,476
Went to the league cup final 2nd leg between MK Lightning & Peterborough Phantoms on Saturday.
Bit of a bizarre set up though - 2 legs, but no aggregate score. Peterborough won the first leg 2-1 and were awarded 2 points for the win. Therefore to have any hope of winning the cup MK had to win in normal time, just to even it up to 2 points each, thereby forcing sudden death over-time and potentially a shoot-out. Made no difference if it was 1-0 or 6-0, it would still only force over-time.
Capacity crowd of around 2,500 at the game, which saw MK win 3-0 in regulation time.
Overtime was 3-on-3 which is amazing to watch as it opens up completely.
No further scoring, so it went to a shoot-out with the Lightning winning 1-0 to take their first silverware in 9 years.
Absolutely belting atmosphere and plenty of niggle between the two teams throughout the game.
Woke up with a majorly hoarse voice....

Now onto the league play-offs, and then next season they're competing with Britain's finest teams in the Elite league.

The wife's tempted to buy season tickets!
 

LSUY

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2005
24,010
66,826
Bumping this with news that live NHL games along with highlights of the non-televised games will now be on free to air TV. FreeSports (Freeview, TalkTalk and BT on channel 95, Sky on 424 and FreeSat on 252) will be showing Florida @ Tampa tomorrow night. They are also showing Nottingham and Cardiff's matches in the Champions Hockey League.
 

'O Zio

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2014
7,405
13,785
Impressive start so far for the Hawks. They need to have a good season after the shitshow in "Smashville" last season.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
39,885
62,564
Rangers up shit creek to start with - Zuccarello's on fire but they cannot defend for toffee.
 

fortworthspur

Well-Known Member
Nov 12, 2007
11,244
17,536
NHL has suffered from poor to diabolical marketing compared to the NFL and NBA. Viewing figures have been going down for years in the US and only really staying strong in Canada.

I've always had an interest because my dad was born in Ottawa and my grandfather played in the NHL before coming to England and playing for Haringay in the late 50s and early 60s.

I'd say that watching the game in the flesh it is very dynamic and you can feel the impact of the hits. On TV some people get turned off because it can be difficult to follow the puck.

that and the 2004 strike just killed them. The last season before that EVERY single play-off game was broadcast on ESPN. They were really taking off. When they resumed I think the Versus network broadcast a few play-off games a week. They have never recovered.
 

'O Zio

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2014
7,405
13,785
that and the 2004 strike just killed them. The last season before that EVERY single play-off game was broadcast on ESPN. They were really taking off. When they resumed I think the Versus network broadcast a few play-off games a week. They have never recovered.

Yeah it doesn't get the airtime of other sports unfortunately. The games are still broadcast but here in the states they almost never talk about hockey on any of the sports shows unless something really noteworthy has happened. Even here in Chicago where hockey is very popular, it just doesn't get as much airtime outside of the game broadcasts so presumably in non-traditional markets it never gets mentioned at all unless the team are in the stanley cup finals
 
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