koala

I'm so excited that the NHL is going to go forward for 05-06. I know a lot of people are pissed about the whole lock out, but I really feel they solved a TON of issues in the CBA, and that the game will be even more exciting to watch now.

Some of the things I'm really excited to see:

-No more centre line (two line passes permitted)
-Offensive zones have been made 4' larger (net is 2' closer to the boards), shortening the neutral zone by 4' as well
"The Tag-up Rule" will permit play to continue if offensive players who preceded the puck into the zone return to the blue line and "tag" it.
-Shootout after OT

-8 games against each team in division
-4 games against each of the 10 non-division clubs in conference
-10 games total against other conference, all against one division (2 against each of the 5 in that division)

Also, Pittsburgh won the lottery and gets to select first... so they'll get Crosby. I wonder what him and Lemieux can do together...

4doorj

i like this

FormerH22a4

It is too bad really. Hockey should have died for good, greedy bastards!

koala

I know everyone thinks that pro athletes are greedy, but think about it like this.

Let's assume they cap every pro athlete at $1,000,000 per season.

Let's also assume that they keep ticket prices the same, because people will pay the current prices without much issue.

Let's also sell all the merchandise at current pricing, because it sells so well.

At the end of the season we'd have 700 NHL'ers taking in 600 million of the 9.4 billion generated annually by the NHL.

Without them we'd have no sport... so what's wrong with them taking approximately half of all revenue?

Seems fair to me..

max_boost

It's only acceptable in professional sports, if my employees demanded half of my revenues, I tell them to go to hell! haha

Anyway, nice to have hockey back. It'll be interesting to see if Sidney Crosby lives up to all this hype. A healthy Lemieux + Crosby + Marc Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh might surprise a few teams this year.

koala

flames signed iginla for $7m a year (jesus!)
got amonte and mccarty as well.

oilers got pronger.

this is becomming very interesting.

LUV2REV

I really like the team Sutter is putting together. Amonte will nicely fill the shoes of the vacated Martin Gelinas (I will miss Gelinas, total class act) and McCarty will add some grit and toughness and is a much better hockey player than Oliwa was. Daymond Langkow will also be a good replacement for Craig Conroy. Can't wait for the season to start !! Edmonton gave up 3 player's to acquire Chris Pronger and namely Eric Brewer who is a stellar D-man IMO. Calgary still has a far more imposing defence core.

koala

I agree. Calgary really is putting together a nice team. Word is that Calgary is also going to sign scott neidermayer today. That would be HUGE.

Monkei

Vancouver will be signing Niedermeyer today , especially now that they signed Naslund to a 3-year, $18 million contract. If they don't get Niedermeyer, I hope they get Forsberg (Vancouver that is)

Congrats to all you Prairie Redliners... Pronger is a great pic, and will be exciting to watch (even though I hate Edmonchuck)

koala

as long as vancouver or calgary gets him, i'm happy.

but it better be calgary.