We Up For The Cup: Official 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread

[staticshock]

What suggestions would you have on hoe The League could expand marketability and popularity? Also for a casual fan like myself, can you explain what you mean by this "new golden age" of superstars? Who are they or what teams are they?

These are my favorites



Tage Thompson- Buffalo Sabres. probably my favorite player right now..dude is like 6’6 and is a fukkin monster man. The shyt he does at his size is amazing. He didn’t come into the league hot..he found something the past couple of years & has been almost unstoppable



Trevor Zegras- Anaheim Ducks. Not the best player but he plays with attitude & flare & it pisses some folks off..equivalent of old ass cacs who follow baseball being mad at young, flashy players who make the game fun.






Conner McDavid- Edmonton Oilers..doesn’t have the hardware yet but he may be the most skilled player of all time. Nobody thought anyone would ever get close to Gretzky but if anyone has a chance it’s McDavid. His issue is he doesn’t have a personality..


Leon Draisaitl- Edmonton Oilers..McDavid’s running mate. Another beast who is top 2-6 depending on who you ask



K’Andre Miller- New York Rangers..he’s a defenseman meaning his job is to protect his team’s zone instead of scoring. He isn’t top 5 yet but he’s black & his name is K’Andre gotta support the breh. Although his job isn’t to score, he probably had the best goal of the regular season



Those are just my favorites but you also have Robertson in Dallas, Matthew Tkachuck who just scored one of best playoff goals of all time tonight to knock out Carolina, MacKinnon, Makar & Rantanen in Colorado, Auston Matthews & Mitch Marner in Toronto, the Hughes bros (Jack Hughes in New Jersey & Quinn Hughes in Vancouver). Both super young and among the best at their positions in the league.

Then you still have Crosby in Pittsburgh & Ovi in Washington still putting up great numbers although both of em are damn near 40.

The game is in great hands talent wise. Just up to the league to put these guys up front and market the game better.

A lot of the complaints I see online is hockey gear is expensive as hell & is turning into some AAU shyt. It’s hard to grow a game when a ton of kids can’t afford the equipment to play with. Idk what the nhl can do..idk if they can make companies lower prices & idk if they have the financial resources to put rinks in places without NHL teams to grow it in different markets.

My love for hockey started before we had (and lost) our pro team in Atlanta. I saw a hockey book one day in my middle school library & checked it out since the nikka before me got the NBA book I wanted. But I went home, read it & was mesmerized by the pictures & history. I couldn’t even dream of playing hockey cause there are probably 3 ice rinks in metro Atlanta & they’re all on the rich side of town. All I could do was just watch & play video games. I would have loved to at least attempted to play as a kid but I still watch it to this day. Plus the NHL has the GOAT logos & jerseys out of every other pro sport.

 

[King Static X]

NHL is such a joke of a league. The league is entering a new golden age of superstars and they have no idea how to market any of them or make hockey "cool" to the younger generation. It doesn't have to be such a niche sport if the league was willing to invest in making it accessible and marketable

The NHL is bad at marketing, but a lot of things are out of their control or work against them.

It's hard to market to a wider audience, a league that is over 90%+ White men, primarily suited for cold weather, and very expensive to play (compared to the other popular sports leagues in North America).

 

[King Static X]

I said before nhl is blowing it not having a world cup or tourney of some sort

america actually has better players than canada overall

The World Cup of Hockey does exist, and it is organized by the NHL, but it's not held frequently (last one was in 2016). The NHL is trying to host one in 2025. I don't think that this tournament would generate much interest outside of hockey fans, though.

The IIHF World Championships, which are held every year, is essentially the "World Cup" of hockey. However, only the most diehard hockey fans care about it.

Also, the Winter Olympics exist, but the last time NHL players played at the Olympics was in 2014. The NHL says they'll be back in 2026. We'll see.

 

[MikelArteta]

The World Cup of Hockey does exist, and it is organized by the NHL, but it's not held frequently (last one was in 2016). The NHL is trying to host one in 2025. I don't think that this tournament would generate much interest outside of hockey fans, though.

The IIHF World Championships, which are held every year, is essentially the "World Cup" of hockey. However, only the most diehard hockey fans care about it.

Also, the Winter Olympics exist, but the last time NHL players played at the Olympics was in 2014. The NHL says they'll be back in 2026. We'll see.

yeah I know it does exist but it doesn't run on a fixed schedule. You have 1996 then 2014 then 2016 with some stupid team north america.

IIHF world championships is pathetic its held during the nhl playoffs so only guys who dont make it play and many times you're only getting 3rd and fourth liners.


Winter olympics again its been almost 10 years since nhl players suited up

Now compare to basketball fiba is every 4 years and olympics every 4 years

bring back teh canada cup best of 5 canada vs us

macdavid, mackinnon, crosby on one line vs the tkatchuk brothers and austun matthews

with cale makar and josh morrissey on d vs adam fox and quinn hughes

i remember the 2010 winter olympics that gold medal game drew like 30 mill

Canada's victory against Team USA in the Olympic gold-medal game Sunday night was the most-watched hockey game in the United States in 30 years. The game drew an average viewership of 27.6 million, making it the most-watched hockey broadcast since the U.S. team beat Finland to win gold at 1980 Olympics. That game drew 32.8 million fans and came on the heels of the historic U.S. win against the U.S.S.R. in the "Miracle on Ice" game.


and what did the nhl do?

BLOW IT

 

[MikelArteta]

The NHL is bad at marketing, but a lot of things are out of their control or work against them.

It's hard to market to a wider audience, a league that is over 90%+ White men, primarily suited for cold weather, and very expensive to play (compared to the other popular sports leagues in North America).

in the early nineties the nhl was gaining traction and extremely popular I remember that glowing puck on fox but every saturday fox was showing games. The nhl was almost at par with the nba then they blew it

 

[Regular_P]

These are my favorites



Tage Thompson- Buffalo Sabres. probably my favorite player right now..dude is like 6’6 and is a fukkin monster man. The shyt he does at his size is amazing. He didn’t come into the league hot..he found something the past couple of years & has been almost unstoppable



Trevor Zegras- Anaheim Ducks. Not the best player but he plays with attitude & flare & it pisses some folks off..equivalent of old ass cacs who follow baseball being mad at young, flashy players who make the game fun.






Conner McDavid- Edmonton Oilers..doesn’t have the hardware yet but he may be the most skilled player of all time. Nobody thought anyone would ever get close to Gretzky but if anyone has a chance it’s McDavid. His issue is he doesn’t have a personality..


Leon Draisaitl- Edmonton Oilers..McDavid’s running mate. Another beast who is top 2-6 depending on who you ask



K’Andre Miller- New York Rangers..he’s a defenseman meaning his job is to protect his team’s zone instead of scoring. He isn’t top 5 yet but he’s black & his name is K’Andre gotta support the breh. Although his job isn’t to score, he probably had the best goal of the regular season



Those are just my favorites but you also have Robertson in Dallas, Matthew Tkachuck who just scored one of best playoff goals of all time tonight to knock out Carolina, MacKinnon, Makar & Rantanen in Colorado, Auston Matthews & Mitch Marner in Toronto, the Hughes bros (Jack Hughes in New Jersey & Quinn Hughes in Vancouver). Both super young and among the best at their positions in the league.

Then you still have Crosby in Pittsburgh & Ovi in Washington still putting up great numbers although both of em are damn near 40.

The game is in great hands talent wise. Just up to the league to put these guys up front and market the game better.

A lot of the complaints I see online is hockey gear is expensive as hell & is turning into some AAU shyt. It’s hard to grow a game when a ton of kids can’t afford the equipment to play with. Idk what the nhl can do..idk if they can make companies lower prices & idk if they have the financial resources to put rinks in places without NHL teams to grow it in different markets.

My love for hockey started before we had (and lost) our pro team in Atlanta. I saw a hockey book one day in my middle school library & checked it out since the nikka before me got the NBA book I wanted. But I went home, read it & was mesmerized by the pictures & history. I couldn’t even dream of playing hockey cause there are probably 3 ice rinks in metro Atlanta & they’re all on the rich side of town. All I could do was just watch & play video games. I would have loved to at least attempted to play as a kid but I still watch it to this day. Plus the NHL has the GOAT logos & jerseys out of every other pro sport.

@murksiderock to add to this, go to a few games in person next season. Hockey is so much better in person and even if you just follow it from afar, you'll have a better appreciation for it afterwards.

Any matchup would be good since Carolina is a quality team but if you're able to pick whichever games you want, I'd say get tickets for Edmonton, Colorado and Toronto. Edmonton has McDavid; Colorado has MacKinnon and Makar; Toronto plays the most entertaining games in the league (assuming their roster doesn't change much).

 

[BucciMane]

2010-2011 Bruins would have swept every single one of these teams this playoff season. .

Definitely would have beaten the Canucks in three.

Best Stanley Cup winner in 20 years.

 

[BucciMane]

I miss Tim Thomas..

He should make the HOF.

 

[THEREALBRAND]

Vegas killed Dallas’ crowd early.

They about to be mad all night long

 

[Derek Lee]

I miss Tim Thomas..

He should make the HOF.

No, he shouldn't

 

[MikelArteta]

I miss Tim Thomas..

He should make the HOF.

Maga Tim Thomas

 

[BucciMane]

Maga Tim Thomas

I don't care if he's in a bunker or not..

 

[staticshock]

Ayo that was fukkin amazing


The concentration & hand-eye coordination needed for that is insane

 

[K-Apps]

 

[staticshock]

Random but I always wondered how the ref’s hands don’t get tore up from sticks during face offs