Las Vegas Nevada, Sin City, home to the mob, casinos, showgirls and...hockey? No, you have had too many complementary cocktails, the NHL is setting up shop in Nevada. Starting in the 2017-18 season the city will see it's first major franchise settle in among the bright lights.
Logically it would have made a lot more sense to move the financial black hole that is the Coyotes out of Arizona but the $500 million dollar expansion fee the league was able to charge changed minds quicker than your paycheck vanishing at Caesar's Palace. Money talks, and few cities know this better, but the fact is the league isn't necessarily better off for it. Sure they've added a lot of money in the short term by doing so, and can pat themselves on the back for being the first major professional franchise in Vegas but what happens when nobody cares anymore?
Vegas has seen a ton of shows in its day and plenty of them close early. Is the NHL destined to follow? Sure it's shiny and new now and they've sold a lot of tickets up front but is this sustainable? Is there enough of a local fan base to keep the seats stuffed? How many of these tickets will just be handed out as a promotional tool or gift for patrons who couldn't care less, or may just not go at all? How much interest is there in hockey in one of the entertainment capitals of the world? Will it get lost among the proverbial shuffle (Fitting as it would be here) And perhaps the biggest question is what happens if there's competition from oh, say a little league we like to call the NFL! The biggest thing in American sport is looking to set up stakes in the desert (possibly relocating the nomadic Oakland Raiders) and if that happens hockey will be pushed well into the background.
The NHL will have an expansion draft after next season and while the league has instituted some new rules to help ensure the team will not be totally devoid of talent, if it's not competitive is it really going to stick? And does the league have the pucks to admit it's wrong if it doesn't? Gary Bettman has made it his mission to expand into new, 'non-traditional' hockey markets and the results have hardly hit the jackpot. The league has numerous franchises losing money in these markets and if they're not careful all they've done is dumped more fuel on that fire. The tentative name for the Vegas team is the Black Knights, here's hoping they don't have to fall on their own sword...
Showing posts with label Las Vegas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Las Vegas. Show all posts
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
The Case for Conor
Breaking into any professional league is hard, never mind doing it with a floundering organization who all but sanctified you as the next one from the moment they won the #1 pick, yet again...
Conor McDavid's first NHL season was, unfortunately, cut short by injury but when he was healthy there was certainly no more dynamic rookie, hell, maybe even few other players, in the league. He averaged over a point a game (48pts. in 45 gms) and gave Oilers fans little doubt that this kid is going to be special.
And that's where the Calder conversation should focus. On what he accomplished at such a young age especially considering what he had around him. At 18 years old he was the best player on his team and many nights the best on the ice regardless. He possesses dynamic, game changing skill and speed, was a constant threat whenever he was on the ice, the focus of most opponents and I repeat is only 18!
The man many consider the favourite to take home the Calder trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year is Chicago Blackhawks forward Artemi Panari. And man would be the right word. He's 24 years old has has been playing professionally in Russia for years. While many may argue that the KHL isn't the NHL and that Panari put up very solid numbers this season (77pts in 80gms) he was doing so alongside the league's leading scorer in Patrick Kane, on one of the deepest and most successful teams in the league. The talent level around him on this perennial powerhouse was far superior not to mention he's been doing this for years at a professional level. 24 of those points were on the Power Play alongside a virtual All Star lineup. I understand it takes time to adjust to a new league and moreover a new culture here in North America, but bringing in a guy who is already well seasoned and giving him the edge over a true rookie is a load.
Sergi Makarov won the Calder with Calgary Flames in 1989 at the age of 31 and the rules where subsequently changed so that you now had to be under 26 to qualify for the trophy. A lot has changed since then, (Nirvana (sadly) no longer tops the charts) and the mindset of the voters should as well. It was rare that young players had the impact they do today with the obvious exceptions of top level talent like Conor McDavid. The league is getting younger and faster and while none of that is Panarin's fault awarding him over McDavid would seem to ignore this.
Other talented youngsters like the Philadelphia Flyers Shayne Gostisbehere are Buffalo Sabres Jack Eichel are among the young crop of stars to carry their team at a young age and are certainly worth of consideration as well but that if you look at impact and overall performance McDavid showed he is in a class of his own. Just ask yourself this, is there anyone of these players you'd trade for him straight up?
I realize that's forward thinking and not relative to the season past but when he was healthy McDavid was named rookie of the month for all three months he was eligible. He had more points per game than any rookie as well. This wasn't a small sample size either. He played over half the season and while he numbers may not have continued at that rate over a full 82 game schedule, it's doubtful they would have dropped off to the point where he wasn't in the hunt for leading scorer among rookies. He has talent around him (ie. Taylor Hall,) and the difference was he elevated that talent more so than his fellow nominees. We all knew what Patrick Kane could do, but Jordan Eberle put up stellar numbers along side McDavid as a direct impact of playing alongside him. His vision and puck handling ability allow him to control the game at an incredibly high level and create opportunities for whoever is on his line. He played center in the extremely physical and demanding Western Conference against much larger opponents and proved he has what it takes.
It's likely that this is all a mute point as the NHL Awards are in Las Vegas tomorrow night and that votes have already been tabulated but even if he doesn't win I can't imagine there's anyone out there who believes he's not going to be the best of this bunch.
Conor McDavid's first NHL season was, unfortunately, cut short by injury but when he was healthy there was certainly no more dynamic rookie, hell, maybe even few other players, in the league. He averaged over a point a game (48pts. in 45 gms) and gave Oilers fans little doubt that this kid is going to be special.
And that's where the Calder conversation should focus. On what he accomplished at such a young age especially considering what he had around him. At 18 years old he was the best player on his team and many nights the best on the ice regardless. He possesses dynamic, game changing skill and speed, was a constant threat whenever he was on the ice, the focus of most opponents and I repeat is only 18!
The man many consider the favourite to take home the Calder trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year is Chicago Blackhawks forward Artemi Panari. And man would be the right word. He's 24 years old has has been playing professionally in Russia for years. While many may argue that the KHL isn't the NHL and that Panari put up very solid numbers this season (77pts in 80gms) he was doing so alongside the league's leading scorer in Patrick Kane, on one of the deepest and most successful teams in the league. The talent level around him on this perennial powerhouse was far superior not to mention he's been doing this for years at a professional level. 24 of those points were on the Power Play alongside a virtual All Star lineup. I understand it takes time to adjust to a new league and moreover a new culture here in North America, but bringing in a guy who is already well seasoned and giving him the edge over a true rookie is a load.
Sergi Makarov won the Calder with Calgary Flames in 1989 at the age of 31 and the rules where subsequently changed so that you now had to be under 26 to qualify for the trophy. A lot has changed since then, (Nirvana (sadly) no longer tops the charts) and the mindset of the voters should as well. It was rare that young players had the impact they do today with the obvious exceptions of top level talent like Conor McDavid. The league is getting younger and faster and while none of that is Panarin's fault awarding him over McDavid would seem to ignore this.
Other talented youngsters like the Philadelphia Flyers Shayne Gostisbehere are Buffalo Sabres Jack Eichel are among the young crop of stars to carry their team at a young age and are certainly worth of consideration as well but that if you look at impact and overall performance McDavid showed he is in a class of his own. Just ask yourself this, is there anyone of these players you'd trade for him straight up?
I realize that's forward thinking and not relative to the season past but when he was healthy McDavid was named rookie of the month for all three months he was eligible. He had more points per game than any rookie as well. This wasn't a small sample size either. He played over half the season and while he numbers may not have continued at that rate over a full 82 game schedule, it's doubtful they would have dropped off to the point where he wasn't in the hunt for leading scorer among rookies. He has talent around him (ie. Taylor Hall,) and the difference was he elevated that talent more so than his fellow nominees. We all knew what Patrick Kane could do, but Jordan Eberle put up stellar numbers along side McDavid as a direct impact of playing alongside him. His vision and puck handling ability allow him to control the game at an incredibly high level and create opportunities for whoever is on his line. He played center in the extremely physical and demanding Western Conference against much larger opponents and proved he has what it takes.
It's likely that this is all a mute point as the NHL Awards are in Las Vegas tomorrow night and that votes have already been tabulated but even if he doesn't win I can't imagine there's anyone out there who believes he's not going to be the best of this bunch.
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