Official Hockey discussion thread

They will, either elsewhere on the island (Brooklyn, maybe), or by having a new owner, or when the lease on the NC expires in 2015.

The point is that the financial base (fans, corporations, NYC in general) is too significant for the team to be uprooted.  If the Canadiens or Leafs were stuck in a bad lease, that wouldn't mean they'd leave.  The Penguins used the threat of moving to Kansas City to secure a new arena, but no one seriously considered that they'd actually leave (similar to the Oilers mulling over this tactic).  It's different than other circumstances (like Winnipeg, originally, or Phoenix, now) where there were issues with the city/area being able to support the team financially.  That's a problem that's much more worrying to owners and investors, and a lot more difficult to fix.
 
Meh, that didn't stop other clubs from moving, like Hartford or the North Stars... If the Island can't agree on a deal, they will move or like Pittsburgh, threaten to do so to get a deal in the mix. I still think they will move, because 4 cups in the 80's aside, recent teams and management have been a complete circus.
 
Gees, it maybe the NHL's offseason, but players keep cropping up dead... Wade Belak is the latest,

Belak's passing is the third player death in five months. Winnipeg Jets forward Rick Rypien passed away 16 days earlier and New York Rangers forward Derek Boogaard died May 13. Rypien waged a well-documented battle with depression during his playing career and Boogard died from an accidental toxic mix of alcohol and oxycodone.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=587564
 
That was the news on NHL.com as well... Do we even know what happened to Rypen? the article said Mounted police found him dead in his apartment and ruled it "non-suspicious," but nothing since. Boogard was "accidental overdose" and now belak commits suicide... freaking tragic. A lot of players dying WAY before their time it seems... for the last few years too... so sad.
 
Yeah, the reporters were pretty circumspect about it, but it was pretty clear he took his own life.
Suicides are usually handled that way by the media kid gloves, unless you're talking a celebrity.
Not sure why they have been more open about it with Belak.
BTW, my brother-in-law worked with Rypien's dad.
 
I legitimately feel horrible :(.... I have no idea why, it's not like I knew them personally or even professionally, they were role players, but for whatever reason I feel like it was my brother who took his own life.
 
Yeah man, suicide is a jagged pill... it's become an epidemic, but it's very often hushed up or tiptoed around. Hell of a thing to deal with for those that are left behind...
 
The plane carrying the KHL's Lokomotiv Yaroslavl has crashed today; 36 dead, including former NHL players Ruslan Salei, Pavol Demitra, Josef Vasichek, and Karel Rachunek.
 
Terrible. Again in Russia....

(fragment of BBC news article)

43 out of 45 dead.

Two people survived with serious injuries after the disaster, which saw the jet burst into flames shortly after leaving an airport near the city. It appears many of the team were aboard, heading to Belarus for the season's first match. Russian reports suggest the jet may have struck a radio mast.

Witnesses saw it burst into flames shortly after taking off from the airport, about 250km (160 miles) north-east of Moscow.

A number of foreign citizens were killed, including the team's Canadian coach, Brad McKinnon, and Swedish goalie Stefan Liv. Russian player Alexander Galimov survived the crash with 80% burns along with a member of the crew. Russian media briefly reported the player had died of his injuries, but a medical source later told the Russian news website Sovetsky Sport he was still alive.
 
Never saw a hockey game in my life, but this is terrible :( Reminds me a lot of that Manchester United plane accident in the 60's (or 70's, don't remember).
 
Or the Marshall football team (1970, depicted in the movie We Are Marshall) .. anyway, horrible news, not sure what else to say.  There have been a lot of tragedies this off season.
 
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