NHL Predictions 2012-13, with a twist

It's not looking great, but summer's ending, and I would like to hear some opinions, informed or uninformed about the good old hockey game.

Here's the shell:

1. There will/will not be a lockout. If there is, it will be resolved by (DATE). Regular-season games will resume on (DATE) and teams will play a (#)-game schedule.

2. The franchise currently known as the Phoenix Coyotes will be playing home games in (CITY) on Jan. 1, 2015.

3. The franchise currently known as the New York Islanders will be playing home games in (CITY) on Jan. 1, 2015.

4. On Jan. 1, 2015, there will be (#) teams in the league, and the commissioner will/will not be named Gary Bettman.

(Almost forgot my best one)

5. Ron will open the first Hockey Night in Canada of the season by solemnly quoting the lyrics of (OBSCURE CANADIAN BAND).

 

1. There WILL be a lockout. It will be settled by mid-November, in order to salvage the HBO Special and the Winter Classic.
Training camp will be a week, 10 days maximum.
2. The Phoenix Coyotes will be playing in Quebec City in Jan. 2015,
3. The New York Islanders will be playing in Seattle in Jan, 2015.
4. The NHL will continue to have 30 teams.
5. Depending on how the settlement is structured, Gary Bettman will continue to be the commissioner of the National Hockey League. If he gets slickered badly by Donald Fehr and the union, he'll be Bob Goodenowed in a heartbeat; Bill Daly will take over an interim basis, and Ken Dryden will take over as the league's commissioner.

 

1. There WILL be a lockout. If there is, it will be resolved by Dec. 15, 2012. Regular-season games will resume on Jan. 1, 2013 (Winter Classic.... everyone else starts Jan. 2) and teams will play a 54-game schedule.

2. The franchise currently known as the Phoenix Coyotes will be playing home games in Glendale, Arizona on Jan. 1, 2015.

3. The franchise currently known as the New York Islanders will be playing home games in Hamilton, Ontario on Jan. 1, 2015.

4. On Jan. 1, 2015, there will be 30 teams in the league, and the commissioner WILL be named Gary Bettman. Mike Emrick will retire from broadcasting and be named assistant commissioner.

5. YES, NHL players will participate in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

 

1. Totally a lockout, but I agree, there'll be a Winter Classic.

2. Say hello to the Seattle Coyotes ... or another name ... and

3. Your Quebec City Islanders!

4. 30 teams and they all move to Canada

5. Cancer Bats

 

If there's a lockout, start the games on January 2. That way we won't have to put up with another hype bloated Winter Classic.

If this charade of a game is a go and since it's the Leafs vs the Wings, the steady stream of unbearable bullshit will begin in the Toronto media around October 1

 

We get it dude. You don't like the Winter Classic.

Fact is, it's better than the All-Star Game. Damn dude, lighten up a bit. Anything that sells tickets and exposure for the NHL probably isn't a bad thing.

 

1. There will be a lockout. If there is, it will be resolved by Halloween. Regular-season games will resume on (US) Thanksgiving weekend and teams will play a 72-game schedule.

2. The franchise currently known as the Phoenix Coyotes will be playing home games in Markham, Ont. on Jan. 1, 2015.

3. The franchise currently known as the New York Islanders will be playing home games in Brooklyn on Jan. 1, 2015.

4. On Jan. 1, 2015, there will be 30 teams in the league, and the commissioner will not be named Gary Bettman.

(Almost forgot my best one)

5. Ron will open the first Hockey Night in Canada of the season by solemnly quoting the lyrics of Anne Murray.

Beneath it's snowy mantle cold and clean,
The unborn grass lies waiting for its coat to turn to green.
The snowbird sings the song he always sings,
And speaks to me of flowers that will bloom again in spring...

 

What the hell does a corporate schmoozefest like the All-Star Game have to do with a regular season game played outdoors in the worst possible conditions?

I'd be happy if the league got rid of the All-Star game and replaced it with this fraudulent outdoor game as long as it didn't count in the standings.

The "roots of the game" angle is so old and so tired.

 

Winter Classic (or Heritage Classic) is a novelty act. They tried it and fans liked it, both in person and TV.

Sure, you can overdo it. But one (or maybe two) games per year? The league needs the exposure, the players seem to like it. I can't fault the league for doing either an outdoor game or an all-star game.

 

1. There will be a lockout. If there is, it will be resolved by Dec. 7. Regular-season games will resume on Jan. 1 and teams will play a 48-game schedule. If they play one at all.

2. The franchise currently known as the Phoenix Coyotes will be playing home games in Quebec City on Jan. 1, 2015.

3. The franchise currently known as the New York Islanders will be playing home games in Markham on Jan. 1, 2015.

4. On Jan. 1, 2015, there will be 30 teams in the league, and the commissioner will be named Gary Bettman -- he has made the owners far too much money.

(Almost forgot my best one)

5. Ron will open the first Hockey Night in Canada of the season by solemnly quoting the lyrics of Great Big Sea's When I'm up (I can't get down).

 

Front page of today's Toronto Sun? Randy Carlyle has ordered renos to the Leafs' dressing room. Yes, this is news - front fucking page! - in Toronto!

 

1. Will be a lockout, which will be resolved in Dec. There will be a Winter Classic to open the season, with an awful lot of network slobbering about how, no matter the labor troubles, hockey always goes back to its roots.

2. Coyotes will be playing in Quebec City in 2015 as the Nordiques, thereby confusing many people who like to follow team histories.

3. Islanders will be playing in Brooklyn in 2015.

4. 30 teams, and Bettman stays as commish.

5. Not an obscure Canadian band. He'll quote Bryan Adams.