You gotta hear this....

[TimKerrFan12]

.....Toronto Maple Leafs making the playoffs is a top story on Canada's national news on CTV. Make me sick...I had to actually turn over the channel. Pathetic.

[brelic]

.....Toronto Maple Leafs making the playoffs is a top story on Canada's national news on CTV. Make me sick...I had to actually turn over the channel. Pathetic.

To me that;s just a sign that hockey is important in Canada. Which is a good thing

I'll take that over no coverage any day!

[flyercanuck]

@TimKerrFan12

Well it's been a decade!!

[canoli]

.....Toronto Maple Leafs making the playoffs is a top story on Canada's national news on CTV. Make me sick...I had to actually turn over the channel. Pathetic.

The Islanders are almost in - for the first time since I can't remember but it's been a long time...and here in NYC you wouldn't even know there's still a team out there. The Rangers are in midtown Manhattan and it's rare to see them even mentioned on the evening news (t.v.) or in the daily papers. If they are you get is the final score, maybe who got the GWer and if Lundqvist pitched a SO they'll mention that.

Hockey coverage, NHL coverage is a complete joke in NYC. Oh I understand it's all about the ad dollars and supply/demand. But meanwhile Bettman thinks he's done such a great job expanding the game in NA ... and yet here in the media capital of the east coast the NHL is still basically MIA.... just as it's always been.

[flyercanuck]

@canoli

He hasn't done a damn thing expanding hockey in Canada.

[canoli]

right. and I'm sure if you ask him it's because Canada doesn't need any expansion. He's so intent on ramming it down the throats of people in the South and out West in the U.S., people who've never seen outdoor ICE for chrissakes, let alone a hockey rink...and he's neglected Canadian cities that would embrace NHL hockey.

[TimKerrFan12]

@flyercanuck

Lol...wow 10 years. Being a fan of an "American" team, it bugs me how I have to watch hilights of all the Canadian teams and every time the playoffs or trade period or draft rolls around, I have to watch a summary of all the Canadian teams before you even get a mention about all the other NHL teams. Do they think all Canadians cheer for "Canadian" teams? See...I don't see this as the United States vs Canada when I watch these games. When we get into the playoffs you hear people say..."well I am going for Vancouver because they are a Canadian team". To me these are hockey clubs. It has nothing to do with Canada vs the United States. That iritates me when people make it that. I don't cheer for the Flyers because they are American. I cheer for the organization. I think their are more Canadians on the Flyers then some of the Canadian teams. Hell....the Red Wings are Team Europe. Wasn't the Flyers the last NHL club with all Canadians on the roster to win the Stanley Cup? Anywho...ok....I am done.

Edited April 21, 2013 by TimKerrFan12

[brelic]

The Islanders are almost in - for the first time since I can't remember but it's been a long time...and here in NYC you wouldn't even know there's still a team out there. The Rangers are in midtown Manhattan and it's rare to see them even mentioned on the evening news (t.v.) or in the daily papers. If they are you get is the final score, maybe who got the GWer and if Lundqvist pitched a SO they'll mention that.

Hockey coverage, NHL coverage is a complete joke in NYC. Oh I understand it's all about the ad dollars and supply/demand. But meanwhile Bettman thinks he's done such a great job expanding the game in NA ... and yet here in the media capital of the east coast the NHL is still basically MIA.... just as it's always been.

Wow, is coverage for the Rangers really that sparse in NYC? I figured it would be less than the other 3 major sports, but still visible.

[brelic]

@flyercanuck

Lol...wow 10 years. Being a fan of an "American" team, it bugs me how I have to watch hilights of all the Canadian teams and every time the playoffs or trade period or draft rolls around, I have to watch a summary of all the Canadian teams before you even get a mention about all the other NHL teams. Do they think all Canadians cheer for "Canadian" teams? See...I don't see this as the United States vs Canada when I watch these games. When we get into the playoffs you hear people say..."well I am going for Vancouver because they are a Canadian team". To me these are hockey clubs. It has nothing to do with Canada vs the United States. That iritates me when people make it that. I don't cheer for the Flyers because they are American. I cheer for the organization. I think their are more Canadians on the Flyers then some of the Canadian teams. Hell....the Red Wings are Team Europe. Wasn't the Flyers the last NHL with all Canadians on the roster to win the Stanley Cup? Anywho...ok....I am done.

I feel the exact same way! I just don't get it. A few years ago when we faced the Habs in the 3rd round, everyone around me was like "How can you cheer for an American team??". Dude, there are more Canadian players on the Flyers than the CANADIENS! Oh, the irony! Haha.

[canoli]

Wow, is coverage for the Rangers really that sparse in NYC? I figured it would be less than the other 3 major sports, but still visible.

I exaggerated a little bit but yes, it's common for days and even a week to go by (during the NHL season) where the only mention of the NHL is the box scores - if you can call them box scores...more like "the scores" is what they are. And the standings are in the paper every day but that's about it. Once in a blue moon the Rags or the Devils highlights will be on the 11 o'clock news.

So of course today the New York Times (!) makes a liar out of me, publishing a "feature" article on Rick Nash. Not a bad story actually, worth reading if you don't know much about him.

You may need to be a Times subscriber to read this...hopefully not.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/sports/hockey/with-rangers-rick-nash-works-to-fill-postseason-void.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130421&_r=0

[canoli]

I feel the exact same way! I just don't get it. A few years ago when we faced the Habs in the 3rd round, everyone around me was like "How can you cheer for an American team??". Dude, there are more Canadian players on the Flyers than the CANADIENS! Oh, the irony! Haha.

I think the single biggest difference (sports-wise) between the rest of the world and America is that we don't give a damn about pro soccer (football) at all. The rest of the world...hell you could take away their clean water before you take away their football teams. For 99% of the known world that's where all their national pride is when it comes to sports: football - except in Canada of course where it's hockey. Here in America we have neither. So we just don't come together that way. The closest thing we have is the Stupid Bowl every January. And that's a one-shot deal, over in a day.

For anyone that likes tennis - hardly anyone in the U.S. knows there is such a thing as Davis Cup or Fed Cup. In Europe and Russia - starting to hit East Asia now too - it is HUGE. People go to matches and stay all day cheering on their national team. I was just watching Fed Cup this morning online - Russia vs Slovakia and Italy vs Czech Republic. Even the BBC wasn't carrying it, I had to find Russian and Italian t.v. sites.

[Claude Monet]

@canoli

come out to Portland for a Timbers match! ; )

[brelic]

I exaggerated a little bit but yes, it's common for days and even a week to go by (during the NHL season) where the only mention of the NHL is the box scores - if you can call them box scores...more like "the scores" is what they are. And the standings are in the paper every day but that's about it. Once in a blue moon the Rags or the Devils highlights will be on the 11 o'clock news.

So of course today the New York Times (!) makes a liar out of me, publishing a "feature" article on Rick Nash. Not a bad story actually, worth reading if you don't know much about him.

You may need to be a Times subscriber to read this...hopefully not.

http://www.nytimes.c...h_20130421&_r=0

So for comparison sake, is it fair to say that NHL coverage is better in Philly than NYC? I'm guessing that Philly, Boston, Chicago (now, not 5 years ago), and Detroit would have good coverage? I guess there's just so much going on in NYC, and so many professional teams that hockey inevitably takes a back seat.

[Polaris922]

Thank God I live in Pittsburgh. Our sports coverage is exceptional. Even the lowly Pirates get pretty good coverage.

[aziz]

pointless insult to Pittsburgh. deleted. go Quakers.

Edited April 22, 2013 by aziz

[aziz]

So for comparison sake, is it fair to say that NHL coverage is better in Philly than NYC?

kind of? thing is, there is just the entire world going on in NYC, no one thing gets a saturation-level of coverage, you know? except the Yankees. beyond that, when everything else is competing with broadway and times square and the UN and wall street and china town being pissed at the subway system and crazy sh|t going on in Flatbush and everything else, no one thing gets particularly good coverage in NYC. just too much of everything happening there.

except the Yankees.

there are might be more hockey fans in NYC than anywhere else in the US, I dunno, but 2 million hockey fans is still only 25% of the population. just available-topic overload in that city. I don't remember hearing much about any sports at all when I lived there. except the Yankees.

Edited April 22, 2013 by aziz

[Polaris922]

pointless insult to Pittsburgh. deleted. go Quakers.

Haha! I got it anyway! But it's a very sports oriented city despite your misconceptions about it.

Honestly though some of my best hockey watching days were in Upstate New York. You could watch the Rangers, Sabres, Islanders, Devils, Bruins, Canadiens, Leafs... All the time. I went to the car to listen to Pens games on KDKA radio. I wish we'd had the Internet back then!

[ruxpin]

Maple Leafs and Islanders both going to the playoffs

BOTH NJ and Philly not going

Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes

The dead rising from the grave!

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

I mean, these things do tend to make the news.

[brelic]

Maple Leafs and Islanders both going to the playoffs

BOTH NJ and Philly not going

Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes

The dead rising from the grave!

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

I mean, these things do tend to make the news.

A Montreal-Toronto first round matchup would be epic. First round usually has the best series of the playoffs, and I think that would rank near the top. I think the LEafs would take that one in 6.

[flyercanuck]

@brelic

If price keeps playing like he has lately it's over in 4. And Reimer has been looking good.

[ruxpin]

I think the LEafs would take that one in 6.

I have to agree with that call, unless Leafs win it in a shorter series. I'm not impressed with the way Montreal has stumbled down the stretch and Toronto (gulp) has played well.

[brelic]

I have to agree with that call, unless Leafs win it in a shorter series. I'm not impressed with the way Montreal has stumbled down the stretch and Toronto (gulp) has played well.

Yeah, they're really struggling lately. The Habs better hope they can finish ahead of Boston.

[ruxpin]

Yeah, they're really struggling lately. The Habs better hope they can finish ahead of Boston.

Yeah. I'm kind of hoping they don't, though, just from a hockey standpoint. If I'm a Habs fan, I agree with that. But just from the perspective of a hockey fan with no horse in the race, Toronto v. Montreal > Toronto v. Boston (although the latter would still pit two original six teams against each other, it doesn't have the same attraction to me. Of course Montreal v. Boston would be a hoot, but that's not on the table as far as I can tell).

[ruxpin]

I tend to be a bit parochial with my hockey watching. When the Flyers are out, I tend to watch quite a bit less (actually, I've started watching even the Flyers a quite a bit less). I don't know if it's from years of growing up with ONLY being able to see the Flyers or what.

But I think even I would watch Toronto v. Montreal just for the spectacle of it.

Plus, watching the Leafs in the playoffs is kind of like staying up to watch Halley's Comet. It only happens rarely and I kind of would like to be able to say "yeah, I actually got to see them in the playoffs that one time."

[brelic]

I tend to be a bit parochial with my hockey watching. When the Flyers are out, I tend to watch quite a bit less (actually, I've started watching even the Flyers a quite a bit less). I don't know if it's from years of growing up with ONLY being able to see the Flyers or what.

But I think even I would watch Toronto v. Montreal just for the spectacle of it.

Plus, watching the Leafs in the playoffs is kind of like staying up to watch Halley's Comet. It only happens rarely and I kind of would like to be able to say "yeah, I actually got to see them in the playoffs that one time."

LOL, and you just *know* that JVR is going to fuel their playoff run, right?