Fantasy Hockey Draft Take 2

[notyoueither]

Ohh. They've made an improvement, just in time to lose the contract.

What a way to run a network. /Dave Hodge.

[Sparrowhawk]

/me ducks to avoid the flying pencil

[notyoueither]

The bit I really like is them threatening to never bid for the rights again if they lose them.

Good riddence to bad rubbish I say.

HNIC is a classic, but the CBC higher ups have been raping the NHL for revenue for years now, and telling the rest of the country outside of TO to go **** itself while they are doing it.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher
Looking at the recently release HNIC schedule...

I am SHOCKED. SHOCKED I TELL YOU. For every week but two, the first game is a Toronto game

Yeah, like why don't they show the game that starts in Vancouver at 7:30 PST before the game that starts at 7:30 EST in Toronto.

I tell ya it's a conspiracy.

And in other news, went to the Leafs Sens game on Wednesday. The funniest bit had to be Gill landing three hits on Neil's head, and Neil shrugging it off liek he was saying is that all you got?

[notyoueither]

I'd like to see more Sens and Habs, and they don't have to deprive people in TO of the Leafs to do it.

It's called modern broadcasting, and something that HNIC more than justifies by revenue.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Tingkai


Yeah, like why don't they show the game that starts in Vancouver at 7:30 PST before the game that starts at 7:30 EST in Toronto

Montreal plays the same time Toronto does, and we actually win sometimes...

[Tingkai]

Let's see, should they show a Leafs game and get lots of viewers or a Sens or Canadiens game and get fewer viewers.

It's called basic business sense and the reason HNIC has lots of revenue is because it gets lots of viewers for those Leafs game.

[notyoueither]

No, it's called broadcasting technology. They do it in the playoffs.

You could put the Hamilton Bulldogs on the first game of HNIC and get good ratings outside of Toronto. This is not a fascination with the Leafs anywhere other than in TO and the executive suite of the CBC.

There are far more Habs fans West of Thunder Bay than the Leafs ever dreamt of having. It would be nice to watch the Habs in English from time to time other than when they play Toronto.

I'm actually looking forward to a private enterprise taking over the NHL broadcasts in Canada. One that has to consider actual viewer preferences in order to make their investment pay and not simply use cheapskate production values of a national icon to pay the bills for other bilge.

[notyoueither]

Oh, and the Sens would outdraw anyone, anywhere, this year.

They should be on TV 42 times, not another group of geriatric has beens bought into Toronto.

[Ninot]

That's not fair NYE,

Some of them are never was'

[cinch]

LA trades C Eric Belanger and D Tim Gleason to Carolina for D Oleg Tverdovsky and prospect D Jack Johnson. If the Kings can get Johnson to play in the NHL sometime in the next two years, this will have been quite the coup for Dean Lombardi.

[notyoueither]

Ribeiro to Dallas for Niinimaa.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=179424&hubname=nhl

Canadiens deal Ribeiro for Niinimaa

TSN.ca Staff

9/30/2006 8:42:02 PM

MONTREAL - The Montreal Canadiens have acquired defenceman Janne Niinimaa and a fifth-round pick in 2007 from the Dallas Stars, in return for forward Mike Ribeiro and a sixth-round pick in 2008.

''In judging by our team needs, what we really need and where we are vulnerable, it responds with an experienced player,'' Canadiens GM Bob Gainey said. ''He can be a good, strong participant in that group and he can give us some added experience and added weight to our defence, as well as depth.''

Ribeiro said he was shocked by the move.

''I'm disappointed and sad at the same time,'' the Montreal native said. ''I didn't expect this now.

''There were rumours last year that I'd be traded, but I didn't think about it this year. I just concentrated on getting ready for the season. I guess Montreal wanted defence and Dallas wanted a centre. It's a great city for me. No winter. No snow. So I'll be happy.''

Ribeiro, 26, is coming off a disappointing 2005-2006 season, during which he scored 51 points and posted a minus-6 rating, down from the 65 points and plus-15 rating he had produced in 2003-2004.

The 6-foot, 177-pound centre was a second-round pick of the Canadiens in 1998 and has scored 153 points in 276 career games.

''Dallas has great players, a great team, and they'll be playing for the Stanley Cup,'' said Ribeiro. ''I always dreamed of winning a Stanley Cup here (in Montreal), the 25th, but I guess it won't happen.''

Niinimaa, 31, struggled last season, putting up 16 points and a minus-12 rating combined with the New York Islanders and Dallas Stars. Acquired in January for John Erskine, Niinimaa ended up being a healthy scratch at times late in the year.

''I know he had an ankle injury, but he had it fixed this summer,'' said Gainey, who was not concerned with Niinimaa's ice time.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Finnish blueliner has recorded 356 points and a plus-56 rating over a 10-year career with Philadelphia, Edmonton, the New York Islanders and Dallas.

[Ninot]

Bob Gainey is a genious

[notyoueither]

You are very charitable.

[joncha]

I wouldn't want Ribeiro on my team.