Are the Playoffs Rigged? (Put on Your Tinfoil Hat, We're Going In...)

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

What makes you think he has a better relationship with the league?

Also Rocky took over in 2007 after his father died. The team missed the playoffs his first 2 seasons at the helm.

There was a article about it back when Rocky took control compared the styles and relationships of both. Also the team only missed it once with rocky in charge but in the next year they went all the way to conference finals, then cup.

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

but this is just speculations.... not facts..

I do think the league had been manipulating the playoffs via referee for years and try to push the major sport cities in the USA to win the cup... However, I got to that conclusion because I watch the way the officals handle their calls in the playoffs, not because I speculate the whole thing base on my feelings.

saying the playoff is rig because the owner of the hawks won the cup when his father didn't is a pretty weak point.

That's not how I come to my conclusions. If you think that's the case you yourself are speculating.

[Papayas]

That's not how I come to my conclusions. If you think that's the case you yourself are speculating.

Can you actually show the evidence about rocky has a good relationship with the league that got him the cup? No? That's what we call speculation.

Rocky's Chicago is already a pretty loade Tean when he inherit the team from his daddy. It would have more to do with the league giving it a little help in the playoff because they want to promote hockey in ine of the biggest sport city in the USA than being BFF with the owner.

[Batmania]

There was a article about it back when Rocky took control compared the styles and relationships of both. Also the team only missed it once with rocky in charge but in the next year they went all the way to conference finals, then cup.

Yeah that's right because Bill died in 2007.

So they missed the playoffs under him. Have you taken a look at why the improvement or are we sticking with it being an owners relationship with the league? I ask because I'm curious why you don't seem to want to discuss that aspect.

I would love to see the article claiming he had a better relationship with the league than a guy who was in it for 41 years.If anything by all reports I've read Wirtz and Eagleson and Ziegler were all very close and practically ran the NHL in the 80's. In fact the only strained relationship was with blackhawks fans.

Like I said it seems pretty black and white as to what actually happened. I've yet to see you actually say anything to back up your theory but until you do it might be a good idea to stop using that example. It seemingly doesn't hold water; unless of course you can provide something of substance. We know Bill had a pretty good relationship with the league. He was the Jeremy Jacobs of the 80's more or less.

[Batmania]

That's not how I come to my conclusions. If you think that's the case you yourself are speculating.

You've yet to show how you have come to your conclusions.

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

Yeah that's right because Bill died in 2007.

So they missed the playoffs under him. Have you taken a look at why the improvement or are we sticking with it being an owners relationship with the league? I ask because I'm curious why you don't seem to want to discuss that aspect.

I would love to see the article claiming he had a better relationship with the league than a guy who was in it for 41 years.If anything by all reports I've read Wirtz and Eagleson and Ziegler were all very close and practically ran the NHL in the 80's. In fact the only strained relationship was with blackhawks fans.

Like I said it seems pretty black and white as to what actually happened. I've yet to see you actually say anything to back up your theory but until you do it might be a good idea to stop using that example. It seemingly doesn't hold water; unless of course you can provide something of substance. We know Bill had a pretty good relationship with the league. He was the Jeremy Jacobs of the 80's more or less.

What about the 90's when the league changed dramatically.

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

You've yet to show how you have come to your conclusions.

you can find it yourself it's all out there.

[Batmania]

What about the 90's when the league changed dramatically.

What about it? Prove your statement. You said it not me. I've made my statements and backed them up. You've made your statements and then done nothing as if they should stand on their own.

you can find it yourself it's all out there.

That's what I thought. You're full of crap.

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

What about it? Prove your statement. You said it not me. I've made my statements and backed them up. You've made your statements and then done nothing as if they should stand on their own.

First of all you haven't backed up anything the way your asking me to.

That's what I thought. You're full of crap.

[Batmania]

First of all you haven't backed up anything the way your asking me to.

That's what I thought. You're full of crap.

Yes I have. I told you that you were wrong and then I showed you why you were wrong. Twice. I'm just saying if you can't back up your ridiculous theories just don't put them out there.

Here's a third time for you so pay attention. The Chicago Blackhawks became a better team because of their drafting when they were the bottom feeders of the league. Look at the players they drafted and then look at when they all cam into their own. It's a clear timeline. You mix that drafting with some good trades and a much better coach and you get what we have now.

Let me spell it out now since you keep missing it.

2002: Duncan Keith Drafted

2003: Seabrook Drafted, Crawford Drafted

2004: Bolland and Bickell Drafted

2005: Trade pile of garbage for Patrick Sharp

2006: Drafted Toews

2007: Drafed Kane

2008: Coach Q takes over. (Team makes playoffs)

2009: Hossa signs contract with the team until he's dead. At which time his children must become water boys until they are 40.

Are you seriously going to continue to ignore this?

[thema]

Wow, for all the threads that get locked, this one can accuse the league and the US teams of PED abuse and it doesn't even get a warning?

Maybe Chicago and the Bruins manhandled other teams because they're bigger and stronger and more skilled and not because PED's were involved?

This is why the Canucks rank as one of the most hated teams in hockey.

Good job mods.

I know, it made me laugh too. Then I realized that the NHL and their minions (which include the mods on every NHL message board, all of which which the NHL owns) tolerate and even love this conspiracy nonsense because it keep the fanatical hockey fans talking about hockey 24-7. Since nobody can prove anything conclusively the NHL doesn't shut down ridiculous threads like this; they simply let the conspiracy theorists make themselves look like the nutbars that they are. 10 pages and counting of this silliness with no end in sight; gotta love it. Remind me again why the NHL would hate it if the Canucks won the Cup. After having one Stanley Cup parade in the Devils' parking lot you would think that a Cup starved market where hockey is king would be just what the NHL would want. The biggest thing ever to happen in Vancouver; yeah the NHL would hate that.

[TOMapleLaughs]

I know, it made me laugh too. Then I realized that the NHL and their minions (which include the mods on every NHL message board, all of which which the NHL owns) tolerate and even love this conspiracy nonsense because it keep the fanatical hockey fans talking about hockey 24-7. Since nobody can prove anything conclusively the NHL doesn't shut down ridiculous threads like this; they simply let the conspiracy theorists make themselves look like the nutbars that they are. 10 pages and counting of this silliness with no end in sight; gotta love it. Remind me again why the NHL would hate it if the Canucks won the Cup. After having one Stanley Cup parade in the Devils' parking lot you would think that a Cup starved market where hockey is king would be just what the NHL would want. The biggest thing ever to happen in Vancouver; yeah the NHL would hate that.

Y'know... That kinda sounds like another conspiracy. You might be onto something. (However, this thread would be instantly shut down on HF, so there goes that theory.)

But again, this isn't just about 'the NHL hating Vancouver'. We have been benefactors. Just not cup-winning benefactors. Not sure why that message isn't getting through.

[TOMapleLaughs]

^ It takes more than drafting and a coaching change to get to the level of success the Blackhawks have had recently. A lot of teams pick good picks and have good coaching. They have benefitted from quite a lot of other things going their way. Their player development is unbelievably good, for starters. It's one thing to merely pick Saad and Shaw, but it's a bit more to see them mature almost instantaneously into full-flight NHLers. imho if Bill was still in charge and not Rocky, this miraculous player development, the cup wins, the signings... all of it... Would not happen. That was the point when their entire regime started improving exponentially.

Good for the league though. Before that Chicago was a waste of a big market franchise. They needed that arena filled again.

[Batmania]

That's a long post that says nothing.

What teams btw?

[Papayas]

^ It takes more than drafting and a coaching change to get to the level of success the Blackhawks have had recently. A lot of teams pick good picks and have good coaching. They have benefitted from quite a lot of other things going their way. Their player development is unbelievably good, for starters. It's one thing to merely pick Saad and Shaw, but it's a bit more to see them mature almost instantaneously into full-flight NHLers. imho if Bill was still in charge and not Rocky, this miraculous player development, the cup wins, the signings... all of it... Would not happen. That was the point when their entire regime started improving exponentially.

Good for the league though. Before that Chicago was a waste of a big market franchise. They needed that arena filled again.

it has more to do with the timing of the league trying to bounce back from the lock out and really push for the USA market rather than some special relationship between Rocky and the league.

The league needed to push the hockey market in the USA in the mid 2000s because of the drop in market during that time. Teams were overly defensive and hockey was still deemed a canadian sport in the USA. That was the time when Bettman and the league started to shove the cups into the sport cities' ass.

The players' development happened largely because the league allowed those players on the team to play with more freedom. All it takes is a few missed call here and there and send a message to the players that they can play recklessly without punishment,and you will get a talented player who can play with an "edge". I mean players like Lucic or Keith is the poster boy of this kind of treatment. Do you really think Kassian will be suspend so many times if he plays for the Boston?

[TOMapleLaughs]

That's a long post that says nothing.

What teams btw?

It wasn't that long, and it actually says a bit, but I guess nothing you'd acknowledge.

I believe you can figure out the teams on your own.

You cannot dimiss the owership change being a factor in Chicago's case. Even Chicago fans will admit that it was a huge factor. It is pretty common knowledge, actually. And you cannot discard the fact that Chicago's player development in this new elite regime, esp. in recent seasons, has been outstanding. This is fact. What isn't quite known is how their miraculous player development is acheived. That's where the PED talk, and the 'selected' franchise talk etc. comes into play. Chicago is a benefactor franchise now. The benefactor franchise.

[ForsbergTheGreat]

^ It takes more than drafting and a coaching change to get to the level of success the Blackhawks have had recently. A lot of teams pick good picks and have good coaching. They have benefitted from quite a lot of other things going their way. Their player development is unbelievably good, for starters. It's one thing to merely pick Saad and Shaw, but it's a bit more to see them mature almost instantaneously into full-flight NHLers. imho if Bill was still in charge and not Rocky, this miraculous player development, the cup wins, the signings... all of it... Would not happen. That was the point when their entire regime started improving exponentially.

Good for the league though. Before that Chicago was a waste of a big market franchise. They needed that arena filled again.

I can’t believe this thread is still going. What a waste of everyone’s time. Good coaching allows players to develop at a quicker pace. Bad coaching like AV is benching the player after they make a single mistake. Then there is terrible coaching. Aka Oilers who let their young players down whatever they want. You continue to pick and choose the facts. Why doesn’t every player CHI draft “mature almost instantaneously into full-flight NHLers”. Go back and look at all their misses. Mikhail Yakubov 10^th overall, Cam Barker 3^rd overall, Jack Skille 7^th overall are just a few. What happened to them? Team pick players knowing how close and ready they are to enter the NHL. Calgary pick Jankowski knowing he was 4-5 years away, Burke stated he wanted Reilly knowing that he’d soon have an impact in the NHL.

Did you not watch the playoffs last year? Game 7 the refs nearly cost the Hawk by a completely ridiculous blown whistle after the Hawk score the go ahead goal with less than a minute. Doesn’t seem like something you’d do if you’re doing everything possible to make that team win. Like most conspiracy theories, people pick and choose the facts that only benefit there statement but yet blatantly ignore all the other obvious facts.

[TOMapleLaughs]

it has more to do with the timing of the league trying to bounce back from the lock out and really push for the USA market rather than some special relationship between Rocky and the league.

The league needed to push the hockey market in the USA in the mid 2000s because of the drop in market during that time. Teams were overly defensive and hockey was still deemed a canadian sport in the USA. That was the time when Bettman and the league started to shove the cups into the sport cities' ass.

The players' development happened largely because the league allowed those players on the team to play with more freedom. All it takes is a few missed call here and there and send a message to the players that they can play recklessly without punishment,and you will get a talented player who can play with an "edge". I mean players like Lucic or Keith is the poster boy of this kind of treatment. Do you really think Kassian will be suspend so many times if he plays for the Boston?

Agreed, but having Rocky there as opposed to Bill helped. Bill was simply not going to spend any money.

Bettman has been pushing hockey in the US since he took the job. In that light, he's succeeded. Having Canada being able to subsidize his journeys down there is an added bonus.

Agreed that both teams have gotten preferential treatment via reffing non-calls, but imho their insane energy levels at times screamed PED abuse. In either case, it is definitely a blessing to be a player on either one of those teams as of late. Those guys are spoiled.

And yes, a Bruin Kassian would be slapped on the wrist and held up to be a symbol of what hockey is supposed to be.

[ForsbergTheGreat]

It wasn't that long, and it actually says a bit, but I guess nothing you'd acknowledge.

I believe you can figure out the teams on your own.

You cannot dimiss the owership change being a factor in Chicago's case. Even Chicago fans will admit that it was a huge factor. It is pretty common knowledge, actually. And you cannot discard the fact that Chicago's player development in this new elite regime, esp. in recent seasons, has been outstanding. This is fact. What isn't quite known is how their miraculous player development is acheived. That's where the PED talk, and the 'selected' franchise talk etc. comes into play. Chicago is a benefactor franchise now. The benefactor franchise.

The only benefactor CHI receives is by having drafted great franchise players after being terrible for so long, Just as PITs has benefited from Sidney. From personally knowing Keith hawks are just a hard working team, with a good mixture of skill, youth, and leadership , you can't honestly compare Vancouver roster and CHI and no think that they are the better team

[TOMapleLaughs]

I can’t believe this thread is still going. What a waste of everyone’s time. Good coaching allows players to develop at a quicker pace. Bad coaching like AV is benching the player after they make a single mistake. Then there is terrible coaching. Aka Oilers who let their young players down whatever they want. You continue to pick and choose the facts. Why doesn’t every player CHI draft “mature almost instantaneously into full-flight NHLers”. Go back and look at all their misses. Mikhail Yakubov 10th overall, Cam Barker 3rd overall, Jack Skille 7th overall are just a few. What happened to them? Team pick players knowing how close and ready they are to enter the NHL. Calgary pick Jankowski knowing he was 4-5 years away, Burke stated he wanted Reilly knowing that he’d soon have an impact in the NHL.

Did you not watch the playoffs last year? Game 7 the refs nearly cost the Hawk by a completely ridiculous blown whistle after the Hawk score the go ahead goal with less than a minute. Doesn’t seem like something you’d do if you’re doing everything possible to make that team win. Like most conspiracy theories, people pick and choose the facts that only benefit there statement but yet blatantly ignore all the other obvious facts.

No, not all players will mature instantly like Saad and Shaw, but Chicago has seen a plethora of picks who were on a course to mediocrity before Rocky, mature into stars after Rocky. That's not just Quenneville. That's a massive, sweeping regime improvement. imho That happening takes more than planning and crossing fingers. imho They had help.

Yeah, the finals featuring the Bruins and Hawks, the two most-helped teams in the league? imho That was actually played relatively fairly. Mission accomplished just to get them both there.