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

[La Mauviette75]

Wow, that 2nd goal was a plain save. Refs at it again.

the puck was behind his skates no?

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

And in recent years we've seen far to many epic collapses after being up 3-0 in a series, or even in a game 7 for it to be normal.

No kidding eh?

Somehow you knew LA would erase the 3-0 deficit. The call on the second goal was terrible it was clear that William shoved him into the net. Watching our team we all know what happens when a wrong call is made it deflates the team and thats what happened to the sharks.

[Dragonfruits]

the puck was behind his skates no?

the puck was visible behind his skate but the rule is clear you can't shove a goalie into the net resulting in a goal

[La Mauviette75]

the puck was visible behind his skate but the rule is clear you can't shove a goalie into the net resulting in a goal

Yeah, having now seen it again, I agree with that it was not a save, but that the goalie was pushed into the net. I think the problem is that the ref saw the puck behind the goalie, and was clearly focusing his attention on it, and didn't see the push. If anything the other ref, who wasn't focusing on the puck should have called it.

don't really see it as evidence of tampering or rigging though.

[RWMc1]

Yeah, having now seen it again, I agree with that it was not a save, but that the goalie was pushed into the net. I think the problem is that the ref saw the puck behind the goalie, and was clearly focusing his attention on it, and didn't see the push. If anything the other ref, who wasn't focusing on the puck should have called it.

don't really see it as evidence of tampering or rigging though.

You can say that about any single bad call. The issue is all the ridiculously bad calls being made every season and every Playoffs. When you look at them cumulatively, there is obvious reason for concern.

I know the League reps will say: Do you know how crazy you sound/where's your tinfoil hat; Do you know how many people would have to know about it; or They're only human. That is all they seem to have to offer.

[ForsbergTheGreat]

I dont necessarily think there is any clear cut rigging. I do think the four Canadian teams that lost the cup in 7 games were good enough to win and quite possibly good enough to win in fewer than 7 games. I dont include Ottawa in the conversation because they were wiped out quickly by an obviously stronger Ducks team.

As for the four Game 7 cup losers, I for one dont think anybody could say that officiating didn't play a noticeable role in the outcomes of those series. That's not to say that the winners are predetermined indefinitely, what I think is that the on-ice officials are instructed by Bettman or one of his cronies to tilt the ice in favor of the league's preferred team without being terribly blatant about it. This has resulted in 4 Final series' which have gone the entire distance with all but the 2011 Canucks losing the cup by 1 goal.

I think it's very safe to say that Bettman and the NHL are more pleased to have the Rangers, Lightning, Hurricanes, and Bruins win Stanley Cups over any Canadian team. Two original 6, Two sunbelt, who better to win at the expense of the teams from Canada.

I dont think it is impossible for a Canadian team to win a championship, I just think that the Canadian team will need to be noticeably stronger than their opposition in order to overcome them and the officials. Again I'm not saying that there is any true fix, but Bettman himself does speak of "game management", why not series management as well? The officials do have the ability to give the league's preferred team a helping hand, one example that we've all seen was the Canucks quarterfinal against Chicago in 2011, not to mention last year against San Jose as well. Although if the referees were trying to hide their bias in that series they failed miserably, that was ridiculous.

Speaking of the on-ice officials, does anyone else find it a little suspicious that they seemingly dont have to be held accountable for their actions? They dont have to be questioned by the media after games, players almost never point the finger at them when their team gets jobbed, they dont get suspended when they clearly appear to be incompetent, and if a coach or GM questions or says any ill word about them then Bettman slaps said coach or GM with a hefty fine.

It all seems a bit shady to me.

Fair points that I don't disagree with. I believe the league does have bias on which teams they would prefer to see win games as it helps the NHL out financially to be more successful. I agree that the may have a finger involved in games outcome but to the extent of bias officiating and suspensions. That is all. The thought of the league clear cut rigging/fixing games is where I, and most people need to draw the line. No the NHL does not force Canadian teams to pick bad picks in the draft, no the players are not in on it, no the league doesn’t force teams to trade good players to weaker American teams, and no the league doesn’t decide the winner of each game (although again they may have favorites). There are too many uncontrollable variables that come into play, to move forward with the idea of a clear cut rigging.

[ForsbergTheGreat]

Its pretty simple there is a website that explains how it works in detail, anyways it says that all the finals are scripted and so the players are in on it in the finals everywhere else its just the refs. I keep trying to post the link but it doesnt work.

That's the biggest joke of an idea, And there is zero way to prove this.

The WWE is the world biggest stage where the outcome is pre-determined, It is rehearsed daily to make it look as believable as possible, and still any 12 year old kid could tell you it is fake. Now you are saying that a game played on ice with a million different random variables (stanchions) is completely scripted. Give your head a shake. These players must be extremely talented that they can come down the wing and fire a puck 90mph through traffic bank it off a defenders skate, ricochet off the cross bar and purposely have it not go in the net. Or that other guys are willing to purposely lay down, take the 90mph puck in the face and break bones, or back (Raymond) just for entertainment value. On top of that, one small mistake where a goalie is a second off of what is scripted and the game is completely changed. Can’t fix an OT goal that clearly goes in.

That idea honestly repulses me. I personal have friends that play in the NHL, one of them was on the canucks in 2011. These players work there As$es off to get where they are, they lay their body on the line game in and game out, play through nagging injuries, they even give up a lot in their personal lives, then you go and insult that hard work by believing that all their doings is good providing good theatre from their acting skills.

If I already didn’t post that Billy Madison video in this vary thread it would have been my only reply to this, “one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought.”

Good day sir.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Its pretty simple there is a website that explains how it works in detail, anyways it says that all the finals are scripted and so the players are in on it in the finals everywhere else its just the refs. I keep trying to post the link but it doesnt work.

This would not surprise me in the least. The Canucks entered the 2011 game seven like they had already lost. From the first shift onward, you could notice right away they were all totally flat. Hardly an effort expected from a team in a game 7 finals.

However, you'd think a player would out this info. Maybe one will. Or maybe a ref will out them. A ref outed the NBA rigging games. It's fairly simple to rig games to any agenda.

People ask, 'well which agenda is it then?' and the quick answer is all of them. Everything is rigged. And it's becoming more and more noticable every season. Esp. in the post-cap era.

[Riviera82]

Fair points that I don't disagree with. I believe the league does have bias on which teams they would prefer to see win games as it helps the NHL out financially to be more successful. I agree that the may have a finger involved in games outcome but to the extent of bias officiating and suspensions. That is all. The thought of the league clear cut rigging/fixing games is where I, and most people need to draw the line. No the NHL does not force Canadian teams to pick bad picks in the draft, no the players are not in on it, no the league doesn’t force teams to trade good players to weaker American teams, and no the league doesn’t decide the winner of each game (although again they may have favorites). There are too many uncontrollable variables that come into play, to move forward with the idea of a clear cut rigging.

Agreed, I dont think the game is fixed indefinitely. The NHL does clearly seem to favor certain teams in the playoffs from year to year, but I think if a Canadian team or one of their less favored American teams happen to win a cup in spite of the bias they have to overcome perhaps the league would just try a little harder to get the result they want the next season.

I would be very interested to see what kind of aftermath (if any) would result from that.

[Mimerez]

Illuminati?

[Nuck-Shot]

Boring ass sport these days. Hire vince McMahon start an xhl

[khay]

The point regarding PED... I have seen more than handful of the posters here bring it up, I wonder why.

I remember, the year following the LA's cup year, the announcers from CBC were talking about how Quick had severe back problem and only time he would not feel pain was when he was playing. I was thinking, he must be some sort of drug, something stronger than a normal pain killer.

The LA team using their body so effectively all of a sudden with newly energized legs compared to games 1-3, really causes one to wonder...

As for rigging the playoffs, it's impossible to completely determine the outcome of the game but one thing is for sure, not one game in the playoffs is called fairly. I think it's more or less due to incapable referees but also because the NHL encourages different standards of refereeing for the playoffs, which makes the refs jobs even harder.

[EmployeeoftheMonth]

The point regarding PED... I have seen more than handful of the posters here bring it up, I wonder why.

I remember, the year following the LA's cup year, the announcers from CBC were talking about how Quick had severe back problem and only time he would not feel pain was when he was playing. I was thinking, he must be some sort of drug, something stronger than a normal pain killer.

The LA team using their body so effectively all of a sudden with newly energized legs compared to games 1-3, really causes one to wonder...

As for rigging the playoffs, it's impossible to completely determine the outcome of the game but one thing is for sure, not one game in the playoffs is called fairly. I think it's more or less due to incapable referees but also because the NHL encourages different standards of refereeing for the playoffs, which makes the refs jobs even harder.

How can it be "more or less" incapable referees but also be rigged.

If it's rigged then they have to be the most capable referees to pull it off. As well the amount of practice the players need to put into it would be incredible to some of the things suggested in this thread. I mean they would really need to have a pre game game before the pre game skate just to choreograph it.

[Tearloch7]

Any time you combine incompetence with an 'agenda', you just KNOW things are gonna break bad.

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

How can it be "more or less" incapable referees but also be rigged.

If it's rigged then they have to be the most capable referees to pull it off. As well the amount of practice the players need to put into it would be incredible to some of the things suggested in this thread. I mean they would really need to have a pre game game before the pre game skate just to choreograph it.

Not really 90% of it can just be real and they add certain elements into it like goals, big saves and scrums. At the end of the day you don't need to have a whole pre game ritual to pre determine games thats for sure.

[EmployeeoftheMonth]

Not really 90% of it can just be real and they add certain elements into it like goals, big saves and scrums. At the end of the day you don't need to have a whole pre game ritual to pre determine games thats for sure.

Absolutely.

You would however need it to make sure they could practice and get that 10% right.

Otherwise they play 90% of a real game and 10% that looked completely and totally fake.

So yeah, for your theory to be remotely correct they would have to do more than just come up with a final score or result. They would need to choreograph; even if just for 10% of the game.

[Bure to Mogilny]

<p>

Just saying when the cup is handed out it will all make sense to you. It will be the same as it has been since 1994. Check all the cup winners and you will be able to easily predict the type of team that will win.

Big Markets

• 1994 New York
• 1995 New Jersey
• 1996 Colarado
• 1997 Detroit
• 1998 Detroit
• 2000 New Jersey
• 2001 Colarado
• 2002 Detroit
• 2003 New Jersey
• 2008 Detroit
• 2009 Pittsburgh
• 2010 Chicago
• 2011 Boston
• 2012 LA
• 2013 Chicago
• 2014 ?????

• 15 of the last 19 seasons a big market team wins the cup that isn't Canadian.
• every american original six team has won the the cup at least once since then with them accounting for 8 of the last 19 seasons
• Four big market teams have won the cup at least twice
• 75% chance a big market team wins the cup

Southern Expansion

• 1999 Dallas
• 2004 Tampa Bay
• 2006 Carolina
• 2007 Anaheim
• 2014 ?????

• Florida, Nashville, San Jose only teams remaining that haven't won a cup from the south
• Starting from 2004 for three straight years it was a southern expansion vs a Canadian team with the expansion winning every match
• 4 of the last 19 seasons have been won by a southern expansion.
• 25% chance a southern expansion wins the cup this year

woah thats nuts i never knew that!

I always make fun of the conspirasy theory guys at my school but thas kindda whack

Makes ya wonder who they wanta win this year probaly boston or chicago again lol

[touchable]

Absolutely.

You would however need it to make sure they could practice and get that 10% right.

Otherwise they play 90% of a real game and 10% that looked completely and totally fake.

So yeah, for your theory to be remotely correct they would have to do more than just come up with a final score or result. They would need to choreograph; even if just for 10% of the game.

Look, it's ridiculous to think that the players are in on it. They're way too competitive to do it in the first place, and secondly, there's way too high a chance that at least one of them would've spoken out by now.

With that said, there's no way/need for pregame choreography or whatnot. What we're trying to argue that the LEAGUE influences the outcomes of games through officiating. This is pretty obvious if you look at the number of hugely important missed calls in the playoffs, where it's supposed to be the "best" officials calling the games.

This doesn't guarantee the league will get the result it wants, but it's a huge factor. Bad calls can be huge in swinging the momentum of a game, just ask San Jose.

I also don't believe that every referee in the league is in on it. At most, all you'd need is 3-5 trusted guys who are in on it, who are veteran/respected referees that no one would dare question. Need a series to swing the other way? Throw one of those guys in for game 4. The other 3 officials on the ice could be completely oblivious to what's going on, and it would still work a majority of the time.

[TheAntar]

I explain it like this:

The NHL can sway game outcomes by, let's say 5% (just spit balling numbers). In the same way Vegas manipulates 5% in favour of the house to make oodles of $, so would any other billion dollar corporation (like the 'NHL).

No one (sane) is arguing the game outcomes are set, were suggesting that parity of teams (bettman) plus 5% in favour of the house equals the league's desired outcomes in most cases.

[touchable]

I explain it like this:

The NHL can sway game outcomes by, let's say 5% (just spit balling numbers). In the same way Vegas manipulates 5% in favour of the house to make oodles of $, so would any other billion dollar corporation (like the 'NHL).

No one (sane) is arguing the game outcomes are set, were suggesting that parity of teams (bettman) plus 5% in favour of the house equals the league's desired outcomes in most cases.

Yes, I agree. Parity in talent across the league is the only way this works. There's no way you could've done this pre-2004 lockout. It's too bad the Canadian dollar was so low during that era (mid 90's to 2004), because that would've been the best opportunity for a medium-big market Canadian team like Vancouver/Toronto/Montreal to win a cup. You could essentially buy a very good team and put yourself in the conference finals every year, like the Wings, Avs, Stars, and Devils did. Not saying they didn't have great coaching and management, but that their rosters were stacked.