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

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

After the Canucks lost to Boston, many people were defending the officiating and labelling doubters as loonies. The main excuse was that reffing gets tougher in the Playoffs. The reffing does change in the Playoffs, but never consistantly. It changes from series to series and always seems to favour certain teams.

A lot of people were comparing the way Chicago played against Boston to the way we played them. The obvious difference was that Boston got away with intentionally injuring our players to the point where they could no longer compete. In contrast, the refs and linesmen didnt hesitate in jumping into scrums to pull players apart and in verbally warning Boston players. They acted as if their jobs depended on defending the blackhawks, which they probably did.

League stooges lurk on fan forums. If you question officiating, you will be labelled a loonie and your credibility will be tarnished because everyone knows that refs and linesmen are beyond reproach.

But MG called out the officiating, so did Murray, so did Ovi. When MG did it he got to the finals before he felt the consequences . Murray did it in the finals and got totally beaten in the series after. Ovi hasn't had any consequences as of yet cause he is a player that sells the game.

[Red Light Racicot]

How is Bettman or anyone else arranging any of this? Is he having secret meetings with officials promising them new porches if the game is called a certain way? He's risking time in prison if someone ever gets wind of this, he must hate Canada a lot eh?

[Red Light Racicot]

League stooges lurk on fan forums. If you question officiating, you will be labelled a loonie and your credibility will be tarnished because everyone knows that refs and linesmen are beyond reproach.

The officiating is terrible. Should I be scared now?

[avelanch]

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

How is Bettman or anyone else arranging any of this? Is he having secret meetings with officials promising them new porches if the game is called a certain way? He's risking time in prison if someone ever gets wind of this, he must hate Canada a lot eh?

I don't think he is doing it he is just a puppet of the owners.

[ForsbergTheGreat]

Were we screwed in 2011? Yes. But did we also benefit? Also yes.

The playoffs have been rigged for quite some time. The league says so itself: 'History will be made.' 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.

Meanwhile, American O4 teams view themselves as the league's true deserving power. If you are to face them and you're not an American O4 team yourself, odds are you'll have no chance in the finals.

As for the way we were bounced out by American O4 teams, the way Boston and Chicago trounced this team is indicative of PED abuse. If you look at how they played the other series against other teams, they weren't nearly as pumped up.

Canada has been subsidizing league growth down south for decades, yet we see no cups. Instead we see SoCal teams getting preferential treatment while they try to grow the game in Cali. (Let there be no mistake, once they start losing again, their alluvasudden fans and twitter account will vanish.)

Back to 2011. Look at all the 'heroics' Boston performed over and over again. Too many series went to game 7. That's controlled. Too many times were they just made to look like heroes, when in fact they're just a goon squad.

That being said, yes, we also beneffited in 2011. The SJ series was a joke. They laid down. And the Chicago series was artificially made more exciting through game-to-game management of penalties, but in the end they also laid down. And Nashville? Please.

In the end Boston's true colors popped up, the goon squad popped enough PED's to rage all over our squad and 'hockey' became a bloody gong show. We laid down while another American O4 team prospered.

Bettman's NHL is as fake as NBA basketball, and that's the way he wants it. Increase the level of parity in the league and you can control the outcomes of games, series and potentially even seasons of teams that are deemed blessed to make it all the way.

Examples of rigging:

- LA's sudden rise from barely 8th-place overpaid lazyasses to total dominance after a coaching swap? Give me a freakin' break.

- Chicago's 2010 roid-raging powerhouse. Including getting a 300lb fatass defenseman to alluvasudden skate like the wind for a long playoff run? Please. Don't see too many youngish players on other teams playing with this kind of gumption. Unless they're also 'destiny' teams.

- The Devils make it to the finals vs LA? Was that just a reward for taking on Kovy's bs contract? Yes. That team stunk.

- Ducks acquire Nieder and Pronger via shady means and rise to league power status out of the blue, making Burke king of the GM's. Was that artificial? Damn right it was. Just look at his time outside of Anaheim... Burke is a big fat idiot!

- Carolina wins cup? Hahahaha. Thanks, 'modified to suit us' NHL rulebook!

- Tampa wins cup. Calgary is still screaming murder about that missing goal that Gelinas scored. Tampa (not that great that season) was a team of pre-destiny. These wins in Florida in Carolina haven't helped matters much though, as both teams are still useless at getting fans to pay money.

All of these things happened for a reason. The NHL wants to boost game popularity down south. And to that end, it's kinda worked.

So get used to Canadian teams being screwed for another decade or two, while poor markets down there get a foothold and/or American O4 'league control' teams get their fill. And then keep in mind both TO and Mtl want their cups too. The Canucks may be waiting awhile folks.

The only laying down in that series was Luongo on his belly when Toews tied it up.

But then he got up and robbed Sharp in OT and we won

[ForsbergTheGreat]

Are the players on it then as well? Maybe that’ll explain Luongo performance in the Boston series.

No offense but none of these claims have any evidence to be back up by. We had more PP opportunities than Boston did in the series final.

Boston went 5/22 and Vancouver went 2/36. So if the players weren’t in on it how did the league help out the bruins?

LA wasn’t just a week 8^th placed seed, they were a team coming into the playoffs on a huge hot streak and canucks were missing their top goal scorer.

The SJ series in 2011, SJ didn’t lay down, Eager played dumb and the Canucks capitalized. Guess who wasn’t on the SJ roster the next year.

First if you’re going to say players would be in on in then think again. Why would someone like Luongo be on in? If he plays well wins that series his name is forever etched as an alltime great. He doesn’t go through any goalie controversy and locks himself as a future HHOF. No amount of money would get him to play different.

I can tell you through friends of my own playing in the NHL, even on Vancouver in 2011, that it was completely devastating to loose in 2011. The type of devastation you get when you want and tried so hard to achieve something so bad and failed to achieve.

So that rules out players being involved in it.

So your whole theory is completely falsified

Another bigfoot it real conspiracy, all talk through word of mouth with zero to very little evidence to prove anything.

[MaxLapierreAwesomeFace]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but there was reports that NJ wasn't doing so well financially before they miraculously made the finals in 2012.

http://msn.foxsports...y-danger-091211

I just want to put this out there. The NHL is a business, if they have the power to increase profit through minimizing risk and controlling aspects of it, they sure will. Leaving a multi-million dollar business up to chance can be the difference between millions in profit.

Are the players in it? Who knows. How can one tell if a player genuinely made a horrible play or if they purposefully made an error? If they were in it, orders would be given behind closed doors...evidence would be hard to come by. Also, if players were in it, there is a low chance they'll come out about it to the public cause they'd be trying to expose a business that has so much power. A business that funds their million dollar pay checks. In addition, if I were to choose someone to be in on a fix, i'd choose someone that has a personality geared towards keeping a secret or whatever you wanna call it.

I'd like to add that I doubt every game is fixed. I'd prob say that it might be more of potential storylines that could be created as a result of a game. Storylines that sell. This is just opinion. But say for example, the hawks beating the wild (i think) in the last game of the regular season to make the 8th seed to vs the Canucks in the 2011 cup run.

Those are just some ideas I'd like to throw out there. Honestly, I believe that the NHL does pick its spots. But I still enjoy watching the game so I ain't gonna try and change the opinions of non-believers.

[Riviera82]

I still like the other poster's 'swimming with or against the current' analogy. It just seems so accurate and sensible, moreso during playoff hockey that is anyways.

The league does seemingly favor certain teams and certain matchups. From the looks of it, if the NHL likes both teams in a playoff series then they'll have a fairly level playing field. If they like one team better than the other, then the ice will be tilted in favor of their preferred team. If 2 canadian teams meet up, it also seems pretty much fair and square. There isn't necessarily any true "fix", but too often there seems to be a slant.

Take 2011 for example. The Canucks built a virtually insurmountable 3-0 series lead against Chicago and the series came down to a game 7 OT. Gillis publicly complained about the discrepancy in powerplays and things straightened out. We were still 1 goal away from losing but it turned what could've been a dull short series into an epic 7 game near-catastrophe.

Another poster mentioned the SCF and how the Canucks got more powerplays in that series. This is a fact, however a great deal of those powerplays came in the games we lost which were all blowouts. We got lots of powerplays when the games were out of reach.

The Canucks didn't do themselves any favors in these two series but the league clearly wasn't on their side either.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Given the argument you've made I think one can say you are actually in cahoots with the league and this thread is meant to remind people of just how stupid conspiracy theories are.

You may be one of the most frustrating posters on the board. I mean you're almost impossible to take seriously but you're also quite clearly knowledgeable.Whether this thread is sincere or just a joke for your amusement it's still incredibly stupid.

You know I post everything I post just to frustrate you, right?

Hahahahahahaha.

Hahahahahahahaha.

[ForsbergTheGreat]

Honestly if you truly believe the NHL is fixed down to who win each series why bother watching anymore. If it were to be fixed over 1500 contracted NHL players would have to be in on it. This is also a job for each player, their life income who are fighting to earn their next contract. A good/bad playoff series changes your pay dramatically, there is simply no way it can be rigged with players in on it. Refs also can help a team have an advantage but games won come down to the players. There for this claim is ridiculous and the discussion should be over with.

[PhillipBlunt]

Oh wow you put a gif up to show how you're feeling in response to my post! How original and cute.

- Convenient how the seeding in the conference matters for Oilers/Hurricanes and Calgary/Tampa and doesn't matter for LA.

This doesn't even make sense. I used it to prove a point that was relevant to those particular situations in points used by the original poster. If you want to use it as a point, use it against me with some facts. Don't just put it down there and think that it speaks for itself on it's own. That's not how a debate works.

- Also LA conveniently gets Richards and Carter + coaching change wins cup (Holmgren previously said he would build around them they are the future). Anaheim gets Neider and Pronger wins cup. First of all it's improbable for such trades to happen second the team magically gels, gets easy competition and wins???

SO let me get this straight. Your conspiracy is that 2 teams got some players that helped them win a Stanley cup in some trades that were not probable. That's a conspiracy by your standards. A trade happened, teams got players and they won a cup! Oh my god! Why did you not say this earlier. I did not realize teams were trading players!!! That has to be one of the biggest conspiracies I've ever seen or heard of in my life. Did anyone else know about this?

BTW. Who said they're not probable? You?! Are you an analyst? Do you have facts indicating that those trades were not probable? Did a single person besides you say that those trades were not probable? Find me a single case of someone with actual weight in the NHL saying that hose trades were not probable anywhere and I will concede this point. No? That's what I thought.

Next you'll be telling everyone we didn't land on the moon simply because 'It's not probable' and we should take your word for it despite the fact that you don't have a shred of evidence.

I really don't think you understand how a debate works. You don't just simply say, 'NJ makes no sense contradicts your la one' and then say nothing else. Put down why it contradicts the LA so we know your point and so we also know that you actually understand what the word 'Contradict' actually means. (I'll leave this here just in case http://www.thefreedictionary.com/contradict)

- Chicago drafts toews + kane goes to conference final in second year then wins cup in third, how are the oilers doing following theirrecipe; they haven't even made the playoffs yet that's how it really works. Of course your going to say Chicago has a good gm and coach.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to say. Either you've never worked a day in your life or your head is so far in to this conspiracy that you have completely forgotten about a certain term called 'Poor Management'. If we were to go by your point, then drafting and developing doesn't matter. Need a solid defenseman because you've drafted too many forwards? Why not another forward. Players need developing? Throw them straight to the wolves. I guess Columbus must have turned in to a Canadian city in the past 10 years because I don't see a cup banner in their Arena either. Oh wait, they must be on the 'Needs a Stanley Cup' chart in Bettmans office

-No stop button in Toronto to check video in 04 calgary finals ? .Let me say what you said

Oh I didn't realize the ability to zoom 20x is the exact same button as the stop button on my dvd player. Let me go test this out. OH WAIT! It's not!!!! But Sedins23 said on the CDC forum it is! The salesman at Futureshop is going to be hearing about this.

Your name suits you well ding dong.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but there was reports that NJ wasn't doing so well financially before they miraculously made the finals in 2012.

http://msn.foxsports...y-danger-091211

I just want to put this out there. The NHL is a business, if they have the power to increase profit through minimizing risk and controlling aspects of it, they sure will. Leaving a multi-million dollar business up to chance can be the difference between millions in profit.

Are the players in it? Who knows. How can one tell if a player genuinely made a horrible play or if they purposefully made an error? If they were in it, orders would be given behind closed doors...evidence would be hard to come by. Also, if players were in it, there is a low chance they'll come out about it to the public cause they'd be trying to expose a business that has so much power. A business that funds their million dollar pay checks. In addition, if I were to choose someone to be in on a fix, i'd choose someone that has a personality geared towards keeping a secret or whatever you wanna call it.

I'd like to add that I doubt every game is fixed. I'd prob say that it might be more of potential storylines that could be created as a result of a game. Storylines that sell. This is just opinion. But say for example, the hawks beating the wild (i think) in the last game of the regular season to make the 8th seed to vs the Canucks in the 2011 cup run.

Those are just some ideas I'd like to throw out there. Honestly, I believe that the NHL does pick its spots. But I still enjoy watching the game so I ain't gonna try and change the opinions of non-believers.

Not every game is fixed, but towards the end of the season they definitely are. To determine seeds.

With regards to NJ's run, yup, financial reasons make more than enough sense to see them go far in 2012. Towards the end of that season, they were positioned in the eastern standings that guaranteed the easiest path to the finals. 6.NJ vs. 3.Florida. EASY. NJ and Boston both had 102 pts, but Boston with the higher seed faced Washington and lost in round one. See how easy it is to determine a playoff destiny? That is easily controlled with parity the way it is now.

NJ needed that playoff income certainly. They also knew Kovy was gonna 'retire', but that's another issue.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Honestly if you truly believe the NHL is fixed down to who win each series why bother watching anymore. If it were to be fixed over 1500 contracted NHL players would have to be in on it. This is also a job for each player, their life income who are fighting to earn their next contract. A good/bad playoff series changes your pay dramatically, there is simply no way it can be rigged with players in on it. Refs also can help a team have an advantage but games won come down to the players. There for this claim is ridiculous and the discussion should be over with.

I don't, really. But no doubt I enjoyed it when the Canucks were benefactors until they reached Boston in 2011. I'm a Canucks fan before i'm an NHL fan.

No the players don't all have to be in it. That's insane. But the refs have obviously controlled game outcomes. Esp. in tight playoff games between on-par teams. I mean, c'mon... Really?

[Nucks2477]

Right..... This is great.

[viking mama]

I'm seeing alot of naiveness and stupidity in this thread but despite your best efforts this is surprisingly a smart post. Because if you don't know and to those that don't, wake the frack up. Why are roughly about half the owners currently or in the past have had business ties to Rizzuto, Gambino or Lucchese??? To say that the nhl is fake like the wwf is wrong. To say that the games are won or lost on their own is just as wrong too. Fact of the matter is it's a business that's profitable in the 100s of millions-billions a year and with a respectable percentage having ties to groups that fix other sports it's a dumb assumption to think that there is no medelling. Officials use "game management" instead of ref. Johnny borderline NHLer hits a respectable player and injures him. Suspensions are inconsistent & no real basis. If the nhl is 100% pure like most of you are claiming, it'd be the first 100% honest 10-figure business to not be touched by the mob. I don't believe in miracles. Common sense/knowledge dictates that is just not the case here.

Manipulations? How about Burke sabotagging the 'Nucks....by councilling Murphy to dole-out the toughest SC suspension ever...on a border-line north south hit....less than 1/2 a sec from perfectly legal. Choosing to punish the injury...not the deed! Yet this same counsel didn't fly for Boychuk's pitch-forking of Mason Raymond? Injury was of NO consideration for suspension there...NOT even a penalty? Gheesz! That's legal use of the stick I suppose? Thanks for all of your vindictive imput,...Burkie.

Let me ask you...how did Burkie manage to get his less-than-qualified son on the DPS? Something owed his way, maybe? Is it a co-incidence that the SJ Sharks experience a resurgence in their fortunes on & off of the ice with league officials... after Brian Burke is hired as their "consultant"? SJ subsequently gets the league's so-called best & most experienced referees (ha!) assigned to their league & play-off games. Nice home record...& shockingly, more controversial calls over the next 2 seasons.....go SJ's way. Consultation-fee well worth it!

There are great technologies available to get on-ice calls right in the NHL. Yet after some GMs & owners raising this question at the governors' meetings..geniuses like Burke & others wouldn't follow thru with this. Why NOT? They use technology better in every other major league sport?! 'Cuz errors in judgement would be just TOO easy to eradicate If off-ice officals had imput & the time to use these other methods. It's just wayyyyy better to rely upon personal bias & vague impressions - instead? And - Manipulations would definitely be more difficult. Yah - these are the things make ya go.... hmmmm?

What will happen when a Calgary Flame ends-up infront of the DPS next? Burke...is on their pay-roll now. This guy has some very interesting relationships around the league,,,and a history of boardroom bullying 2nd to none. Toss in his vindictive streak & the un-favored better WATCH-OUT! He was entrusted to draft-up the controversial & non-grandfathered make-whole clause...and he collaborated on setting-up this brutally low-cap season. Several competitive & skilled teams were unfairly affected.... forcing many of 'em to cough-up their elite players. Conversely...the traditional 0-6 free-agent-haven teams with lots of depth...(shockers) they remained relatively unscathed...and then quickly scooped-up cast-offs at forced pay-cuts. Weaker market teams who were relatively immune to the affects of this low cap (with a lot of young picks & little bribed talent)...were ever so grateful to LOSE much LESS $ during that ...short & very manipulated lock-out season. Mission accomplished Burkie! Payback served & the right backs were effectively scratched!

Burke's loyalty to the league kingpins is continually being rewarded.This sarcastic Bostonian-born mover & shaker..is now drunk on his own reputation & power. He's forged such a unique alliance with the NHL's top brass...& he's not even a GM or an owner?! Keep your eyes on Jeremy Jacobs' faithful foot-soldier, Burke...as a likely source of further league manipulations in the future. But - he's just ONE guy...and the NHL is full of guys like him. The current NHL operates with as much nepotism & corruption as any other entity.

It will take bolder & more progressive politics to de-thrown the monarchs. More Auger-gates, Campbell-gates, & other revelations might do it. Welcome to the fore...whistle-blowers! Extra noise & pressure from the media, fans, & the NHLPA, even criticism from other leagues...may eventually shame or convince a few of the voting-block fence-sitters to change ranks.

It aint whining tho'....when its sincere & legitimate protest against wrongs in order to make 'em right! History is chalked full of despots calling oppressed persons....whiners.

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

I still like the other poster's 'swimming with or against the current' analogy. It just seems so accurate and sensible, moreso during playoff hockey that is anyways.

The league does seemingly favor certain teams and certain matchups. From the looks of it, if the NHL likes both teams in a playoff series then they'll have a fairly level playing field. If they like one team better than the other, then the ice will be tilted in favor of their preferred team. If 2 canadian teams meet up, it also seems pretty much fair and square. There isn't necessarily any true "fix", but too often there seems to be a slant.

Take 2011 for example. The Canucks built a virtually insurmountable 3-0 series lead against Chicago and the series came down to a game 7 OT. Gillis publicly complained about the discrepancy in powerplays and things straightened out. We were still 1 goal away from losing but it turned what could've been a dull short series into an epic 7 game near-catastrophe.

Another poster mentioned the SCF and how the Canucks got more powerplays in that series. This is a fact, however a great deal of those powerplays came in the games we lost which were all blowouts. We got lots of powerplays when the games were out of reach.

The Canucks didn't do themselves any favors in these two series but the league clearly wasn't on their side either.

This reminds me when in Game 6 the Canucks had scored to start the third period and Hansen hit the post and thought he scored and was celebrating. The score was 4-1 Boston but the Canucks were controlling the game and were creating quality chances it looked like they had could have a comeback despite the score.

Then shortly after Boston found themselves on a 5 on 3 which they ended up scoring on. After that the Canucks basically gave up. That was the first time in the series I thought the game was being managed(not as a conspiracy for the result as the score was 4-1 but to allow no momentum to be gained). The Canuck's probably would have lost the game but the calls meant there was no chance for the Canucks to even keep the momentum, no chance to comeback.

There are many other examples in the LA series and SJ of this everyone probably knows about but it shows how the timing of penalties is important.

I am not a conspiracy theorist. I certainly don't think the league is out to get us and wants the worst for us and that there is a huge scheme going on that the players, coaches and media are hiding. That stuff is insanity to me and I don't buy it.

But you can't say that the refs didn't have any impact in the series in LA, SJ and Boston. Just like another poster says the league kind doesn't go against the flow and tries to go with it if it brings financial benefits.

[Henrik Kesler]

Rigging the playoffs would require competence on too many levels to actually orchestrate in a way that isn't enormously obvious. Wrap that tinfoil a little tighter.

[Standing_Tall#37]

Rigging the playoffs would require competence on too many levels to actually orchestrate in a way that isn't enormously obvious. Wrap that tinfoil a little tighter.

Google the following: "The ironing is delicious" , it's not like it was rehearsed, but the pu$$y/skilled team was made out to be the bad guy. And the mighty/bad Canadians were defeated by the overachieveing giant-slayers....fresh on the heels of a 10 figure American TV deal? It wasn't like Boston was the chosen ones from the beginning the more popular team in the states had to win. No ifs ands or buts. The move had to be good for business.

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

Rigging the playoffs would require competence on too many levels to actually orchestrate in a way that isn't enormously obvious. Wrap that tinfoil a little tighter.

Google the following: "The ironing is delicious" , it's not like it was rehearsed, but the pu$$y/skilled team was made out to be the bad guy. And the mighty/bad Canadians were defeated by the overachieveing giant-slayers....fresh on the heels of a 10 figure American TV deal? It wasn't like Boston was the chosen ones from the beginning the more popular team in the states had to win. No ifs ands or buts. The move had to be good for business.

He has a point it's not 100% fake but it's not 100% real either.