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Mitch Albom recently wrote in a Detroit Free Press article that the NHL will not lose hardcore fans, and, as history has shown,
it will not likely gain new ones. Basically, after a year off we're all back where we were, but with decisions that will
change the face of the game for years to come. Teams like Atlanta and Nashville will see few changes; however, teams like
the Red Wings (are there other teams?) will suffer huge blows as unrestricted free agents like Derian Hatcher will likely
get the boot.
Here's my problem with the salary cap. Some teams, my team, make shitloads of cash off ticket holders and merchandising.
And as it is unlikely for ticket prices to fall (one of Gary Bettman's promises when this whole idiotic mess began), these
fans want to get what they pay for: a winning hockey team. Everyone points out the Red Wings' roster in discussions of big
spenders in the league, but much of that team (Hatcher not included) was built, not bought. Niklas Lindstrom wasn't making
$10 million a year back when we drafted him (#53 overall!) in 1989. Obviously, Stevie Yzerman was a cheap deal 22 years ago
in his rookie season. Players who might get the boot now, like Darren McCarty, got pricey PLAYING FOR THE WINGS. Yes, the
cash and wins have allowed room for high ticket guys like Brett Hull (gone now) and Chris Chelios (who fits in so well an
loves the team so much, one forgets he ever played for his own hometown, Chicago), but the Red Wings are a TEAM, and a damn
good one, that was largely built by Mike Ilich's eye for talent and willingness to wait out the lean years, Scotty Bowman's
brilliance, and Steve Yzerman's great leadership.
Some teams are bought, and history has shown that hockey is not baseball, and a team cannot be built out of individuals.
See the Rangers. They suck, even with one of the most impressive rosters in the game. Players that thrive elsewhere flounder
in New York. Hockey is not a greedy sport, and teams built on greed alone rarely succeed.
But greed is Gary Bettman's game, and the problem, the reason for this whole mess, is that he brings his basketball greed
to the humblest of all national sports. So now there are 30 teams--was this ever a good idea?--and those with history and
die hard fans, in markets that have fans who know what icing is are left shouldering the burden of teams that should have
never existed.
Of course it's impossible to do what I will propose: the cash has been spent on gigantic stadiums that are not yet paid
off. However, wouldn't it be nice if we could turn back time, never pick up Bettman, and roll back to 24 teams? These are
my suggestions re: who should go:
Nashville (duh!)
Atlanta (yes, it's a world class city, but it's not a hockey city)
Columbus (they do okay, but people in states like Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin grew up close enough to original six teams
to have loyalties elsewhere)
Florida Panthers (that state has no need for two teams)
Phoenix (even Gretsky can't keep the ice from melting)
Anaheim (the name alone should get them kicked out of the league, and there's no need for two teams so close to L.A.,
where people kill for Lakers tickets but forget there's even one hockey team)
Those are the six, though I suggest Carolina could easily go, too. The bottom line is, the fans are going to suffer for
Bettman's stupidity, and now he's abused our loyalty to clean up the mess caused by his greedy idea of making hockey a US
favorite. It's not going to happen. Give us our league and our teams, resign, and cut costs by cutting teams that can't
pull their weight, not by penalizing those that actually have fans.
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