Loyalty

So with the New York Knicks off to a 6-0 start and Brooklyn’s newly acquired Nets making noise at 5-2, the NBA couldn’t hope for a much better scenario in the New York market.  Except maybe the NHL’s infighting to bring about a ridiculously long lock out.  It is wild to even conceive of yet another scenario that endangers an NHL season.  Again.

With all the fan fare of your New York Islanders officially announcing their move to Brooklyn, any momentum that could have been harnessed by the Franchise and the League itself, is quickly being overshadowed by the uncertainty of the NHL’s position with the NHLPA.

Can the NHL realistically survive a cancelled season?  Would the NHLPA actually destroy itself, and send its players to other pro leagues across the world? How much more money is the NHL willing to lose?  Is there really a small group of prominent owners calling the shots and keeping this thing on life support?

Despite all of the success of the previous season and the new surge in fans to the NHL built by the Winter Classic and upgraded game, marketed on the back of their featured star-players is seriously in jeopardy.  The NHL has done a lot of damage to their fan base.  Just check out the buzz on Facebook and Twitter.  Dee Karl’s poll shows 69% of (745) fans are not wearing NHL merchandise to show their disapproval of the lock out. 

When you have a passionate fan base, you need to realize that their passion can turn them into an angry mob if they are left to feel abandoned by the league or very players they come they come to cheer for.

Sad situation.

  

Isles Notes:

Isles Sandy fundraiser a tremendous success.  

Isles reach out to American Red Cross for Sandy relief.   

Per Craig Button, NY Islanders' 2nd round pick in 2009, big goalie Mikko Koskinen playing for Kalpa.

Per NHLhistorygirl, “On this date in 1986, Isles Mike Bossy scored his 545th NHL career goal, becoming no. 6 on the all-time scoring list.”

“On this date in 1993, Billy Smith, Steve Shutt, Guy Lapointe and Edgar Laprade were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.”

Sound Tigers Notes:

Per BST, “Brock Nelson enters tonight's game with a five-game goal scoring streak, Nino Niedereiter with a five-game point streak.”

“Poulin this season: 6-2-0, 2.98 GAA, .905 SV%.”

“Rookie forward Max MacKay will make his pro debut for BST tonight.”    

“With Cizikas and McDonald out tonight, Matt Watkins wears the assistant captain "A" with Wishart and Hamonic.”

Forwards - Niederreiter-Nelson-DeFazio, Persson-Sundstrom-Backman, Halmo-Watkins-Riley, Gallant-Clark-MacKay.

Defensive pairings - McIver-Hamonic, Ness-Landry, Donovan-Wishart. Kevin Poulin starts, Anders Nilsson backs up vs. WBS.

WBS 3-1 over BST.

Per BST, “Colin McDonald, suspended two games by AHL for hit on Niemi on Sunday.”

NHL Notes:

Per Chris Botta, “Source: if there isn't a deal in place in next 7days, NHL will cancel games thru Dec. 15. Next cancellation could be the season.”

Per Katie Strang, “Can confirm what Aaron Ward first reported, that Gary Bettman suggested to NHLPA's Don Fehr that two sides take 2-week moratorium."  Fehr told Bettman he'd like to talk to his membership about it. NHLPA plans on responding.

Per Kevin Gibson, “Draft after lockout in 2005 was weighted for teams that missed playoffs 3 straight seasons, no 1st overall last 4drafts - PIT, CBJ, BUF, NYR.”

Jason Kay points out, “According to Capgeek, there are 42 NHLers on contracts of 7 years or longer. That's 1.4 guys per team. Or 94% of guys with shorter terms.”