NHL Face Off 2009
Stanley Cup at Hockey Hall of Fame by Buzz BishopIt’s time to drop the puck on another NHL season and while TSN panelists are picking our hometown Canucks to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals this season, I can’t help but look at the opening night festivities and shake my head.
The NHL has started to do some great things. The Winter Classic is a bona fide success in the face of New Year’s Day Bowl Game mania. Some, myself included, hope that one day the All Star Game will be scrapped, or rolled in to the Classic. It’s that good.
But when you look at the way the NHL opens it’s season, you just have to wonder who comes up with this stuff. Oh right – Bettman.
The season is starting on a Thursday and again games are being played in Europe.
The NHL opening night should be 1 of 2 scenarios, and both scenarios should play out on a Saturday on Hockey Night In Canada.
Scenario 1: A repeat of the Stanley Cup Final.
We ended the season with Pittsburgh vs Detroit. Let’s start the new one the same way and see if the Champions are up for the cause.
Scenario 2: The Original Six
This is the option I favour. The original six teams in competition to honour the great history of the league. Boston vs New York. Montreal vs. Toronto. Detroit vs Chicago. Those should be the only games in play, on a Saturday night, to start each and every NHL campaign.
At least this year they waited until the pre-season was over before having the Euro games go.
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Honestly, I’m just excited it’s the regular season again. Go Canucks Go!
I like the idea of the original six playing on opening night. Unfortunately, though, Gary Bettman has no sense of history, so it’ll never happen.
Hopefully the next time the Canucks are scheduled to play one of the “foreign shores” games falls somewhere around 2025.
By the way, that’s an incredible shot of the Stanley Cup. Is that the original bowl, or the top of the one currently in use?
That’s of the original bowl at the HHOF. I took the shot through the glass case, hence not super clear.