Quoted from sentinelking

I agree with Jonny. Assuming there is a conspiracy, the NHL has poorly chosen the supposed beneficiaries. The Leafs market is the biggest in the NHL and they haven't come out on top in years.

Also, consider the fever dream Bettman holds near and dear to his heart for a southern American hockey renaissance. Wouldn't that drive teams like Phoenix and Dallas further up the rigged standings?

Not true.

-Phoenix finished 4th in the west....that's huge for a team with nobody on it. Their best player is Doan, and he only had 54 points all season.........FIX FIX FIX

-Leafs already have a loyal fan base and tons of money, why give them a cup, until they have to?

-Pittsburgh almost lost their team...anyone remember "Ball-silly" trying to buy it?!?! Them miraculously they make the cup final one year, then win the cup the year after. The team is now worth triple, and never leaving Pittsburgh. Meanwhile NHL was trying as hard as they could to make Crosby the posterboy of the league, but "Mr. Badass" Ovechkin kept stealing his thunder....a cup was all Crosby needed to earn the poster for all the suckers who think he's better than Ovechkin.

-NHL is all about ratings....no one will tune in to watch Buffalo, Ottawa, NJ, Philly, etc, etc....in the finals, However, both Canada and USA will tune in for Chi. vs. Det. (a very long standing, and mega huge, rivalry). And they tuned-in in record totals for the Winter Classic between the two teams. Washington and Pittsburg....come on!!!! Crosby vs. Oveckin in the final 4....dream come true for the NHL!!!!!! People will be watching this all across Europe!!! NJ vs. Buff....meh who cares? Even people in those cities wont be watching...

So every time a big market team does well it's evidence of the conspiracy. Every time a smaller market team does well (Calgary vs Tampa?!), it's just the conspirators trying to hide the conspiracy. You can't lose! This is what we call an unfalsifiable theory.

Quoted from Hippochrome

...
-Leafs already have a loyal fan base and tons of money, why give them a cup, until they have to?
...

Are you serious? Do you know how much revenue is lost by not having the Leafs even make the playoffs?!

[quote=435]

Not true.

-Phoenix finished 4th in the west....that's huge for a team with nobody on it. Their best player is Doan, and he only had 54 points all season.........FIX FIX FIX

No their best player is the goalie they got for nothing from the Ducks.

Quoted from jonny_eh

So every time a big market team does well it's evidence of the conspiracy. Every time a smaller market team does well (Calgary vs Tampa?!), it's just the conspirators trying to hide the conspiracy. You can't lose! This is what we call an unfalsifiable theory.

Huh?!? Who said that? Whoever the NHL wants to win, wins.....If its Tampa, so be it. They needed a cup more then anyone back in the day. Look at them now? Same team, and consistently at the bottom of the league....but not leaving Tampa anymore.

The NHL weighs out who needs revenue (Leafs don't need revenue!!!!), and popularity to stay in the city, and pays off the refs accordingly so they get the results they want.

They are first, and foremost, trying to sell the game to the Southern USA and Europe....this was Bettman mandate when he was first brought in (sell the game to the States)...and he's been doing it ever since.

Quoted from Hippochrome

Huh?!? Who said that? Whoever the NHL wants to win, wins.....If its Tampa, so be it. They needed a cup more then anyone back in the day. Look at them now? Same team, and consistently at the bottom of the league....but not leaving Tampa anymore.

The NHL weighs out who needs revenue (Leafs don't need revenue!!!!), and popularity to stay in the city, and pays off the refs accordingly so they get the results they want.

It seems convenient that you can discover some 'reason' behind every success and failure of a team. You're seeing intention where none may exist. So  how can your theory be tested/falsified? Do you predict that the winner of the playoffs will be a team that hasn't won the cup in a while, and is about to go out of business? Is that what happened in the past 5 years?

How do you know what the NHL wants? You just figure out what the NHL wanted after the fact.

Quoted from jonny_eh

How do you know what the NHL wants? You just figure out what the NHL wanted after the fact.

Ive just predicted what the NHL wants.....duh Its the whole point of the thread!

Pit. vs. Was
Chi. vs. Det

final Chi. vs Was

And proof will be seen when Philly beats/upsets NJ, with the same refs who reffed Pittsburgh last year.....which in the end makes it so Pitt plays Was in the dream-come-true situation for the NHL....watch and see, my awesomeness at filtering through Bettmans B.S. league!

As the anti-fan of the Red Wings, I can say with complete conviction that you should never, ever, EVER, bet against them.

one thing that *IS* fixed is the location of the teams.  Sad to say, but I don't think Canada will ever see a new team for a long, long time (if ever).  

Quoted from machine.slave

one thing that *IS* fixed is the location of the teams.  Sad to say, but I don't think Canada will ever see a new team for a long, long time (if ever).  

Well, with the parity of the dollar, that might change, no? Wasn't a big obstacle the high player salaries due to paying all the players in US $?

Because of what happened to BEttman in the Phoenix fiasco; if there is such a thing as "fix", the coyotes are winning the cup this year.

Quoted from The Loafer

Because of what happened to BEttman in the Phoenix fiasco; if there is such a thing as "fix", the coyotes are winning the cup this year.

Desert Dogs will probably end up dust after the first round ... but what a season for that team