Random Hockey Observations

[SBriand 4]

???Get Center Ice.

???I refuse to pay for hockey. I didn't have to pay for games before so I surely ain't starting now. Especially when my cable providers in town do not offer any HD games. I think we can all agree that SD hockey is lame potatoes.I don't need every single hockey game. What I need or desire is watching a double header on Thursday night. Maybe another a late game on Wednesday. Maybe some games on Monday. And center ice doesn't help me watch Mtl/Wash games during the playoffs.

[Zach6668 513]

I don't watch every single NHL game, but $15/month is completely an insignificant amount to get to choose which games I want to watch.I don't feel sorry for people who whine about wanting to see games, but ignore the methods that are available for watching games.

[JoeyJoJo 20]

If ESPN is offering the same distribution as VS/NBC, he'd have gone with them.

Versus and NBC show 54 games in the regular season. You're telling me that ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC wouldn't come up with that many?But it's more than just that. NHL Tonight, the nightly highlight show was cancelled after ESPN didn't need to promote hockey. During the regular season they only show a few minutes worth of NHL highlights on Sportscenter. All of their coverage gets pushed to a lower priority. I don't know about Canadian television, but ESPN is HUGE in America. Fans watch what ESPN promotes. In my opinion, after the lockout, the NHL should've made sure their games were still on ESPN, even if that meant giving it to them for free.

[Zach6668 513]

Yeah, I agree about ESPN.I don't know enough about the inside workings of their deal, but because I trust that Bettman tries to do what is best for hockey (this is a personal stance, obviously not universal among hockey fans or pundits), I'm guessing ESPN wasn't offering something that rivaled VS at the time.It could be different now that hockey has grown a lot since the lockout, of course, and I think Gary will jump at getting it on ESPN if he has a chance.Remember, in 2005, nobody wanted anything to do with hockey, especially ESPN. They would have buried it on something other than their main network, I would bet, and probably wouldn't have done a ton to promote it.ESPN certainly wasn't going to add a bunch of games late in the season like VS did this year, the rest of their programming is too important.I agree that getting it on ESPN results in getting it prominently on Sports Center, and then it's own weekly update show, etc. Those are important.

[SBriand 4]

I don't watch every single NHL game, but $15/month is completely an insignificant amount to get to choose which games I want to watch.I don't feel sorry for people who whine about wanting to see games, but ignore the methods that are available for watching games.

I don't think I asked for pity tbh.Where I come from I have to pay a lump sum of money to get Center Ice. And too me it is a ridic amount of money. I don't know if it comes out to $15/month but I know it is enough money where it would be unwise for someone in my situation to spend it. I have a house, cars, insurance, adoption, and a jobless wife. Due to the loss of her job we have lost our home. We are moving at the end of April. So while it may seem insignificant to you doesn't mean it will be insignificant across the board. Even if I wasn'tin my situation I would not spend that money for SD games. Also, I have an issue with spending money for something that didn't cost me money before. Now it looks like a pity party but still not my intention. I just don't think you getting my points before.

[JoeyJoJo 20]

It could be different now that hockey has grown a lot since the lockout, of course, and I think Gary will jump at getting it on ESPN if he has a chance.

This goes back to that original Twitter comment I posted. Here's the next one:Totally. 100%. ESPN has wanted the NHL back for 2 yrs. Bettman is rooster-blocking. RT @wolvie75: Jilted lover syndrome on Bettman's part?

[Zach6668 513]

Yeah, that's fair.I usually do lump sum too, but that doesn't mean it can't be a monthly payment. Figure out the total, divide by 12 and put it away each month as an "expense".I understand not being able to afford to buy CI, but I don't get how that entitles you to better "free" coverage. I would rather have all games free in HD, but it's not practical. Of course, I don't know what the US coverage is like exactly, but VS shows at least 2 games per week, and NBC once per week after the Winter Classic. So that's 3 games per week right there. In Canada, we get 2 on CBC per week, and then TSN does 2-4 per week, between TSN and TSN2.Do you really think ESPN is going to put on more than 3 hockey games per week? Maybe, but I don't think it's that clear cut or obvious. Poker draws better for them, or it did in 2005, anyways.

[ajs510 122]

Now it looks like a pity party but still not my intention. I just don't think you getting my points before.

I'm probably not getting them either, but http://www.atdhe.net/index.html almost always has every hockey game of the night available. The NHL has been cracking down on copyright infringement for the playoffs, but during the reg season I could watch any game I wanted right there.

[Zach6668 513]

I don't typically do the "illegal" sites, but I discovered a Justin.tv app for my iPhone, and I've been streaming games live on that while I've been away from my TV, for the last week or so.

[ajs510 122]

I don't typically do the "illegal" sites, but I discovered a Justin.tv app for my iPhone, and I've been streaming games live on that while I've been away from my TV, for the last week or so.

Almost all the streams linked to on that site *are* JustinTV.

[Zach6668 513]

I dunno what you mean.

[ajs510 122]

I dunno what you mean.

I mean someone decides to stream a hockey game on JTV, then ATDHE links to that stream on their site.

[Zach6668 513]

Ah, yeah, makes sense.

[mrdannyg 274]

I suck at using justin.tv. Can never find anything on there, unless it links from adthe.It has been harder to use adthe in the playoffs, but I almost always have a game on, without even getting cable. Sportsnet/TSN ftw.

[ajs510 122]

I don't know the technicals, but they link from justin.tv streams. Same thing.It has been harder to use adthe in the playoffs, but I almost always have a game on, without even getting cable. Sportsnet/TSN ftw.

Thanks for the recap Danny.

[SBriand 4]

Yeah, that's fair.I usually do lump sum too, but that doesn't mean it can't be a monthly payment. Figure out the total, divide by 12 and put it away each month as an "expense".I understand not being able to afford to buy CI, but I don't get how that entitles you to better "free" coverage. I would rather have all games free in HD, but it's not practical. Of course, I don't know what the US coverage is like exactly, but VS shows at least 2 games per week, and NBC once per week after the Winter Classic. So that's 3 games per week right there. In Canada, we get 2 on CBC per week, and then TSN does 2-4 per week, between TSN and TSN2.Do you really think ESPN is going to put on more than 3 hockey games per week? Maybe, but I don't think it's that clear cut or obvious. Poker draws better for them, or it did in 2005, anyways.

We get what, 3 games a week. Before ESPN left we got games on I believe Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. First two being double headers. So 5 games a week just on ESPN and another 5 games a week on ESPN 2. So up to 10 games a week. Would it be that way now? No. Probably not. But more than 3 I think. And JJJ did remind me about nightly NHL show. I do miss that. We get nothing like that in the US except a 4 minutes spot on sportscenter with Barry Melrose making stupid comments.

[Zach6668 513]

Meh, I think we can all agree on something.Just move to Canada.

[SBriand 4]

Meh, I think we can all agree on something.Just move to Canada.

Pretty much!

[ajs510 122]

We get what, 3 games a week. Before ESPN left we got games on I believe Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. First two being double headers. So 5 games a week just on ESPN and another 5 games a week on ESPN 2. So up to 10 games a week. Would it be that way now? No. Probably not. But more than 3 I think. And JJJ did remind me about nightly NHL show. I do miss that. We get nothing like that in the US except a 4 minutes spot on sportscenter with Barry Melrose making stupid comments.

Is the NHL Network available from your cable provider? I think I pay like $4 a month for that and it's wall-to-wall hockey coverage, including 3-4 games per week. I don't see ESPN coming back anytime soon TBH. Versus' coverage has gotten much better over the past couple years or so, but it's still only a couple nights per week. I get Center Ice just so I can watch any game, anytime I want to but mostly I just watch the Sabres during the regular season so it kinda gets wasted, sadly.

[Zach6668 513]

Oh yeah, NHL Network US is like 1000x better than the Canadian version, fwiw.

[SBriand 4]

Is the NHL Network available from your cable provider? I think I pay like $4 a month for that and it's wall-to-wall hockey coverage, including 3-4 games per week. I don't see ESPN coming back anytime soon TBH. Versus' coverage has gotten much better over the past couple years or so, but it's still only a couple nights per week. I get Center Ice just so I can watch any game, anytime I want to but mostly I just watch the Sabres during the regular season so it kinda gets wasted, sadly.

Ahh yes, sorry I do get the NHL Network. I get maybe 1 extra game I think because being in Detroit I get CBC so at least i get to use the 7pm HNIC game in HD. I really wish we could get a CBC HD channel here. I will be a jerk here but VS annoys me because 75% of the time its an eastern conference game and I am not a big fan of the East. I like the West. I understand that since they only do 7pm games that they have to stick to the east but I wouldn't mind a few more doubleheaders so I can see the West teams play. Usually when they do West teams is the Wings but I already get them and they are boring to watch.

[Zach6668 513]

VS double headers would be nice in the regular season.You should be pretty thankful you have CBC, you're probably one of a handful of markets in the US that does get CBC, fwiw. At least 2 bonus games per week for you.

[SBriand 4]

VS double headers would be nice in the regular season.You should be pretty thankful you have CBC, you're probably one of a handful of markets in the US that does get CBC, fwiw. At least 2 bonus games per week for you.

True. I have had the pleasure of watching CBC even before the invention of Cable. But all they show is those damn Canadian teams.

[ajs510 122]

Ahh yes, sorry I do get the NHL Network. I get maybe 1 extra game I think because being in Detroit I get CBC so at least i get to use the 7pm HNIC game in HD. I really wish we could get a CBC HD channel here. I will be a jerk here but VS annoys me because 75% of the time its an eastern conference game and I am not a big fan of the East. I like the West. I understand that since they only do 7pm games that they have to stick to the east but I wouldn't mind a few more doubleheaders so I can see the West teams play. Usually when they do West teams is the Wings but I already get them and they are boring to watch.

Anytime there's a doubleheader on VS it's going to be Eastern Conference for the early game, Western Conference for the late game (for obvious reasons). There's usually one doubleheader per week during the regular season, and it's been every night for the first round of the playoffs, seems like. Don't get me wrong, I'd love it if ESPN got back into the hockey game for 3-4 HD games per week, but I just don't see it happening. Have to embrace the alternatives or cheat and watch the games online whenever possible.

[ajs510 122]

True. I have had the pleasure of watching CBC even before the invention of Cable. But all they show is those damn Canadian teams.

That's no way to talk about your prospective adoptive country Steve.