Stand up for the Stanley Cup

National Post ^ | December 20, 2012 | Chris Selley

[Squawk 8888]

If the 2012-2013 National Hockey League season is lost because owners and players can’t figure out a suitable way to split billions in revenue somewhat improbably derived from grown men on skates trying to shoot a rubber disc into a net, the Stanley Cup will almost certainly not be awarded for the second time in less than a decade. Realistically it is likely too late to undertake the process of negotiation, threats, litigation and planning that would see it willingly awarded to some other team — most logically the best amateur hockey team in Canada, which was Lord Stanley’s idea in the first place.

This is beyond frustrating. The Cup does not belong to the NHL; rather, the NHL awards it under the terms of a 1947 agreement with the Cup’s trustees. And a group of recreational hockey players won an important, explicit concession from the league during the last lockout: There is nothing preventing the trustees from awarding the Cup to a club of its choosing if the NHL decides not to award it to anyone.

[kearnyirish2]

I’ve taken crap here for standing up for soccer (not the most exciting sport, but on the international level it is fun to watch - with no commericials), but I don’t think professional hockey is much better off than soccer in the US. When the NJ Devils would win the Stanley Cup they would literally parade around the parking lot of the arena; now that they are playing in Newark they could have a real parade route with no fans lining it (and the hubcaps would be stripped from their convertibles).

When the economy gets tough I’d imagine the first thing to go is tickets to sports events; certainly seems to be the case with the NY Giants and Jets (and the Giants are a real team).

[wrcase]

College hockey in Canada only exists as a club sport at best. Canadian colleges used to be very difficult to get into (perhaps they still are)and Canadian hockey players who want to go to college come to US and play. You’re probably thinking of the Junior Hockey Leagues where most pros begin. College sports are only big in the USA.

[Wilum]

Utica has been a long time hockey town from the early 1950’s with the Clinton Comets of the old Eastern Hockey League. Utica has been starving for a hockey team. UC started playing at the Aud about 5 years ago and, every year it drew more and more people. It is D-III but you put those kids on ice with a crowd of at least 3000 every home game and you get some pretty good hockey. Incidentally the Aud was used for some of the scenes in Slap-Shot

[Wilum]

Hope to see you there.

[Dartman]

Women’s Olympic hockey teams from Canada and the States play each other in best of 7 tournament. Winner gets Lord Stanley.