National Hockey League 2018-2019

Some Hockey Culture.

First, a sincere 'thanks' to all who have tolerated my clear Masshole tendencies. I thought I'd do a bit of a ramble about Why Hockey History Matters plus a couple other stray thoughts. As always, YMMV.

Who cares what happened in the 30's? 50's? 70's?
The shortest answer I can find is: cultural identity. Like some soccer teams in other parts of the world, or pitiful NYC baseball teams, some sports organizations are profoundly embedded and intertwined with the history of their city. In Boston, Ted Williams is not only revered for playing baseball, but for volunteering to serve in TWO wars during the height of his career.

When your family has rooted for a team for a century, the currents run deep. This is why Bostonians love the Red Sox and Bruins more than the Celtics and Patriots, albeit the other two are slowly ascending to equal status.

Yeah that's nice, but it's 2019. They're all from Canada anyways. Aren't we talking about "interchangeable parts?" (to quote Morrissey)
Yes and no. There are two parts of hockey history that are worth knowing, and play a role in the current make up of teams.

Remarkably, for many decades the dimensions of NHL rinks were not standard. Specifically, the area in the corners (behind the goal line) had different shapes and depths. Teams like Montreal had more ice area - and so for decades, favored faster, "flashy" players. Conversely, Toronto and Boston had 'smaller' rinks; here is where the Big, Bad Bruins (dating back to Eddie Shore, through the Kraut Line up to Cashman, Hodges, Bucyk and yes, Lucic) got their DNA.

Even now with uniform dimensions, the imprint of organizational personality is there. Also, the variance between 'standard' rinks is remarkable. Lighting; board character ('bouncy' vs. 'stiff' vs. 'soft'); ice quality (see: Marchand comments on Sunday). They all contribute to the makeup of the team.

Perhaps more important is hockey's legacy as a Sport for the Downtrodden. The Rocket Richard riots were not just a matter of hockey fans supporting their team - it was a an eruption of tension between the Anglo- and Francophone cultures of maritime Canada. And that is a long and never-ending tale; there is still strong separatist sentiment in Quebec/Acadia, and it has become a part of hockey history.

Boston fans who have memories of immigrant grandparents being told "No Irish Need Apply" identify strongly with their Francophone neighbors north of the border; call it cultural appropriation or call it working class solidarity, but attempting to overlook hockey's blue collar history is akin to overlooking the history of basketball in African-American culture. I had a longtime friend who was a drummer in punk bands; at one point he was part of a punk outfit called Slapshot. The connection between punk rock and hockey is obvious to many -- it is something by and for those who grow up with little. And when you don't have much, you defend what you have with murderous vigor.

Toronto has always been the team of the "haves," the rich capital city, whose fans hired bruisers from the eastern provinces to do their dirty work in a diluted echo of what some might call a 'plantation mentality.' This is also why Canadiens and Bruins fans have great mutual respect, alongside their hatred. Frankly, most of Canada hates Leafs fans, as much as Canadians are able to 'hate' something.

Tell me more, you fascinate me.
Junior hockey features 'host families.' In eastern Canada and other parts of the hockey-playing (read: cold-wintered) world, hockey is truly a family and/or community affair. People know people who had future NHL players live with their families for a season, or perhaps even years. Local businesses 'understood' that they were to help 17 year olds with part time jobs; in the Great White North that is Canada, a great many hockey players are raised by communities hundreds of miles from their homes.

Those are some of the reasons why I feel hockey so deeply. Great to see others enjoy.
 
Not new news, but I was happy to read that the Detroit Red Wings hired Steve Yzerman as their new GM. Detroit fans have to ecstatic about that.
 
Toronto out and they will continue to get knocked out in the 1st round until they seriously address their defensive liabilities.
2 years in a row they lasted to game 7 when I thought that they would be out in 5 or 6 - no badge of honour.
 
Ovechkin's bad moment(s) were the two shifts before he got the bum's rush. Running around swinging his stick out of childish frustration - that's a bunch of bullshit.

Told you so about Fleury.
 
The hardest working 140 lbs. in hockey says: "“We believed in this team,’’ Leafs right winger Mitch Marner said. “We had a lot of confidence in this team. When the season ends early, it sucks.’’

“We lost,’’ defenseman Morgan Rielly said. “It’s a feeling we felt before, and it’s not good.’’

“It’s the same s***** feeling as last year,’’ Marner said.

Spoken like true Leafs.
 
Mitch shouldn't hang his head. Consistently one of the best in the league all year. Management needs some reliable D and they F'd that opportunity up when they signed Nylander.
 
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