• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

2018-19 Miscellaneous News Thread

Was looking at today's NHL schedule and noted that games are now on ESPN+ programming. I guess I wasn't paying attention, and know it is not on broadcast ESPN, but when did ESPN acquire NHL rights again? There is also a nightly NHL show on ESPN+ as well. They even have a Canes game on the schedule.

Here is press release - https://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2018/09/2018-19-nhl-season-puck-drops-on-espn-october-4/

This is good news for the NHL in the long term, as the future of watching anything is this Netflix type of model and they are using the NHL as a test. This is how younger people consume TV now and ESPN+ has already crossed 1 million subscribers. Anyone know what ESPN paid the NHL for these rights?

The whole mobile thing blows my mind. My daughter will sit on the couch in our family room, in front of a turned off 75" TV, and watch her shows on her phone. That is insane to me, but I guess I am getting old.
 
Saw that Trotz was not mentioned at all during the Caps banner raising , not even shown in any videos. They don't host the Islanders until Jan 18th.
 
The whole mobile thing blows my mind. My daughter will sit on the couch in our family room, in front of a turned off 75" TV, and watch her shows on her phone. That is insane to me, but I guess I am getting old.

I have a HDMI cable with a lightning adapter plugged into my surround sound receiver so I can hook my iPad or iPhone in to watch stuff on Amazon Prime or any of the shows on network apps. My oldest daughter does the same, my youngest has Apple TV so she can stream.
 
I'm getting old too, but for me, there is still nothing better than paying the $159.99 a season for NHL Center Ice and setting up shop in front of our 4K TV's on the home front and watching hockey all season long from every market around the league. For bang for the buck, that works about to be about $25 a month for the season...or the equivalent of a hot dog and one extra large beer at PNC arena a month!
 
my son is cheap so he finds some bootleg/illegal stream from God knows where and puts it on his TV via HDMI cable from his laptop.
 
my son is cheap so he finds some bootleg/illegal stream from God knows where and puts it on his TV via HDMI cable from his laptop.

How to load up your system with putrid Russian viruses, worms, and Trojans. When you're young you think you're untouchable.
 
Our old friend Cam Ward gives up 7 goals including...wait for it...the overtime winner in a 7-6 loss to the Leafs. 3 games in 4 nights for Old Man Ward.
 
My son and I happened to be watching the last few minutes of that game. Felt sorry for the dude; looks like it's time to settle into the winery business and enjoy time with the family. just brutal, especially that OT winner.
Our old friend Cam Ward gives up 7 goals including...wait for it...the overtime winner in a 7-6 loss to the Leafs. 3 games in 4 nights for Old Man Ward.
 
A bunch of injuries over the weekend. JVR out 5-6 weeks with a lower body injury. Dubinsky out 4-6 weeks with a strained oblique. Luongo and Thornton on IR with knee injuries. Quick on IR with a lower body injury.
 
Wonder what we can get for Mrazeck?

He's not going anywhere. So, nothing. None of these (largely) garbage goalies we've got are going anywhere until we can get our hands on a real No 1 or until we get to next summer when it's time to make a long term decision on Darling. And don't delude yourself that McIlhenney is all that great just because he had one good start. He's the same guy he's always been ... as is Mrazek. Darling is the only wild card in the deck.
 
None of our 3 goalies is going anywhere until we find out who the #1 and #2 guys are. Until then this is an extended audition for each and TD is going to have to carry all three until this settles out.
 
He's not going anywhere. So, nothing. None of these (largely) garbage goalies we've got are going anywhere until we can get our hands on a real No 1 or until we get to next summer when it's time to make a long term decision on Darling. And don't delude yourself that McIlhenney is all that great just because he had one good start. He's the same guy he's always been ... as is Mrazek. Darling is the only wild card in the deck.

Mrazek is just as easy and as a cheap to dump via waivers as Curtis, and with a few more consistent starts like the one he had Friday night, I'd put money on it that Mrazek is waived and/or sent to Charlotte before McIlhenney. Mrazek out of the gate looks just as fragile and inconsistent as Darling did last year, not to mention he looks pretty small in net to boot. As much as I dont see the Canes carrying three goalies for very long, I also think Curtis has a better chance of staying then most people think. He had a solid year last season, covers a lot of net and by all accounts is a great backup guy that does not need to play all that often to stay sharp when called upon. I'm not saying he is the answer in goal for the Canes, but he might be a better option as a veteran backup behind Darling if the plan is to ride Darling to see what he can do as the man most nights.
 
Last edited:
Mrazek is just as easy and as a cheap to dump via waivers as Curtis, and with a few more consistent starts like the one he had Friday night, I'd put money on it that Mrazek is waived and/or sent to Charlotte before McIlhenney. Mrazek out of the gate looks just as fragile and inconsistent as Darling did last year, not to mention he looks pretty small in net to boot. As much as I dont see the Canes carrying three goalies for very long, I also think Curtis has a better chance of staying then most people think. He had a solid year last season, covers a lot of net and by all accounts is a great backup guy that does not need to play all that often to stay sharp when called upon. I'm not saying he is the answer in goal for the Canes, but he might be a better option as a veteran backup behind Darling if the plan is to ride Darling to see what he can do as the man most nights.

Yeah ... my previous comment isn't a statement on the relative merits of the three goaltenders, because that's the point ... there isn't really any difference. Keep one, waive one, keep all three ... it really doesn't matter. Darling is the only one that's going to stick, at least for now, because Darling is the one getting paid like a starter and who actually stands a chance in heck of ever playing like one. The other two are what they are ... backups ... although Mrazek has pretensions of being a starter from his time in playing in Detroit before their entire roster got old and useless at the same time. But talking about the relative merits of waiving Mrazek or McIlhenney is like arguing over which cheap beer is best. It's not the point. It's cheap beer, it's not supposed to be good. Pick one and call it a day.
 
There is a BIG difference between waiving McElhinney and waiving Mrazek.

If you waive Mrazek, there is a pretty decent chance that he will not be claimed. If that ends up being the case the Canes are effectively stuck with him (and his $1.5 million salary). Sure we can put him in the minors if he clears, but doing what, clogging up Charlotte?

If we waive McElhinney there is just about 100% chance he will be claimed at a minimum by the Leafs, who, assuming that no one else has claimed him, will be able to shuttle him directly to the AHL.

Waive Mrazek you might still be stuck with him.

Waive McElhinney he's definitely gone.

Not at all equals.
 
There is a BIG difference between waiving McElhinney and waiving Mrazek.

If you waive Mrazek, there is a pretty decent chance that he will not be claimed. If that ends up being the case the Canes are effectively stuck with him (and his $1.5 million salary). Sure we can put him in the minors if he clears, but doing what, clogging up Charlotte?

If we waive McElhinney there is just about 100% chance he will be claimed at a minimum by the Leafs, who, assuming that no one else has claimed him, will be able to shuttle him directly to the AHL.

Waive Mrazek you might still be stuck with him.

Waive McElhinney he's definitely gone.

Not at all equals.

In the contact and budget sense, yes. In the hockey team structure sense ... meh.
 
There is a BIG difference between waiving McElhinney and waiving Mrazek.

If you waive Mrazek, there is a pretty decent chance that he will not be claimed. If that ends up being the case the Canes are effectively stuck with him (and his $1.5 million salary). Sure we can put him in the minors if he clears, but doing what, clogging up Charlotte?

If we waive McElhinney there is just about 100% chance he will be claimed at a minimum by the Leafs, who, assuming that no one else has claimed him, will be able to shuttle him directly to the AHL.

Waive Mrazek you might still be stuck with him.

Waive McElhinney he's definitely gone.

Not at all equals.

So what ... let Charlotte have 3 goalies in their rotation ... Dundon can afford it. And it's good insurance.
 
All the seats in Little Caesars Arena will be converted from red to black starting in December. Why? Empty black seats don’t show up as poorly on TV as empty red seats. It will be done over several months so events won’t be affected. In the meantime, the seats will be covered with black fabric. As Greg Wyshinski pointed out on Twitter, imagine the outcry if the Canes or Panthers did this.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/sports/little-caesars-arenas-red-seats-be-swapped-black
 
All the seats in Little Caesars Arena will be converted from red to black starting in December. Why? Empty black seats don’t show up as poorly on TV as empty red seats. It will be done over several months so events won’t be affected. In the meantime, the seats will be covered with black fabric. As Greg Wyshinski pointed out on Twitter, imagine the outcry if the Canes or Panthers did this.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/sports/little-caesars-arenas-red-seats-be-swapped-black

Not sure there would be any outcry if they just did it in the offseason and didn't make a big deal out of it. Who the heck around these parts (or Sunrise FL for that matter) would even notice? Oh yeah ... State fans would complain and somebody would probably pick up on it, but talk about a tempest in a teacup. Who could possibly give a crap what color the seats are and why? This just in ... fans don't tend to line up in droves to buy tickets to see crappy teams play. Shocking, I know ... but true.
 
Not sure there would be any outcry if they just did it in the offseason and didn't make a big deal out of it. Who the heck around these parts (or Sunrise FL for that matter) would even notice? Oh yeah ... State fans would complain and somebody would probably pick up on it, but talk about a tempest in a teacup. Who could possibly give a crap what color the seats are and why? This just in ... fans don't tend to line up in droves to buy tickets to see crappy teams play. Shocking, I know ... but true.

It’s not who locally would notice, it’s who nationally would and how quickly we’d see the BS “the Hurricanes/Panthers/Coyotes are moving” tripe.

Fans don’t like to see crappy teams, but the Blackhawks, Pens, Bruins get a pass when fans stay away in droves. But in a “non-traditional” market, it’s first sign of the apocalypse.
 
Back
Top