Jeremy Laura: Wings Prospect development, disagreeing with Alan Walsh

It’s almost a month away but I am going to the red wings @ blues on December 12th. It’s my birthday. Haven’t been to a game in a few seasons. Used to go to a lot. Good to see Perron again. Husso as well

I know some folks don't like talking financials, but it's the single-most important aspect of the game. I don't understand all of it, but I get enough to know that the league is in deep doo-doo. There are 10's of thousands of devoted fans, to be sure. But those fans cannot carry teams to financial success. Growth is a must, but that starts with accessibility. By that, I mean growth from youth on up. The game is expensive right from the start. Skates, pads, sticks....the list goes on. There's just not enough grass-roots accessibility. Thus, hockey becomes a niche sport....generally speaking. Add i the fact that it requires ice!

Owners are master at hiding financials as witness by the 1/2bn $$ underwater findings from the OTT sale. This is, surely, the tip of the ice berg. Hockey isn't the NFL, lost billions because of C-19 & other efforts to win fans. The streaming dumpster-fire and black-out rules are killers as well. Arizona needs to move or fold. No other choice. There are surely other teams costing the leafue, who feels the need to keep teams afloat. Sooner or later, that is going to kill the game and contraction is inevitable. Just my thoughts.

Eddy should hace more time to grow into his body and the NA game. Mazur & Bergy are probably the 1st call-ups. Hirose is a great AHLer, but doesn't transfer to the NHL at all. Sods needs a full year. ZAR might get a call-up, but he's not doing much of anything. Getts looks good. Kasper needs a full season, looks lost. Newpower? GR is in trouble. They need to turn up the heat. Their play seems to mirror DRW; both have talent but need to right their collective ships.

This will be an unpopular opinion, but the NHL should have started mandating the ability to configure all new arenas for international ice dimensions. Obviously it would take time until all barns were replaced but it’s something that could have been worked towards. NHL brass decided long ago that the best way to grow the game was to increase scoring. All they had to do was get rid of the left wing lock, which they did, but they also decided to make it a game of special teams which ruins the flow of 5v5, which is always where you get the most speed.

Modern players are so fast and there’s very little room to work. Just a few strides and they’re across the ice. With the extra space would come more room for skill players to shine and a lot more room for creativity. The NHL wants to reduce body contact and bigger dimensions would naturally lead to that. I know it’ll never happen now, but I think long term, it would have been better for the game.

I know some folks don't like talking financials, but it's the single-most important aspect of the game. I don't understand all of it, but I get enough to know that the league is in deep doo-doo. There are 10's of thousands of devoted fans, to be sure. But those fans cannot carry teams to financial success. Growth is a must, but that starts with accessibility. By that, I mean growth from youth on up. The game is expensive right from the start. Skates, pads, sticks....the list goes on. There's just not enough grass-roots accessibility. Thus, hockey becomes a niche sport....generally speaking. Add i the fact that it requires ice!

Owners are master at hiding financials as witness by the 1/2bn $$ underwater findings from the OTT sale. This is, surely, the tip of the ice berg. Hockey isn't the NFL, lost billions because of C-19 & other efforts to win fans. The streaming dumpster-fire and black-out rules are killers as well. Arizona needs to move or fold. No other choice. There are surely other teams costing the leafue, who feels the need to keep teams afloat. Sooner or later, that is going to kill the game and contraction is inevitable. Just my thoughts.

Eddy should hace more time to grow into his body and the NA game. Mazur & Bergy are probably the 1st call-ups. Hirose is a great AHLer, but doesn't transfer to the NHL at all. Sods needs a full year. ZAR might get a call-up, but he's not doing much of anything. Getts looks good. Kasper needs a full season, looks lost. Newpower? GR is in trouble. They need to turn up the heat. Their play seems to mirror DRW; both have talent but need to right their collective ships.
- mcmastermike1968

When I was in high school, the area I lived in had 26 HS teams and dozens and dozens of house and travel teams. Today, there’s only one HS team left that isn’t combined with other schools, maybe one house team per age group and less than one travel team per age group.

My son is a 2000, he played most of his youth in Saginaw and Midland before switching to the Detroit area. Those rinks were always packed. I think this year, there are less than 5 travel teams between both cities and about that for house teams. In my opinion, it’s all about cost. The sticks are over $300 and skates are now at a $1000. Ice is over $300/hour and like many other sports, you have to play travel if you have any hope of making your HS team.

I remember growing up in the Flint area. They had a program where you’d turn in last year’s gear and swap it out for this years. You could rent skates from Perani’s until your feet stopped growing. You could get a dozen sticks for under $100. It was an affordable sport and it’s just not anymore for the majority of Americans. I don’t know what the solution is, but I saw a massive reduction in the number of players and teams from my youth days to my son’s and a massive reduction from my son’s youth days to today. You can see on MyHockeyRankings the reduced number of teams per age group from year to year and it’s not a good sign for the future of the sport.

When I was in high school, the area I lived in had 26 HS teams and dozens and dozens of house and travel teams. Today, there’s only one HS team left that isn’t combined with other schools, maybe one house team per age group and less than one travel team per age group.

My son is a 2000, he played most of his youth in Saginaw and Midland before switching to the Detroit area. Those rinks were always packed. I think this year, there are less than 5 travel teams between both cities and about that for house teams. In my opinion, it’s all about cost. The sticks are over $300 and skates are now at a $1000. Ice is over $300/hour and like many other sports, you have to play travel if you have any hope of making your HS team.

I remember growing up in the Flint area. They had a program where you’d turn in last year’s gear and swap it out for this years. You could rent skates from Perani’s until your feet stopped growing. You could get a dozen sticks for under $100. It was an affordable sport and it’s just not anymore for the majority of Americans. I don’t know what the solution is, but I saw a massive reduction in the number of players and teams from my youth days to my son’s and a massive reduction from my son’s youth days to today. You can see on MyHockeyRankings the reduced number of teams per age group from year to year and it’s not a good sign for the future of the sport.
- bluelineenforcer

👍😓

If Allen Walsh were really pro-player, he would get behind expansion ONLY if it would benefit his existing members by relieving some of the escrow payments. But like any big union boss, he is looking forward to gaining more members.

Loved Holmstrom as well... one of my favorite players..

Loved Holmstrom as well... one of my favorite players..
- angryagain

My father in law doesn’t really get into sports, but whenever he could watch Homer play he would sit down in the rocker. Absolutely loved it

If Allen Walsh were really pro-player, he would get behind expansion ONLY if it would benefit his existing members by relieving some of the escrow payments. But like any big union boss, he is looking forward to gaining more members.
- HenryHockey

He just admitted that 30 jobs were lost due to teams with no room, and knows what players are paying. Until AZ has a proper building and WPG and San Jose can get paying fans back in the building, it makes zero sense