|
Update - Hartman gets 2, is that enough to enact change? |
|
|
|
|
|
Follow me on Twitter
Update:Hartman got 2. Minnesota’s issues are much bigger internally as head coach and an assistant were let go. Main issue, 2 isn’t going to cause Hartman to change or even rethink his game.
Wings fans have seen over and over a double standard in terms of penalties and punishments. Last year, Larkin was demonized by the NHL talking heads for his hit on Oshie, but after receiving the identical hit in his next game no one cared. Between the blatant disregard and double standard as well as “lotto luck”, Bettman has held true to his unconcealed rage at the championship teams that happened without his consent. The stories of how some of the most important players to Detroit’s turn (some of which are still hard to believe) and the response of a lack of All Star Games or considerations for league events were GBs way of getting back his pound of flesh. However, something has changed.
Some of you have commented on it, some have seen it. There is genuine enthusiasm around the team at the fan level. That translates into ticket sales and HRR. With other teams falling off, Detroit may have found itself an unlikely ally in the oft demonized commissioner. When Bally asked in court to specifically be able to hold on to sporting broadcasts around the Great Lakes, that was another sign that something has changed. For a company going out of business, Bally is putting a lot into the Red Wings broadcasts.
No small part of Detroit’s excitement is the ability to see Yzerman and Lidstrom in the GM box along with appearances by Zetterberg for good measure. The addition of Debrincat was not just good for goal tallies, it was good for fan excitement. For those of you who love the game and come by often, Compher and Gostisbehere look to be an even better add than once thought. The conversation on goalie value has changed a bit, and there is excited back and forth in the comments as you book the territory, talk about pairings and extensions. From front office to fan, there is a different attitude.
Detroit is a city that, in the course of my lifetime, is lifted by sports. From the “Bless you Boys” 1984 Tigers, to the “Bad Boy” back to back Pistons, 4 Stanley Cups with one team having hall of fame players on almost every line. (No, I don’t think some of the players who have 4 rings should be in the hall, but Luc Robitaille on the 4th line was a deserving add). Brett Hull was on the 3rd line! Yzerman, Shanny, Fedorov, Lidstrom, Chelios. 2002 was an embarrassment of riches.
So, it felt like the 2 for 1 penalty Hartman got during a dust up with Seider that put Detroit on the power play was the “make up call”. That, in the past, is about the best Detroit fans could hope for. Not this time. That slew foot (unlike the one on Mantha that pushed a rib through his lung years ago against Toronto) is going to get some extra attention. Bruins fans are quite unhappy right now as Trouba seemed to skate unscathed from a nasty high stick. NYR is a dollar powerhouse for the league. Boston fans are feeling a healthy dose of disenfranchised based anger right now.
Yzerman coming to Detroit wasn’t just the beginning of an era, it was the end of an era. He’d taken Tampa Bay into a realm of profitability and success that the NHL desperately needed. He was also just a player when some of the biggest fights surrounding the team went down behind the scenes. From the Karmanos/Fedorov issue that ended with the dissolution of the Red Wings name and logo being used on what became the Plymouth Whalers (now the Flint Firebirds) to the aforementioned acquisition of players in unsavory and covert ways. (The bag of cash followed by a defenseman snuck off of a military base and out of the country still makes the rounds). Detroit had gone head to head with the league and came out (temporarily) on top. When the fall happened, salt was ready to be poured into wounds.
Regardless of personal thoughts on league leadership, you can make life difficult by upsetting the cart. Hockey is one of the last pro North American sports where players have such little say. However, if a team is helping make the league look good, life can be better.
Regardless of how the Hartman situation is handled, it at least made it to point where it seems that suspension is imminent. This isn’t Shea Weber smashing Zetterberg’s head into the class and breaking his helmet in 3 places. (Just got fined for that). It seems that Yzerman’s effort to rebuild the team has also resulted in the league having to take notice as league wide the drama is at near soap opera levels.
Let me know what you think the ruling will be, and who you think is impacting the squad the most. Compher and Gostisbehere are getting a lot of votes right now. Tomorrow we’re going to look at some preseason predictions and allow for adjustments if they are desired. Some players may overperform expectations, and that’s is a welcome sign to be sure.
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»