A good number of teams like Rockford operate out of small buildings. Rockford has seating for about 6,250. If they were hypothetically moved up in a soccer type system, how are they supposed to compete financially?
- EKolb13

Pretty much all of these questions and concerns have been answered by the soccer systems the rest of the worlds go; and there are more than a few options.

Some leagues say the B team can't be promoted to the same division their A team is (Spanish leagues). Others let teams between leagues form their own agreements. If their minor league team gets promoted to the same league, then the link is broken and they have to find new minor league teams.

Sometimes there are criteria for a team to get promoted (i.e., a stadium with 10k seats -- see Scottish premier league).

What I like about the system is that it's pure capitalism and rewards well run teams and can sinks poorly run teams into a league they can afford to be in.

Of course, just like pure capitalism, it's easier for the mega-rich to skew the system (see the middle eastern and russian oil barons that run teams in the English premier league). Of course, dumping lots of money in a team does not mean success.

Socialism works as in NFL if the pot can grow large enough to satisfy biggest mkts and weak sisters....Otherwise, as in the way it works with a society there isn't enough money to go aound.

If there is a contraction it can't be from 30 to 12 largest mkts otherwise there won't be much national appeal for TV and media coverage.

If costs and arena availability was greater another league could form in the US.

But as it is now I think ticket prices in most US cities are closer to the point of excess rather than a good value.

NFL works for mnay reasons but there are only 16 regular season games.....
- Al

True enough, but you still have the smaller market teams (in the NFL) that rarely if ever compete as there is not much of an incentive to spend more money, spend money more efficiently or provide a better product when you know you are going to make a profit either way.

I don't disagree that there should be smaller market teams and they should be helped to a certain extent in expanding markets. However, organizations that are consistently in the red on a perpetual business need to be seriously rethought.

That's where the RS plans need to be fixed. Teams getting a given amt of money SHALL spend said monies on their roster to fit into a cap/sill window.

EDIT: As Al put it yesterday or the day before, there is a way socialized sports works for all the teams in all the leagues. They just have to find the sweet spot. But let this be no surprise, the NHL has mutated to MLB-on-ice when it comes to the CBA: Big market vs small market.
- blackhawk24

MLB doesn't have a cap floor, which would require the Pittsburghs to at least spend to the minimum.

MLB doesn't have a cap floor, which would require the Pittsburghs to at least spend to the minimum.
- StLBravesFan

That's why I said the RS plans have to be fixed...

I like the way you think. Fatty for President.
- Ogilthorpe2

Ha, I would probably be considered an extremist. Freedom seems like a rather passe notion to both parties.

Totally knee-jerk, this, but I will give up on this league when the first games are cancelled.
i don't care who is at fault, and i have no political comparisons for the NHLPA, or owners.
i just want hockey, and I want it on schedule.

Yzerman/Federov would be my choice but the other two could be still getting better....

I don't like to compare teams against each other from different times....
But I do have a strong opinion concerning post lockout.

The Hawks were the deepest team and would have beaten everyone since the lockout.

The Bruins were good and had a cinderella playoff but they wouldn't have beaten the Hawks without Savard and Bergeron.
- Al

Yeah it is tough to compare other eras. I can't imagine the Hawks facing the Oilers or Isles. Or any of the Hab dynasties. But I agree with you on the Hawks. I think they would have beaten the post-lockout teams

Pretty much any of the teams from the last 5-6 seasons in each conference would make for an interesting match-up.

'Hawks & 'guins
B's & 'Hawks
Kings & B's
Wings & Devils
'Hawks & Devils
B's & Nux ... oh wait, that did happen.
- blackhawk24

You are right. And the Bruins and Nux was a great series. Especially the outcome. Bruins and L.A. Would be great. Same with us against the Pens.

He is one of the best prospect writers out there. Odd that he has Pirri so high.
- John Jaeckel

Pirri looks like a legit NHL player to me and as you know to be listed at all that's the 1st criteria....But what is odd is the lack of respect he has been shown by the present Hawks "administration".

There were many many opportunities for Pirri to be rewared with an exended stay in Chgo last season but he barely got a sniff.

The AHL is a far cry from the NHL but he was the only forward last year that had an All Star like season, really no one else was close in Rockford.

It smells like a PA Parenteau type of case whereby the best thing for Pirri will be to move on and get a chance somewhere else.

As much smoke is blown with some Ice Hog forwards no one had the consistency or performance as Pirri did last season without any fanfare or reward from management.

Interesting....

On Twitter@AlCimaglia

MLB doesn't have a cap floor, which would require the Pittsburghs to at least spend to the minimum.
- StLBravesFan

One of the most useless things in the current CBA is the cap floor.

One of the most useless things in the current CBA is the cap floor.
- Al

Because it's too high and not properly tied to the cap - all it does in the NHL is raise salaries of mid-level players

But you need a properly-constructed floor to make sue teams getting welfare don't just pocket it like the Pirates but put at least some of it into player salaries.

Because it's too high and not properly tied to the cap - all it does in the NHL is raise salaries of mid-level players

But you need a properly-constructed floor to make sue teams getting welfare don't just pocket it like the Pirates but put at least some of it into player salaries.
- StLBravesFan

There wouldn't be welfare because at some point teams that don't spend to compete would be eliminated.

Forcing a team to spend an arbitrary amount, no matter the metrics is not an efficient use of capital.

Money needs to be put into the infrastructure so drafting and
scouting can be top notch....The salary floor has nothing to do with that and those things are far more important for lasting success

Pirri looks like a legit NHL player to me and as you know to be listed at all that's the 1st criteria....But what is odd is the lack of respect he has been shown by the present Hawks "administration".

There were many many opportunities for Pirri to be rewared with an exended stay in Chgo last season but he barely got a sniff.

The AHL is a far cry from the NHL but he was the only forward last year that had an All Star like season, really no one else was close in Rockford.

It smells like a PA Parenteau type of case whereby the best thing for Pirri will be to move on and get a chance somewhere else.

As much smoke is blown with some Ice Hog forwards no one had the consistency or performance as Pirri did last season without any fanfare or reward from management.

Interesting....

On Twitter@AlCimaglia
- Al

Right on with Pirri. All he has done everywhere: 1st year in college, 1st year in ahl is pproduce and big time. He is doing everything now, too. Like going overseas a little while ago to work on skating. He is in town now practicing with Toews and the others. He actually took the body more than I thought when he was up here. Eli can talk more about how he looks with the Hogs. They say he needs to improve on the D side and less perimeter play, I guess

Pirri looks like a legit NHL player to me and as you know to be listed at all that's the 1st criteria....But what is odd is the lack of respect he has been shown by the present Hawks "administration".

There were many many opportunities for Pirri to be rewared with an exended stay in Chgo last season but he barely got a sniff.

The AHL is a far cry from the NHL but he was the only forward last year that had an All Star like season, really no one else was close in Rockford.

It smells like a PA Parenteau type of case whereby the best thing for Pirri will be to move on and get a chance somewhere else.

As much smoke is blown with some Ice Hog forwards no one had the consistency or performance as Pirri did last season without any fanfare or reward from management.

Interesting....

On Twitter@AlCimaglia
- Al

Is Pirri ready to be our 2nd line centre?

Totally knee-jerk, this, but I will give up on this league when the first games are cancelled.
- InvisibleOrange

That is totally knee jerk because you totally won't give up on the league if games are cancelled.

Is Pirri ready to be our 2nd line centre?
- DarthKane

He could have been given a nice look see last season?? My gut says if Q. is around Pirri won't see much time in Chgo.

I have heard Q. isn't overly impressed...That appears obvious to me.

Q. can change his mind and maybe Bowman will help.

Or they could both view Pirri only as a vg AHL player and not ready for prime time??

He could have been given a nice look see last season?? My gut says if Q. is around Pirri won't see much time in Chgo.

I have heard Q. isn't overly impressed...That appears obvious to me.

Q. can change his mind and maybe Bowman will help.

Or they could both view Pirri only as a vg AHL player and not ready for prime time??
- Al

You are likely correct about Q's position on Pirri but it may have been reached at a time when the kid just wasn't ready for the NHL. Of course, he, like every other NHL coach wants a 6"5" 225 lb center who can fly, hit like a linebacker and play both the PP and PK.

But guess what Joel, you arent getting one of those, especially with Stanley in the GM chair.

Pirri never played Major Junior in Canada, has 40 NCAA college games and now about 2 seasons worth of time in the AHL - all at the age of 21. The kid is going to play in the NHL - somewhere and soon.

And my guess is that Bowman is going to push it down Q's throat, sort of like he did with Patrick Kane.

I can't see anything wrong with giving the kid a shot at the #2 C position and moving Kane back to the wing with Toews. And that would be much cheaper than spending resources to acquire Sam Gagner who is approximately the same kind of player. And surely to God Pirri wouldn't hurt the performance of that miserable powerplay.

I can never figure out why some smaller guys are given a chance and others aren't. Even though some had doubts about Kane, he still went #1 and right to the nhl where he has been highly successful. A guy like Pirri has been successful everywhere he has been and never really got a chance. He isn't as skilled as Kane, but he isn't that far off. The AHL is full of highly skilled little men while there are a lot of unskilled roid heads at the nhl level. Not just a 4th line goon getting 5 minutes of icetime, either.

I can never figure out why some smaller guys are given a chance and others aren't. Even though some had doubts about Kane, he still went #1 and right to the nhl where he has been highly successful. A guy like Pirri has been successful everywhere he has been and never really got a chance. He isn't as skilled as Kane, but he isn't that far off. The AHL is full of highly skilled little men while there are a lot of unskilled roid heads at the nhl level. Not just a 4th line goon getting 5 minutes of icetime, either.
- tomcat24

You did figure it out. That's it: Skilled --- Kaner sees the ice well, can make the killer pass, is pretty quick and a solid perimeter guy. If he can add some size over the next few years and treat his own zone like he's done on the offencive side, he'd a a league-wide top-5 player.