2012/2013 realignment

[Kin]

As a side note though, how much of a ninja is Gary Bettman proving to be? I don't think there's a thing he couldn't talk the owners into at this point.

Gord Stellick has an interesting quote from Bob Goodenow in his latest article:

"Over 80 per cent of the owners are beholden to Gary Bettman for their being allowed to join the exclusive NHL ownership fraternity," Goodenow said. "And he makes sure that they realize they are beholden to him.

"He can count on their votes when required and he is also often responsible for influencing and advising who they hire for senior management positions. Such is his power and control."

Hey, if his job is to earn them money there's not much you can say against the guy. Odds are he'll walk over the PA in the CBA negotiation and after that, I mean, he could walk away from the game as successful a commissioner as the sport's had.

 

[cw]

As a side note though, how much of a ninja is Gary Bettman proving to be? I don't think there's a thing he couldn't talk the owners into at this point.

Gord Stellick has an interesting quote from Bob Goodenow in his latest article:

"Over 80 per cent of the owners are beholden to Gary Bettman for their being allowed to join the exclusive NHL ownership fraternity," Goodenow said. "And he makes sure that they realize they are beholden to him.

"He can count on their votes when required and he is also often responsible for influencing and advising who they hire for senior management positions. Such is his power and control."

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/opinion/2011/12/stellicktricity-realignment-vote-no-surprise.html

The owners are not as beholden to Bettman for getting them into the club because they had to pony up the dough, often in circumstances that had considerable risk. It's not like there's been a gigantic list of bidders routinely for any particular club and they needed Bettman's thumb on the scale to get them in as the winning bid.

But he has managed them well through some turbulent waters and won some resounding victories with the CBA or Balsillie, etc. It there and how right he was in those legal and financial situations where they "owe" him.

I also think years down the road, when NHL business historians look back, they'll be far more favorable of his vision for expansion than most are now.

 

[cw]

Not tricky at all. I came up with those four names in two seconds. I can't think of more deserving names than those.

I don't know. I can think of a name that's on the Cup that's on the cup roughly twice as often as those four names combined.

Whose name is on there roughly 26 times?

As a guess, probably Richard (combining both brothers though). Didn't both win some off the ice as well as on?

11 Henri and 8 for the Rocket. Henri was a nice little player but that strikes me as a little odd to fuss over his 11.

Beliveau is on a number of times as a player and a member of the Canadiens front office but he'd be well short of 26. A number of those were as a goodwill exec like Wendel Clark is now - not very directly integral to those Cup wins.

 

[Redleaf]

Ho many cups does Scotty Bowman have under his belt in some capacity or another?

 

[cw]

Ho many cups does Scotty Bowman have under his belt in some capacity or another?

9 as coach plus 3 others

 

[Redleaf]

Ho many cups does Scotty Bowman have under his belt in some capacity or another?

9 as coach plus 3 others

Not really sure what name Nik is talking about. Nik, care to elaborate?

 

[Sucker Punch]

This is a good trivia question (assuming we are looking for someone in the neighbourhood of 26 cups, and Nik wasn't exaggerating).  Toe Blake came to mind, but wikipedia has him at 11.

Jacques Lemaire at 11 too.

 

[bustaheims]

Based on what I can find, Beliveau's total of 17 is the most for any individual.

 

[bustaheims]

Not tricky at all. I came up with those four names in two seconds. I can't think of more deserving names than those.

I don't know. I can think of a name that's on the Cup that's on the cup roughly twice as often as those four names combined.

Whose name is on there roughly 26 times?

Twice the players listed would be 24 - 4 each for Gretz and Howe, 2 each for Lemieux and Orr equals 12.

 

[Sucker Punch]

Maybe it's a trick question, and the answer is "Montreal Canadiens" or something.

 

[bustaheims]

Maybe it's a trick question, and the answer is "Montreal Canadiens" or something.

No, I'm pretty sure Nik meant Beliveau when he said "roughly twice as much" - even though that's a slight exaggeration. It was cw that put a number on it.

 

[cw]

Not tricky at all. I came up with those four names in two seconds. I can't think of more deserving names than those.

I don't know. I can think of a name that's on the Cup that's on the cup roughly twice as often as those four names combined.

Whose name is on there roughly 26 times?

Twice the players listed would be 24 - 4 each for Gretz and Howe, 2 each for Lemieux and Orr equals 12.

Lemieux won one as an owner

 

[bustaheims]

Lemieux won one as an owner

So he did. My bad.

 

[Bullfrog]

Difficult to single out the 4 most worthy Surnames in all of hockey history I think.

Not really. Gretzky, Orr, Howe, Lemieux. There that was pretty easy if that's the route they want to take with this.

In about the same 2 seconds I came up with the exact same names without even reading your post. That says something, I think.

 

[Zee]

Conferences should be Bower, Sittler, Palmateer and Clark

 

[brothert]

What about

Ballard, Wirtz, Moyes, McNall

 

[Kin]

How about Roy? Or Hasek? How do you measure the contributions of the greatest goalies of all time vs. the better position players?

That's why I think it should be traditional and reflect the history of the league. There's no real way to narrow it down to the four best or most important players in the history of the game.

 

[maplesyrup]

And why do folks limit their decisions to just players? What about builders?

 

[maplesyrup]

What about;

Orange = Pacific
Yellow = Western
Blue = Eastern
Green = Atlantic

... No controversy. No hurt feelings.

 

[Redleaf]

Not tricky at all. I came up with those four names in two seconds. I can't think of more deserving names than those.

I don't know. I can think of a name that's on the Cup that's on the cup roughly twice as often as those four names combined.

Nik. Is that name Stanley?