So the Red Wings are the best team in the league? Well they have the best record.. again. Whatever happened to the whole parity in the NHL thing? It seems like this year the disparity between good and awful teams in the NHL is even greater than before. Phoenix, Florida, Chicago, Washington, Philly, LA, and Edmonton are pretty f'n bad. Ast least as bad as any pre lockout teams.
Speaking of Chicago, last year was the first in the last 10 that I never made the roadie to Chicago for a Wings/Hawks matinee. It's not like that depresses me. The Wings usually spank the Hawks at home, and on top of it the United Center is always full of red and white jerseys.
I'm a wikepia hater but....
The Blackhawks, also, do not televise home games unless they are sold out.William W. ("Dollar Bill") Wirtz (born October 5, 1929 in Detroit, Michigan) is the chief executive officer and controlling shareholder of the family-owned Wirtz Corp.
Wirtz Corp. is most notable as owner of the Chicago Blackhawks; Wirtz Realty, a large real estate owner in Chicago; and Judge & Dolph Ltd., a major liquor distributor selling over 33% of all liquor in Illinois. It also has interests in banking and insurance. Wirtz also co-owns the United Center with Jerry Reinsdorf. Crain's Chicago Business in 2004 estimated the company's 2003 revenues as US$1.3 billion. Overall, it is estimated that Wirtz's holdings (including stock in several companies, including Alberto-Culver and Firstar Bank) are worth about US$3-4 billion.
Wirtz has a reputation for stubbornness and frugality. He is vilified by Blackhawks fans for forbidding Blackhawks home games to be shown on TV and for allowing Bobby Hull to leave the Blackhawks. Wirtz is also blamed for the loss of both Dominik Hasek and Ed Belfour, the sacrilegious trade of Chris Chelios to Detroit (In actuality, Chelios asked to be traded and gave approval to then-General Manager Bob Murray when told Detroit was the most interested team), the lopsided trade of Jeremy Roenick and lastly the 1967 trade of a young Phil Esposito. Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita are so embittered by Wirtz's cheapness that they will have nothing to do with the franchise. Wirtz is also blamed for the Blackhawks Stanley Cup drought, which is the longest in the NHL and the longest in team history.[1]
Under the ownership of Wirtz, the Chicago Blackhawks were named by ESPN as the worst franchise in sports [2].
ESPN has ranked Wirtz as the 3rd greediest owner in all of sports.
Wirtz was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985. He has five children and seven grandchildren.
Wirtz was given the nickname "Dollar Bill" by Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Verdi as a sarcastic reference to his frugality in compensating his players.
Why was Ryan Smyth so shocked that he got traded? The Oilers have a reputation for dealing away players that play hardball with them. If he wanted to be an Oiler that badly he should have STFU and had his agent get a deal done. Mr crocodile tears can ram it up his fake-ass Alberta cunt... Liar...
The Detroit Red Wings have had a reputation of aquiring only acquiring character players. Guys that are good on and off the ice. Until recently. "Big Bert" was all but outed for faking injury when he skated through an entire Wings practice last week.
Shocking that his health improved after being traded to a contender.
Okay, so I picked the Flyers to win their division last year. Hell, they should have. Sure they had some injuries, but they quit. they quit hard.
Why is Calgary so bad on the road? Is it the fraceoffs? WTF? If the Flames were even a .500 road team they'd be a 4 or 3 seed in the West.
