It has been reported that the Montreal Canadians have been fined for their ceremony of number 19, Larry Robinson. The ceremony in itself was 44 minutes long and pushed the start of the game past it's scheduled time.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/7487180
Which brings me to the question. Should the NHL require number-retirement ceremonies to be conducted after the game?
2007-11-26 08:45:39 · 14 answers · asked by TBL 6 in Sports ➔ Hockey
288- Sorry, should have mentioned that it was the second to last story in that link. Past all the Ovechkin stuff.
Guess no one really pays much attention to the link, eh?
2007-11-26 10:50:31 · update #1
The fine is a rumour, I've seen nothing about it, and people I have talked to know nothing about it.
2007-11-26 13:37:47 · answer #1 · answered by Like I'm Telling You Who I A 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Dude, where's the article on the Habs? And to answer your question, I don't think anyone would stay until after the game. Better to get it over with.
Also, there are probably some small legal factors that results in fines. For example, Ontario has liquor laws that prevent vendors from selling booze after a certain time (for the Blue Jays, it's the bottom of the eighth that the stadium has to stop selling beer). There's probably something similar in Quebec and at the Bell Centre that just cost the arena thousands of dollars in booze sales. Also, the Black Eyed Peas were fined over a thousand dollars for playing fifteen minutes past 11pm because there was also a "residential area" in the area. Leafs fans, it was Ontario Place: a PRIVATE property in Toronto (no matter what every other Joe Blow moron in this city says, it's NOT public property just because it's got the province's name on it) that's a children's theme park, marina, and amphitheatre. So, organizers just have to watch their timing with their ceremonies, I guess. Wow, that was a tangent....
I wonder if a fine was also issued out during the closing of the Forum? Maurice Richard was given a ten minute standing ovation...
2007-11-26 10:20:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
This might be the dumbest fine in the history of the league and another example of the fact that the NHL no longer wants or appreciates it's history. If the Habs game started a few minutes late because the most storied franchise in the history of it's sport was honoring one of it's greatest players then so be it. Do you think anyone even noticed or cared about the delay aside from the NHL brass. Stupid, just plain stupid.
2007-11-26 12:15:11 · answer #3 · answered by Lubers25 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I live in Montreal and have not seen anything here in the local media about a fine although it is possible.
SteveB, they did hold the ceremony before the warm-up. I think they mentioned it was the first time it had been done here anyway.
A small fine is a small price to pay for a player worthy of a sweater retirement. You cannot be cutting off these guys as they are accepting such an honor.
After the game would not work for the reasons most people have posted here
2007-11-26 09:45:43 · answer #4 · answered by cdn24fan 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The NHL really crossed the line on this one. It is ceremonies like these that get the longtime fans to show up. After the lockout I remember an article that said the NHL was happy and wanted more number retirement ceremonies to get fans back. Bettman is a cancer on our sport.
2007-11-26 10:05:36 · answer #5 · answered by Devin 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They should have the ceremony before the players warmup, so if people want to attend they can go to the rink before the players warmup. Or else make a maximum length of a before game ceremony to maybe 20-30 minutes.
2007-11-26 09:35:52 · answer #6 · answered by Steve B 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes after the game is more reasonable as in todays game the teams have tight schedules to endure the amount of games to make money. The fan who really appreciates the player being honored will stay!!!
2007-11-26 09:19:13 · answer #7 · answered by blufox888 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Larry Robinson's done more for hockey than a hundred Gary Bettmans could ever do for it. Or to it. Bettman should rescind the fine. But the greedy little b@$+@rd won't do that. Imagine, the Canadiens trying to honor a... a... PLAYER! Oh, the humanity!
2007-11-26 09:16:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
Wow thats all i can say but i dont think a ceremoney should last that long especially if its going to prolong the start of a game but fining a team for that i dont think that is cool at all
2007-11-26 13:14:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
in all honesty they knew it would take x amount of time they should have done it in such a manner that wouldn't delay the start of the game. it isn't a new issue that came up, i know heard bout same thing before. i would move it to the end though cause people wont stick around if its a bad game. would you want to be honored after a 10-0 rout. plus before hand fires up the crowd.
2007-11-26 09:21:49 · answer #10 · answered by Jay Argentina 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I think the NHL should Shut it. It's a big event for the team and the player, I don't think that there needs to be a time constraint.
2007-11-26 09:56:42 · answer #11 · answered by The Big Box 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋