Detroit Red Wings & the NHL

[Jamie H]

I seem to recall reading about race riots that burnt the city of Detroit to ground in 1967 and it has been dying a slow death ever since.

I think their might be a slightly different level of importance attributed to the civil rights movement vs a hockey game.

My only point was, Detroit was mocked for the '84 World Series riot for decades. What Vancouver just had was considerably worse than what happened in Detroit in '84.

[Optimus Prime]

Really? The Birmingham Marches were about civil rights, the burning and looting of Detroit was pointless opportunism by the dregs of society. Sort of like taking a dump in your bed, when you wake up the next morning you fully realize it's still your bed.

[geo weidl]

Apparently there were a group (band) of troublemakers who were ready to do this whether Vancouver won or lost. These are the same type of people that like to create havoc at Olympics and G8 summits. Unfortunately they made their mark that night, among the 100,00 people estimated that were in the area to watch the game at an outdoor video screen.

Just a note, true Vancouverites by the hundreds volunteered their time the next day to help clean up the downtown area. Facebook sites have been set up for people to post videos or pictures to expose these assholes, with many posts.

Its a shame that a few bad apples had to spoil that night. That's why I was just disgusted and embarassed being a Canadian that following morning due to a few poor losers.

[whodean]

There aren't enough people left in the D to make riot headlines

[Jamie H]

Detroit has more people than Vancover does.

[Jamie H]

Really? The Birmingham Marches were about civil rights, the burning and looting of Detroit was pointless opportunism by the dregs of society. Sort of like taking a dump in your bed, when you wake up the next morning you fully realize it's still your bed.

Instead of oversimplifying something you don't really know much about, why don't you try reading about it instead? I think you will find the riots were about a lot more than "pointless opportunism" and clearly had their roots in some stuff that is a bit deeper than a stupid hockey game.

http://www.67riots.rutgers.edu/d_index.htm

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_Detroit_riot"]1967 Detroit riot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:West_Grand_Blvd_at_Rosa_Parks_(12th_Street)_2 008.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/44/West_Grand_Blvd_at_Rosa_Parks_%2812th_Street%29_20 08.jpg/225px-West_Grand_Blvd_at_Rosa_Parks_%2812th_Street%29_20 08.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@en/thumb/4/44/West_Grand_Blvd_at_Rosa_Parks_%2812th_Street%29_20 08.jpg/225px-West_Grand_Blvd_at_Rosa_Parks_%2812th_Street%29_20 08.jpg[/ame]

[WingsFan]

Detroit has more people than Vancover does.

They are about the same now. In 2010 the population in Vancover was estimated at 642,843, while that has probably grown.

Detroit on the other hand In 2010, is listed as population of 713,777 and we all know that number is down.

[geo weidl]

There are millions not just from Vancouver but across the nation who embarassed and dissappointed about what happened Wednesday night. This had nothing to do with social or racial conflicts. Its about thugs coming into the city with intentions to cause trouble, dragging a few in more along the way. And the sad part is most of these culprits will be caught and tried, only to get a slap on the wrist.

Canucks say fans not behind Stanley Cup riot


VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Canucks insisted Friday that their fans are not to blame for the violent, destructive riot that broke out following the team's Stanley Cup loss to the Boston Bruins, and called for swift justice for those responsible.



Rioters burned cars, smashed windows and looted stores in the city centre for several hours on Wednesday night, and images of the chaos have been broadcast around the world.
The police have blamed the riot on a small band of "anarchists and criminals" who came with supplies and a plan, linking some of them to a similar, albeit infinitely smaller, riot during last year's Winter Olympics.
But whoever set the riot in motion, it was clear to anyone witnessing it unfold that many jersey-clad hockey fans who may have come downtown to watch the game eventually joined the smashing and looting.
Canucks general manager Mike Gillis labelled the rioters "thugs," who weren't motivated by the outcome of the game.
"Those aren't our fans who were doing that," Gillis told reporters during a news conference at Rogers Arena.
"I think that would have happened whether we won or lost. ...When you're faced with thugs like that and people who are just prepared to punch other people in the face and think they're getting away with it, it's pretty hard to stop that. They're there for that purpose."
The trouble started a few minutes before the game ended, when a group of people in a massive outdoor viewing site tipped over a vehicle and set it on fire. The melee continued for several hours before police in riot gear and on horseback brought things under control.

[geo weidl]

Nicklas Lidstrom to return to Red Wings

Larry Lage, The Associated Press
DETROIT - Nicklas Lidstrom will return to play for the Detroit Red Wings.



The team announced the decision Monday before a scheduled conference call with Lidstrom and general manager Ken Holland.
The 41-year-old Swede, who will return for a 20th season, had considered retiring.
Lidstrom is a Norris Trophy finalist for the 11th time in 13 seasons. If he wins the award for being the NHL's top defenceman - it would be his seventh - he will match Doug Harvey's total and trail Bobby Orr's record by only one.

[entropy]

Don't be embarrassed to be a Canadian, Geo.

oh, yes he should...:-)

[Dr. Strangelove]

OT but the Thrashers made it official and are moving to Winnipeg. Atlanta back to being a 3-sport town.

[WM Wolverine]

Looking at the bottom half of the linked list below, how many of the bottom half are south/west teams? Almost all of them!

http://espn.go.com/nhl/attendance

NHL was over aggressive with expansion and relocating to the south and west and this is another casualty. Teams had the top half of the list are likely selling their tickets for a premium too.

[Mike]

Nice to see the Wings back up to #4 in home attendance. A very telling stat is the Wings' 99.9% road attendance mark - a full 2.5% more than 2nd place Chicago. They pack every building they play in - usually with thousands of Red Wings fans, too.

[geo weidl]

Jagr eyes return, perhaps with Wings or Pens


DETROIT - Jaromir Jagr is ready make an NHL comeback.



"Quite a few teams are in the picture, but I've been talking to Detroit and Pittsburgh the last couple of days," Petr Svoboda, Jagr's agent, said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press. "He is looking for a one-year deal and I think he will have one in the next week or so."
Jagr, 39, was the NHL MVP in 1999, a five-time scoring champion and two-time Stanley Cup winner while he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He went on to play for the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers.
"They've contacted us and we've expressed an interest," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. "We'll continue to stay in touch."
Jagr hasn't played in the NHL since the 2007-08 season with the Rangers. He left the league to play for Avangard Omsk in Russia, but he and his agent are working on getting a deal done with a team in North America.
The six-foot-three, 245-pound forward had a hat trick last month in a 4-0 win over the United States in the quarter-finals of the ice hockey world championship, where the Czechs finished fourth.
"He's still got it, for sure," U.S. captain Mark Stuart said. "He's hard to play against. One of the hardest guys ever to take the puck off."
Jagr has 646 goals and 1,599 points in his NHL career, ranking among the game's all-time best. He had 25 goals and 71 points in his last season with the Rangers three years ago when he finished strong with 15 points in 10 playoff games.
The Czech star is one of 25 players with a Stanley Cup and gold medals from the Olympics and world championships.

[Hannibal]

I'll be surprised if the Wings take him for anything besides league minimum.