Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
It's not a big deal today because the NHL, the teams, and the other leagues don't make it a big deal.
Have an on ice celebration for the President's Trophy winner when they clinch (bring out the trophy like you do the Stanley Cup), throw a parade, and have some actual incentive for winning it (Give the winning team an extra draft pick, and give each player on the winning team an extra $250k or something) and I bet you it would change.
Weitz alludes to it above but hockey culture has criticized anything short of winning the cup, has drained all personality, and try to gate keep the sport.
Celebrate a goal in the regular season and show some excitement "look at that guy celebrating like he won the cup"
Celebrate winning the division or the conference - "Don't touch the trophy, you haven't won anything yet".
Guys like Ovechkin or Subban when they come in and are different or show more personality are criticized or called cancers.
Bland personalities like Crosby are celebrated as "doing things the right way".
Even a story as simple as the Oilers playing that kid for the final two minutes the other night "It's disrespectful to the Blackhawks!!!!"
If you're complaining that a kid who will never get a chance to play in the NHL again got a chance to live out his lifelong dream for 2 minutes because it might hurt the other teams feelings you're promoting your sport wrong.
People in influential positions in hockey and traditional hockey fans actively try to eliminate any fun, anything that makes the sport more accessible to new fans, or any changes to the sport that can potentially improve the sport under the guise of "tradition"
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No other sport celebrates small wins. Conference finals and the championship thats it.
You don't see NBA NFL and NHL teams having pathetic celebrations like Baseball teams do after making the playoffs. Cigars beers its embarrassing to watch actually you haven't won a thing.
Hockey needs more personality in game for scoring goals and so forth sure, but a lot of the players a bland and have no personality.
Also I don't think celebrations would draw more viewers.