The NHL kicked off 2014 with its Winter Classic outdoor game on New Year’s Day, drawing a record crowd of 105,491 to Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the Detroit Red Wings , 3-2, and celebrate the end of the match. meteorological roots.
A few weeks later, the NHL celebrated its warm-weather evolution when the Ducks and Kings faced off on a rink atop the Dodger Stadium infield in the NHL’s first regular-season outdoor game in California.
The contrasting snow shovels and sand and surf theme worked so well for the NHL that it will repeat this formula in 2015. The Chicago Blackhawks will face the Washington Capitals on New Year’s Day at Nationals Park in Washington in of the Winter Classic, and on February 21, the Kings and San Jose Sharks will face off at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in the league’s Stadium Series.
Outdoor games have become a signature event of the NHL, but there will be plenty of intriguing action happening indoors in the coming year.
Major NHL trophies could be won by someone other than familiar faces Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin is battling for the scoring lead, as is Philadelphia Flyers right winger Jakub Voracek, and Seguin is a contender for the scoring title.
The Detroit Red Wings appear to be in good shape to extend their playoff streak to 24 consecutive seasons, but last year’s Eastern champions, the New York Rangers, have struggled early in the season and are fighting to return to the playoffs.
NHL general managers and Board of Governors are expected to continue discussing changes to the overtime format to reduce the number of shootouts, with the three-on-three segment appearing to gain enough popularity to be adopted next season. And expansion remains a hot topic, as arenas multiply in Quebec and Las Vegas.
A look at what to expect in the league in the new year:
What are the Kings’ chances of retaining their Stanley Cup title?
If it were easy to repeat, someone would have since the Red Wings won in 1997 and 1998. The Kings lack the mobility and intelligence of suspended defenseman Slava Voynov, who faces a charge of domestic violence, and as a team, they could have started to feel the fatigue of heavy legs after playing 64 playoff games over the last three seasons. Some players also participated in the Sochi Olympics, increasing their mileage.
If it’s not the Kings, who will win?
The West still seems stronger than the East, where the Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins seem to be the cream of the crop.
In the West, the Chicago Blackhawks – who lost a seven-game conference final to the Kings last spring – looked formidable. The St. Louis Blues’ signing of all-time scoring leader Martin Brodeur gave them depth and Stanley Cup championship experience in goal. The Ducks have been among the leaders in the West for most of the season thanks to a young, mobile defense and the offseason addition of Ryan Kesler, who provides depth and solid two-way play In the center.
When it comes to outdoor play, can there be too much of a good thing?
Absolutely. The NHL supported six outdoor games last season because it wanted to remind people it was back up and running after it was shut down during the labor dispute that shortened the 2012-13 season. There will be fewer outdoor games in the future, probably three or four per season, as the league tries to give as many cities as logistically possible a chance to host an outdoor game.
What are the chances the NHL will have an expansion team in Las Vegas in the next five years?
Better than most casino odds. Commissioner Gary Bettman recently allowed Bill Foley, who hopes to own a team in partnership with the Maloof family, to conduct a survey to gauge the level of interest in supporting a team. And remember: owners are not obligated to share expansion fees with players through revenue sharing.
Will the NHL put a team in Las Vegas before returning to Quebec?
Yes. The current NHL roster has 16 teams in the East and 14 in the West, leading to complaints that it is harder to make the playoffs in the East than in the West. Adding Western teams would, at least in theory, make things more equitable in terms of playoff odds.
Will the NHL send players to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, despite the long distance and considerable time difference?
The league will be forced to make a decision as quickly as possible, but could continue to hedge in hopes of negotiating favorable terms. Bettman insisted that a World Cup tournament be held in Toronto before the start of the 2016-17 season and could replace participation in the Olympics. The NHL would fare better financially with a World Cup than with other Olympics on the other side of the world, this one in a country with little tradition of professional hockey.
How long will Bettman remain commissioner?
As long as he wants it. Bettman, 62, enriched many owners and got players to reduce their share of hockey revenue to 50 percent.
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