2023/2024 NHL/WILD Offseason-Season-Postseason Thread

I can see both sides but 100% agree it’s an overreaction to an incident that a neck guard wouldn’t have changed.

My youth association mandated them a couple years back in the 90s. Kids all hated them and wore them super loose until they got thrown away. I remember Canadian kids always had them growing up too, no idea if they still do.

I’m in rural MN but for young kids just starting hockey (mites and termites or whatever your association calls it) $150 pieces of equipment couldn’t be further from reality. The vast majority look like they’re using mom or dads 25 year old skates or fully equipped from play it again sports clearance bin. Again that’s rural mn, I’m sure it’s different in the burbs. Looking at Google youth neck guards are $15-$25 and I’m guessing that will be the most common, so not a huge deal if they’re available.

Skate cuts happen but they’re almost always on the leg. I have 6″ double bladed scar on the inside of my thigh. Was a very clean cut, super wide almost like a circle opened up. Didn’t hurt at all or bleed much, I finished the shift then looked under my breezers when I got to the bench. Kid next to me saw it and puked immediately

Dam this Wild team has absolutely no juice. Look the same now as they did Deano’s last few games. Disjointed and no desperation or oomf in their game at all.

tswoboda wrote:

Dam this Wild team has absolutely no juice. Look the same now as they did Deano’s last few games. Disjointed and no desperation or oomf in their game at all.

awesome game to leave the fanbase to think about for the next 10 days….

I agree that USA Hockey jumped on the Johnson tragedy to get something they’ve wanted to get mandated along time ago finally pushed through. The neck guard options from the late 80’s/early 90’s are nothing like the modern thin & light options for today’s skaters…

Of course there will be plenty of options in stock by next season, its a new revenue generator for the big gear companies…

My hockey parents willing to spend $150+ on a stick comment was more towards 2nd year plus Mite+ players after the 1st year trying out hockey players have dropped out…

Its ridiculous what a lot of parents are spending on sticks for kids who can’t get any benefits of the technology yet and those same parents then complain about the costs…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

It happens all the time, thankfully it’s rarely fatal…. I bought my kid the best neck & wrist kevlar protection shirt on the market imo, it was $80 shipped from Canada… The neck straps are way cheaper… Most every youth player nowadays is using $150+ sticks for no reason, so to complain about spending $50+ on a neck guard that lasts 1-3 years is a joke…

My kid took a stick tip from a falling player to his neck in the 3rd game he started to wear it, he had a good red mark but that’s it, could have been alot worse…

Last year I had a mite fall into a pile of players and took a skate blade to his neck, had a 3” long surface cut along his jugular, had that cut been a fraction deeper and things would have got scary serious…. So lucky…

Come on man it doesn’t happen all the time.
I have been playing and coaching hockey for a long time. Not just mini mite hockey either. Does a freak injury happen sure.
You just gave examples that a neck guard would have done nothing.
I played through college never saw a cut from a skate blade that required stitches. I coached Batamn hockey for 15 years after college never saw it.
How many NHL games have been played that someone has never been cut in the neck area.

“I agree that USA Hockey jumped on the Johnson tragedy to get something they’ve wanted to get mandated along time ago finally pushed through. The neck guard options from the late 80’s/early 90’s are nothing like the modern thin & light options for today’s skaters…”

Of course there will be plenty of options in stock by next season, its a new revenue generator for the big gear companies…

And what would have been the reason USA hockey could not mandate them years ago?

It starts August 1st so they better get sewing.

Trust me I am not trying to be heartless or not care about kids safety, but they have been playing hockey for a hell of a long time and there has been 1-2 fatalities.

Ripjiggen wrote:

And what would have been the reason USA hockey could not mandate them years ago?

They were super uncomfortable and people like you who said it never happens…

Ripjiggen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
It happens all the time, thankfully it’s rarely fatal…. I bought my kid the best neck & wrist kevlar protection shirt on the market imo, it was $80 shipped from Canada… The neck straps are way cheaper… Most every youth player nowadays is using $150+ sticks for no reason, so to complain about spending $50+ on a neck guard that lasts 1-3 years is a joke…

My kid took a stick tip from a falling player to his neck in the 3rd game he started to wear it, he had a good red mark but that’s it, could have been alot worse…

Last year I had a mite fall into a pile of players and took a skate blade to his neck, had a 3” long surface cut along his jugular, had that cut been a fraction deeper and things would have got scary serious…. So lucky…

Come on man it doesn’t happen all the time.
I have been playing and coaching hockey for a long time. Not just mini mite hockey either. Does a freak injury happen sure.
You just gave examples that a neck guard would have done nothing.
I played through college never saw a cut from a skate blade that required stitches. I coached Batamn hockey for 15 years after college never saw it.
How many NHL games have been played that someone has never been cut in the neck area.

my off the top of my head recent NHL examples were a response to your post saying skate blade cuts never happen…

Skate cuts happen all the time you just dont see news reports unless its serious…I just gave an example of one I personally witnessed last year with his blood on my hands…

In all my years of playing hockey, I’ve never seen anybody in-person break their leg playing, so that must mean it never happens too right?

JoeMX1825 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
And what would have been the reason USA hockey could not mandate them years ago?

They were super uncomfortable and people like you who said it never happens…

So they only care to mandate it now when they can mandate whatever they want?

my off the top of my head recent NHL examples were a response to your post saying skate blade cuts never happen…

Skate cuts happen all the time you just dont see news reports unless its serious…I just gave an example of one I personally witnessed last year with his blood on my hands…

In all my years of playing hockey, I’ve never seen anybody in-person break their leg playing, so that must mean it never happens too right?

Leg injuries happen all the time. Skate cuts to the neck do not.

Ripjiggen wrote:

but they have been playing hockey for a hell of a long time and there has been 1-2 fatalities.

Obviously it’s such a remote outcome that it can’t even be measured. I would argue that 1 or 2 fatalities is still too many though. If a neck guard can save 1 or 2 players from DYING while playing hockey, I’m fine with that.

On the flip side, people need to also understand that even though its very rare, taking a skate blade to the neck, wrist, or other portion of the body where severe bleeding could occur is in fact possible. You assume the risks playing sports, and this is a risk. Take it or leave it.

The deadline doesn’t seem very feasible though. Unless USA Hockey has already had contact with the neck guard companies to confirm they can mass produce them by the deadline. I wouldn’t know the answer to that question though.

Should have said 1 can’t think of another.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Leg injuries happen all the time. Skate cuts to the neck do not.

how do you know? of course I agree with you, but just basing on what you and I have seen personally, I’ve seen more cuts to the neck than a broken leg…

Can we agree a cut to the neck has far more serious consequences and is worth protecting vs a leg injury? It can be as cheap as $20 to protect it, it’s a no brainer imo…

How do I know because I have seen it happen. Multiple times.
Really don’t see how one correlates with the other.

Most kids won’t be buying a 20$ piece of plastic that flips around. Like you said keeping up with the jones on sticks it’s going to be 100$ a year.

Sure it’s more serious. So are concussions. So are neck injuries. Should they ban body contact all together. I mean there have been far more people paralyzed, with severe neck injuries or head injuries playing hockey then cut on the throat.

gimruis wrote:

Obviously it’s such a remote outcome that it can’t even be measured. I would argue that 1 or 2 fatalities is still too many though. If a neck guard can save 1 or 2 players from DYING while playing hockey, I’m fine with that.

From what I’ve read I don’t think a neck guard would have saved Adam.

A kid in Russia took a puck to the head and died last year but there was no movement to start using blue pucks or wear football helmets. Both of those would have saved him.

Different example is youth coaches wearing helmets. I think that started when a coach cracked his head on the ice.

From what I’ve read I don’t think a neck guard would have saved Adam.

Beat me to that response.

I’m glad it’s mandated

JoeMX1825 wrote:

I’m glad it’s mandated

I’m sure. It doesn’t impact you. You already bought your kid the best Kevlar neck protection on the market.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Most every youth player nowadays is using $150+ sticks for no reason, so to complain about spending $50+ on a neck guard that lasts 1-3 years is a joke…

B!tching about the cost of hockey is a badge of honor for most hockey parents. The rate of complaining has risen at exactly the rate of spending, complain more, spend more.

And occasionally this complaing about the cost produces a really funny moment.

At the mandatory all parents/all players pre-season meeting, everybody was BSing and waiting for the coaches to show up. As usual, in the back of the room was Crazy Keith, he played D1 and talks about it way too much, he’s too loud, and has no filter.

So one of the parents was complaining about just shelling out $600 for sticks to start the season and the kid broke one of them already practicing on the shooting board in the driveway.

And Keith in that way-too-loud voice from the back of the room yells, “Jake, quit b!tching. If you weren’t spending it on hockey sticks, you’d just be blowing it on hookers and coke.”

And the needle dragged off the record as all the mites and hockey moms spun around to look at Keith.

A long, awkward silence followed. A dog could be heard barking in the distance. Another year with Crazy Keith yelling from the stands had begun.

Gotta think once he proves he has his legs under him Shaw gets back with the big team. 3 goals over the weekend for him. His energy is something the team desperately needs.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
Most every youth player nowadays is using $150+ sticks for no reason, so to complain about spending $50+ on a neck guard that lasts 1-3 years is a joke…

B!tching about the cost of hockey is a badge of honor for most hockey parents. The rate of complaining has risen at exactly the rate of spending, complain more, spend more.

And occasionally this complaing about the cost produces a really funny moment.

At the mandatory all parents/all players pre-season meeting, everybody was BSing and waiting for the coaches to show up. As usual, in the back of the room was Crazy Keith, he played D1 and talks about it way too much, he’s too loud, and has no filter.

So one of the parents was complaining about just shelling out $600 for sticks to start the season and the kid broke one of them already practicing on the shooting board in the driveway.

And Keith in that way-too-loud voice from the back of the room yells, “Jake, quit b!tching. If you weren’t spending it on hockey sticks, you’d just be blowing it on hookers and coke.”

And the needle dragged off the record as all the mites and hockey moms spun around to look at Keith.

A long, awkward silence followed. A dog could be heard barking in the distance. Another year with Crazy Keith yelling from the stands had begun.

lol, sad but true…

mahtofire14 wrote:

Gotta think once he proves he has his legs under him Shaw gets back with the big team. 3 goals over the weekend for him. His energy is something the team desperately needs.

my guess is he would be one of the first callups when GMBG sells anybody off before/at the trade deadline…

In 10 days when the Wild gets back to game action on February 7th, they will have 30 days and 14 games until the 3/8 Trade deadline.

Those 14 games (9 Road, 5 Home):
2/7 at Chicago
Pittsburgh
at Vegas
at Arizona
Buffalo
Vancouver
at Winnipeg
at Edmonton
at Seattle
Carolina
at Nashville
at St Louis
San Jose
3/7 at Arizona (if its clear we will be sellers, GMG might sit guys day before the deadline, not likely impactful players but might goof up the lineup)

I see MAYBE 4 wins out of that 14….

JoeMX1825 wrote:

I see MAYBE 4 wins out of that 14….

I dont see a loss.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
I see MAYBE 4 wins out of that 14….

I dont see a loss.

for the 13 other teams?

Lmao that is a funny story Grouse. Hookers and coke instead of one piece composite hockey sticks.

looking at the Wild’s stats and didn’t realize Boldy already has 36 penalty minutes this season…gotta think the majority of those are lazy hooking/high sticking penalties…he had 39 last year in 81 games…

I saw Rossi had 37 minutes and then realized 17 of those were from his “fight” Gordie Howe Hat trick game…

to give some perspective, Faber only has 22 minutes…unreal for the competition against and minutes he’s played…

Those lazy hooking penalties have killed this team for two years.

Ladies and Gentlemen we got him. Wild claimed Declan Chisholm off waivers.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Ladies and Gentlemen we got him. Wild claimed Declan Chisholm off waivers.

This tells me GMBG has given up on this season and he’ll sell what he can at the deadline…this is smart imo vs giving up an asset to trade for a D just to fill out this season…Chisholm isn’t a terrible pickup off waivers as he’s been a good scorer in the AHL, i’d bet there were other teams who put in a claim, I guess it pays to be terrible this season from a waiver claim position…