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Greg WyshynskiESPN
The Wysh List publishes every Friday.
One of the best trends in the NHL over the past decade or so are the waves of popularity created by the resurgence of the Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins during their championship runs.
Their championship contention felt like a national movement: Fans from yesteryear, fans from the region who relocated — everyone came back to root for them. It was the Homecoming Bandwagon effect, and it was glorious.
Who might be the next team to provoke such a reaction by reversing its fortunes? Glad you asked.
Here are the current NHL Homecoming Bandwagon rankings, for the top 15 teams.
The following teams are rated on five factors: Pity, which can be everything from a championship drought to a general sadness about the team’s plight; City, as in “how much does the populace like this place?” overall; Nostalgia, as in the warm fuzzies the team would create like the rise of the Blackhawks and Bruins did; National Pull, as in how big the national bandwagon would be; and Root-ability, as in whether we’d actually want this team to win anything.
If we didn’t include your team it’s because it won too recently or are contending too frequently or we’re just apathetic to its plight.
15. Florida Panthers (21)
Pity Factor: 8
City: 1
Nostalgia: 3
National Pull: 3
Root-ability: 6
The city score would be helped if, you know, the “Miami” team actually played there. But the Panthers’ playoff droughts land them a high Pity and decent Root-ability score, although the “Year of the Rat” nostalgia may have run its course.
14. Carolina Hurricanes (22)
Pity Factor: 5
City: 3
Nostalgia: 3
National Pull: 3
Root-ability: 8
We might be going a little high on the City score, because we’re not sure how much national affection there is for Raleigh. Having won the Cup before also knocks down the Pity Factor. But given how they’ve played and celebrated this season, they’ve never been more likable.
13. Columbus Blue Jackets (24)
Pity Factor: 7
City: 5
Nostalgia: 1
National Pull: 4
Root-ability: 7
There’s not exactly much nostalgia here, unless one yearns for the halcyon days of David Vyborny. But it’s possible the Blue Jackets could capture the hockey world’s affection as a small-market team making its first championship push.
12. Vancouver Canucks (25)
Pity Factor: 5
City: 6
Nostalgia: 5
National Pull: 4
Root-ability: 5
Their Root-ability has ticked up a bit thanks to an influx of great young players, but the negative sentiments about this franchise still burn like a post-Game 7 ember in some corners.
11. Montreal Canadiens (26)
Pity Factor: 1
City: 6
Nostalgia: 9
National Pull: 7
Root-ability: 3
No one’s taking pity on Montreal. The Canadiens are the New York Yankees of hockey and many their ills are self-inflicted. (Hi, language requirements for team executives.) But there’s a reason every incarnation of the Yankees that contends becomes a national draw: Prestige, history and emotion. The Canadiens would have that.
10. Arizona Coyotes (27)
Pity Factor: 8
City: 2
Nostalgia: 2
National Pull: 5
Root-ability: 9
A team that the hockey world (outside of Winnipeg) would embrace if it ever went on a run. Sure, its Nostalgia score might be low as a franchise, but who doesn’t remember “Slap Shot,” in which a championship run was allegedly the only way to save the team from relocation?
9. New York Rangers (28)
Pity Factor: 3
City: 2
Nostalgia: 7
National Pull: 9
Root-ability: 7
Even though the Rangers have one Stanley Cup since 1940, we wouldn’t say there’s exactly a groundswell of Pity for an Original Six team owned by James Dolan. But if they made a run, as they did a few years ago before losing to the Kings, all the New Yawkers in all the towns around the country would be wearing blue shirts.
8. Minnesota Wild (30)
Pity Factor: 6
City: 7
Nostalgia: 3
National Pull: 9
Root-ability: 5
Sorry, but we refuse to allow the Wild to trade on the North Stars’ nostalgia. No doubt a Minnesota Cup run would be a national draw, but is there a lot of pity for a team that’s been “sorta good” for most of its existence?
7. Colorado Avalanche (32)
Pity Factor: 6
City: 4
Nostalgia: 8
National Pull: 7
Root-ability: 7
The last time the Avalanche played for the Cup was in 2001, which was also their last victory. If the Avs made another run, it could bring out a collection of alumni that connects this group with the Adam Footes and Peter Forsbergs of the hockey world.
6. Detroit Red Wings (33)
Pity Factor: 3
City: 8
Nostalgia: 5
National Pull: 9
Root-ability: 8
Even though this season marks 10 years since their last Stanley Cup Final appearance, there really isn’t a pity party for the Red Wings quite yet. But when it’s time to contend again, everyone will come home, and people will be happy to see the octopi fly again in the playoffs — in the sense that they have a massive national following.
5. Philadelphia Flyers (34)
Pity Factor: 8
City: 6
Nostalgia: 8
National Pull: 8
Root-ability: 4
There’s a difference between rooting for the Flyers to win and acknowledging that if they were in the cusp of winning for the first time since 1975, it would be a national sensation. The “Rocky/Creed” memes alone ensure that.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs (34.5)
Pity Factor: 8
City: 5
Nostalgia: 8
National Pull: 9
Root-ability: 8 (US), 1 (Canada) for an average of 4.5
In the U.S., I think the Leafs will be treated as the Chicago Cubs of hockey when it’s their turn. In Canada, I think they’ll still be the [expletive deleted] Leafs, even if it means the Cup finally “comes home.”
3. New York Islanders (37)
Pity Factor: 8
City: 4
Nostalgia: 10
National Pull: 7
Root-ability: 8
The new Blackhawks if they ever get their act together. The dynasty nostalgia would be inescapable, as would the slew of Long Island luminaries who would revel in that run. Do it for Ralph Macchio and “E” from “Entourage,” boys!
2. St. Louis Blues (40)
Pity Factor: 10
City: 7
Nostalgia: 8
National Pull: 8
Root-ability: 7
The Pity factor shares a tie to the City factor, as the fact that the Blues are one of only two teams in town made them a little special. It’s a franchise with some nostalgia to it, and one that we think would have a large swell of midwestern love for it.
1. Buffalo Sabres (45)
Pity Factor: 10
City: 8
Nostalgia: 10
National Pull: 9
Root-ability: 8
C’mon now: The skate in the crease. The close-but-no-cigar runs with Hasek, and again in 2006. The existence of the Buffalo Bills. There’s not but pity for this team, and nothing but a national rooting interest from both Western NY expats and people who just loved using Alexander Mogilny on “NHL 93.” If the Sabres get close to winning their first Cup again, the hockey world will embrace them. Especially if they eliminate the Leafs along the way.
The Week In Gritty
Gritty has gone international! Proving once again that America’s greatest export is popular culture, BBC News had a lengthy review of the Philadelphia Flyers’ mascot and his short life. “Within a couple of days of his launch, Gritty had amassed more followers than all other mascots in the league, and posed for his very own Kim Kardashian break-the-internet-style photograph,” they wrote in a sentence, in 2018, while also noting that Gritty had been co-opted by political movements as a symbol. “Unlike with other politicised (sic) memes, like Pepe the Frog, Gritty’s wider popularity shows no sign of abating.”
The politics of Gritty were also on display this week at the Philadelphia Holiday Festival, when the childlike orange goofball came wide-eyes-to-wide-eyes with protesters.
When Mayor Jim Kenney took the stage, the crowd booed him, chanting “end stop and frisk!” and demanding that the statue of late police chief and Philly Mayor Frank Rizzo be taken down, which is something Kenney agreed to earlier this year as protests grew over Rizzo’s legacy of police brutality.
Where does Gritty fit into all of this? Well, he (it?) came on stage with the city’s other mascots to do what mascots do best, which is to distract people from horrific scenes unfolding in front of them. Here’s our sweet Cheeto, blowing kisses to the crowd as protests chant “take the statue down.”
Gritty blows kisses to the crowd at #PhillyHolidayFest as @PhillyMayor Jim Kenney gets heckled for not taking down the Frank Rizzo statue
(HD video from earlier) pic.twitter.com/5Uy0ERsZMs
– Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) November 29, 2018
According to Unicorn Riot, which had the footage: “Although Unicorn Riot could not reach Gritty for comment tonight, the protesters who drowned out [the mayor] at Philadelphia Holiday Fest believed that he was on their side.”
Everyone is convinced Gritty is on their side. Which is why “Gritty 2020” is as clear as the fur on his (its?) face.
Speaking of the Flyers
“Killing your darlings,” a phrase from William Faulkner, is a mantra for authors. While it typically applies to personal tropes and overwritten passages — or as I like to call them, “Daedalean grammatical entanglements” — it has extended to the editing process, wherein writers have to jettison the things they love if they aren’t relevant to the ultimate goal of the work.
So, basically, Philadelphia Flyers ownership decided that Ron Hextall needed an editor.
He was a rather successful author in concept. The Flyers were a cap-friendly team, with the sixth-lowest annual hit. The Flyers had a veteran core under the age of 31, and a collection of young standouts (Sean Couturier, Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov, Nolan Patrick) augmenting them. The farm system has “quality players at just about every position and a variety of players who can fit into roles both large and small,” praised ESPN’s Chris Peters. Sure, much like how Stephen King sucks at endings, Ron Hextall sucked at the last line of defense (a.k.a. goalies), but boy, was the rest of the novel compelling.
Except he couldn’t “kill his darlings.” Like many authors, he was stubborn and isolated. His publisher wanted changes, wanted to trade things he loved for things that they felt would make for a better product.
But it was his timeline. His work. His team.
Well, at least it used to be.
There have been people referring to the situation in Philadelphia as chaotic, which means they either don’t remember “Dry Island,” which was true chaos, or that they refuse to consider the idea that ownership could actually be right in this case. We’re all allergic to meddling from the money men, but what if the Flyers need an editor? Need an outsider to look at what’s been compiled, keep what works, flip what doesn’t, and has more of a sense of urgency than Ron Hextall did?
There are moments for any franchise when you either have to level up or stay the course. GM Dean Lombardi famously leveled up in Los Angeles and killed his darlings: Out went Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, Jack Johnson and a first-round pick, and in came Jeff Carter and Mike Richards to win multiple Stanley Cups.
George McPhee, I always felt, could never kill his darlings with the Washington Capitals. There are any number of reasons why they couldn’t get over the hump on his watch, but one of them was the organization’s affection for its homegrown players and its inability to bring in talent in its prime from the outside. (His one attempt resulted in Filip Forsberg going to Nashville, so maybe that was for the best.) His successor, Brian MacLellan, let Mike Green and Karl Alzner walk, signed Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik, traded for T.J. Oshie and Lars Eller, and the rest is drunk history.
Whatever the Hextall firing was instigated by — fan apathy, cruddy goaltending — there’s every chance it’s the right decision for this team. Of course, that also greatly depends on what comes next, which could range from Chuck Fletcher (and maybe Joel Quenneville) or a guy we’re rooting for, Bill Zito.
Jersey Fouls
Often times with Jersey Fouls, we’re willing to wait until we get the full context of the Foul. Such was the case with this Connor McDavid Foul spotted at the Oilers’ game at the Los Angeles Kings this week:
Yup that’s McDavid Kings jersey in the front row. Is this an ejectable offence? #jerseyfoul #gooilersgo pic.twitter.com/7FdrblCMEy
– Josh Aldrich (@JoshAldrich03) November 30, 2018
Now, the immediate speculation was that this was some lunatic that decided to shell out for a Kings jersey with McDavid’s name and number on the back. Some refused to believe this could be possible, because they’re creatures of good taste and logic, and that the McDavid jersey might instead be from a recent NHL All-Star Game.
But context is king. Check out this image:
– Sinkevich (@dylansinkevich) November 30, 2018
That, friends, is an actual Connor McDavid jersey for the Los Angeles Kings. At worst, it’s some poor misguided soul who believes this is some sort of tribute to the Oilers’ young star. At best, it’s a devious acknowledgment that all of this has happened before and can happen again, right Wayne Gretzky?
An idea to make the shootout less terrible
If you’ve read this space, you know that I treat an NHL game reaching a shootout at the end of the game with the gleeful anticipation of a visit to the dentist, if the dentist was located in the DMV.
So here’s the question: How might I feel about it at the beginning of a game?
The Carolina Thunderbirds of the Federal Hockey League received league approval to experiment with a new rule for all home games: There will be a five-man shootout before the game, which would settle a potential tie after the 3-on-3 overtime.
That’s right: You’d start the game knowing who wins the shootout.
“The overtime period of 3-on-3, think of how much more exciting that’s going to be because one team knows they have to win,” Thunderbirds GM Scott Brand told Pro Hockey Talk on Thursday. “It doesn’t hurt to try stuff.”
I like it from the perspective that it inherently admits that the shootout is a faulty gimmick whose relationship to actual hockey is non-existent, and that it’s a mechanism whose equity in determining a winner is only a few steps up from spinning a giant wheel at center ice with the teams’ names on it.
I’m also intrigued by the idea that you know who will ultimately win the game if it reaches a shootout. It would be like those crazy late-season scenarios where a team needs a certain amount of points in a game or has to win in regulation or its season is over, and so they start doing wacky stuff like pulling the goalie on a power play with 10 minutes left.
This is fun and anti-shootout, and I’ll consider it.
Listen to ESPN ON ICE
Buffalo Sabres scoring ace Jeff Skinner was our guest on the podcast this week, talking everything from the Bills Mafia to the Hurricanes’ victory celebrations. Plus, Frank Seravalli of TSN talks about the Flyers firing Ron Hextall and the impending Seattle vote. That plus Puck Headlines, NHL at the quarter mark updates and Toronto’s love affair with Mitch Marner. Stream it here and get it on iTunes here.
Puck headlines
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The OHL responds to accusations of hazing, ranging from Dan Carcillo being stuffed naked into a bus bathroom to players giving Nazi salutes to Jewish teammates. “We had failed Dan and the other players involved in my view, and it’s shocking. You know, I don’t know how else to put it,” said commissioner David Branch.
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Hockey tl;dr (too long; didn’t read)
An interesting look at the making of Adidas Hockey.
In case you missed this from your friends at ESPN
How the Islanders are blazing a trail with three women broadcasters this season, from Emily Kaplan.