Look, I'm from the UK and I'm tryna get into Hockey as a sport, and thought the NHL was the best place to come for that.
I've been watching a few games, but I can't exactly find a team I sync with? And since I don't have a local, it's kinda hard to find that attachment.
Honestly, I'm looking for a team with a bit of history, nothing too recent, with some iconic players to look back upon, but a team that also hasn't just had all their success decades ago, but also aren't just winning everything/won everything. Looking into it, I've been struggling to find what I'm looking for. I want something with a passionate fanbase, that always tries their best to win, even if they end up coming up short. I don't mind rooting for the underdog.
I feel like something more focussed on team play, then having a one-man focus/building the team around one man is something I'd want, an attacking style of play, I don't really mind if it's physical or more skill based, either or is fun to watch, players playing with passion.
Though, my final requirement would be a cool jersey/logo. Like the colors, something that clashes well, and doesn't feel like an odd/abstract combo (Looking at you Oilers).
If anyone here watches Football/Soccer something like a Borussia Dortmund or similar enough.
Any ideas?

Time for the annual Rangers rant ….
1)- Fire Lavi. The management of this lineup and the total lack of adjustments is a fireable offense. Anyone could have coached this team to this record with this talent and this goalie. No change of the PP. The 1-3-1 is useless… Carolina and Florida went right though it without hesitation. Zac jones never going into the lineup but having to watch Trouba hand away games ….. yeah. As a coach myself I am not one to want guys to lose their jobs but any casual hockey fan could see how out coached this team has been since game 4 vs Carolina. He had the reputation for only playing older players and sure enough come playoff time that is what he did …. Despite talented younger guys being a huge part of the success down the stretch of the regular season. He can’t stay after this. I know …. The rangers had the best record but the window to win with Igor is now and we can’t wait for this tiger to change his stripes (he won’t). We can see why this guy has been fired so much ….. we just got a huge taste of it.
2)-lure out Trotz or steal Torts. This team needs that type of leadership. We need someone to make this team be physical and defend. More than anything else, we need someone to make this team play hard for 60 minutes. They lose because they don’t play hard enough for a full game. The fans wanted Knoblauch to stay in the organization and take over last year…. Go with Lavi instead, now Knoblauch is a game from the finals. 🤦‍♂️
2)- Trouba, Panarin, and Mika have to go. Have to. They can never wear that jersey again. Ever. You should be able to get a boatload for them. That opens up a massive amount of salary cap. It will be the amazing at actually have cap space. This fanbase is too loyal and cares too much to tolerate their lack of effort. No coach will win the cup with these players unless you can get amazing bottom 6 scoring and other worldly goaltending (almost did it this year). These guys get to be stars in NY despite their lack of care or production in the playoffs. Throw in they are all overpaid and they simply lack the hunger to do what is needed to win come playoff time. They can never be on this team again. Period.
3)- sign Laf and Igor early before the contacts are up and try to get a discount
4)- get our young guys out there next year and let this team gain experience. Who cares about the best record in hockey …. Just get experience and get in the playoffs. Rempe, Othmann, Edstrom…. Let them play. Jones should be part of a good, young, well coached defense core.
5)- pray Igor doesn’t demand a trade.
That’s it. Another crushing year from a team that literally crushes you every year for 30 years. A part of me would rather have this team stink again so you could root for them to get better and reach some smaller, short term goals then for the rangers to constantly to be the better team and due to a lack of effort from the core 3-4 members, they come up just short again and again and again.
Another wasted year. Being a fan of this team is a lifetime of pain. I am sure I have lost years of life thanks to being a rangers fan for almost 40 years

Hey y'all, so first - nothing is done until it's done, we can still win this. I believe in this team. Moreover, I believe we have a great young core that's gonna keep us in contention for years to come.
At the turn of the millennium, people in my country (CZ) were pissed off at Stars for denying Hašek his cup. That's when I started cheering for Dallas. I was 12 years old, a contrarian, just entering puberty, and wanting to piss off as many people as possible. Lame origin story, I know. But I stuck with it.
25 years later, I leaned into cheering for the Stars. Hard. My gf is a big Kraken fan and we bonded over last year's playoff series, so that helped. I got a jersey and started wearing it to my gigs (I sing in an electro-pop-emo band). That's where the photo (in the comments) is from. Side note: it is NOT a good idea to wear a hockey sweater, designed to keep you warm over an ice surface, to a show of several hundred people packed in an indie club. But, on the other hand - people will recognize it, talk with you about NHL (ice hockey is huge here), and now there are more people cheering for the Stars as a result. Yay!
During the regular season, I mostly follow the stats and watch some games when they are available here (mainly on the East Coast). But during the playoffs, I just turn into a neurotic husk of a person - the games start in the middle of the night here, so for the past two years, my routine is to check the PGT on here as soon as I wake up. Which, of course, is like fucking 6 AM, because I know we are playing and I cannot sleep well. I've had multiple lucid dreams of the Stars beating (insert team name) 6:0 only to wake up and find out we actually lost. It sucks :D, but the mornings after we closed out the series against VGK and COL were fucking amazing. Imagine waking up after a great dream and seeing it come true. Just for this reason alone, I will never forget this season.
However, after beating the two teams I feared the most, I just kind of... started to chill out a bit. The LTIR dragon is slain, the Colorado demons are expelled, and now we either win it all or we don't. If we don't, we do it next year. Or the year after that. It honestly surprises me how much at peace I am right now, even with the series going south for us. It sucks for Pavs, but we have an all-time great GM, a tremendous young forward core, Mirp, and a goalie that is like 2-3 seasons away from becoming a Vezina winner. We are fine, and we will be fine.
And if we beat Edmonton - which I still believe we will - we are fucking going to lift the cup in a few weeks.
Dallas! Stars!

Quote taken from the great Jan Levine, writer for our beloved NY Rangers on HockeyBuzz..
“I am as optimistic as anyone, but would not be shocked if the series ends Monday. If it does, what I want to see is heart, passion and effort. Lose but lose with all of it left on the ice. Show some pride for the name on the front of the jersey. Don't just let Florida walk all over you, especially in your own building, stand up for yourselves as an athlete and member of the New York Rangers. It doesn't matter who plays and who sits, whoever is in the lineup needs to bring it. To quote Boomer Esiason and it's something I have said a lot, “win one shift, then another, then another. Then win one period and another. Then win the game and head to Carolina for Game 1 of the next round”.
Heart. It's the willingness to take a hit to move the puck or score a goal. Heart. It's what makes the name on the front of the jersey more than the one of the back. Heart. It's what New Yorkers love to see in their athletes. It's rising over trying circumstances. It's carrying a team or a teammate on your backs when needed. Heart. It can overcome talent when talent doesn't have or use it. Heart. It's what needs to be on display Monday when We Are All Rangers.
Today, win or lose, We Are All Rangers!!!”.

I've made a huge update to the NHL94-ish + Bonus Custom Teams Roster. Version 2.0 files have been renamed so that you can add in the other custom rosters people have made for the game. New teams are marked in italics below.
NHL94-ish + Bonus Custom Teams Rosters v2.0 What's New: Minor updates to ratings on the existing NHL94 teams, added in 4 more international teams, created Tape to Tape All Star Teams, and made a few more fun teams that only the Yinzers will understand ;)
NHL 94 Teams: Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Hartford Whalers, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Quebec Nordiques, San Jose Sharks, St Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets
Defunct/New 90's NHL Teams: Minnesota North Stars (1991), Colorado Avalanche (1995), Phoenix Coyotes (1996), Carolina Hurricanes (1997)
International Teams: Team Canada 1987, Team Sweden 1994, Team USA 1980, Team USSR 1987, Team Italy 1994, Team Slovakia 1994, Team Finland 1994, Team Czech 1998
Tape 2 Tape Teams: Calaveras, Crusaders, Cultists, Disco, Golfers, Greasy Lettuce, Hockey FC, Meatballs, Mountaineers, Princesses, Referees, Top Cheese, Act 1 All Stars, Act 2 All Stars, Act 3 All Stars, Dublin McShaggies
Bonus Teams: District 5 Ducks (Mighty Ducks Movie), Team Iceland (Mighty Ducks Movie), Goon Squad (90s Enforcers Team), Russian Penguins, Steel City Yinzers (Team Based off of Mike Lange sayings), Pens Broadcasters (Team Based on Former Penguins who now are broadcasters)

The New York Rangers' locker room was a crucible of tension and determination. Game 5 had ended in a painful loss, the kind that could break lesser teams. But this team was different, and Chris Kreider knew it. As he stood before the press, his eyes steely with resolve, he made a declaration that reverberated through the hockey world: "We will win. Go down there and win one game."
The echoes of 1994 hung heavy in the air. The parallels were uncanny—each game a mirror of the legendary series against the New Jersey Devils. The first two games split at home, one decided in overtime. A triumphant overtime victory on the road in Game 3, followed by a disappointing loss in Game 4, and then the bitter taste of defeat in Game 5 on home ice. The same pattern, the same story. The faithful fans couldn't help but see the resemblance. Was it mere coincidence, or something more profound?
In 1994, it was Mark Messier who had made the audacious promise, and he had delivered. Now, it was Kreider’s turn to wear the mantle of destiny. Fans whisper in hushed tones, comparing him to the Lisan al Gaib, the Chosen One, who could lead them to the promised land of hockey glory. It was a burden, but Kreider carried it with grace and determination. His teammates looked to him, their belief in his prophecy shining in their eyes.
The Rangers’ journey is far from over. The legend of Chris Kreider, the Lisan al Gaib, is growing, and the Rangers' quest for the Stanley Cup lives on, fueled by belief, determination, and the brilliance of their chosen leader.
With the fate of the hockey world hanging in the balance, the Rangers’ faithful are left to wonder if this truly was the next necessary step in the Rangers' quest for eternal glory. With Game 6 on the horizon, the stage is set for a showdown that would determine their fate. The fans, the team, and the city of New York believe. And in the heart of it all, Chris Kreider stood ready to lead them to their destiny.
The echoes of 1994 grew louder, the parallels undeniable. Chris Kreider, the Lisan al Gaib, had delivered on his promise, keeping the Rangers' dream alive. The faithful dared to believe that their Messiah might indeed lead them to eternal glory. The Rangers' disciples, inspired by Kreider's heroics in these playoffs, now pray for one more miracle. The true believers still believe, with all their hearts, that Kreider is the Chosen One who could bring the Stanley Cup back to the heart of the city.
And as the Rangers prepare for the ultimate showdown, Chris Kreider stands at the forefront, ready to etch his name into the annals of hockey history, just as it has long been foretold.

No one, hockey fucking sucks. I’m gonna go buy a LeBron jersey.

Hello ballhockey ! I am Chris Bokuniewicz, Promotions Director for the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation (ISBHF). The ISBHF is the world governing body of our great sport. With approval of the ballhockey moderators, we're promoting our premier event - the 2024 Men's and Women's World Ball Hockey Championships. This event is held every two years. Event details:

• Location: Visp and Raron, Switzerland
• Dates: June 21-29, 2024
• Official website: https://www.visp-raron2024.ch/en
• Social Media links: Facebook - Instagram
• Schedule: Click here
• 2022 Medal Winners:
  • Men's A - Canada (Gold) Czechia (Silver) USA (Bronze)
  • Men's B - Bermuda (Gold) Lebanon (Silver Great Britain (Bronze)
  • Women - Canada
• Streaming info: Event will be livestreamed. Link and details to come in the next two weeks
• Men's A Pool Nations:
  • Group 1: Canada, Slovakia, Great Britain, Haiti, Greece
  • Group 2: USA, Czechia, Switzerland, Italy, Finland
• Men's B Pool Nations:
  • Lebanon, Cayman Islands, Portugal, France, Armenia, Bermuda
• Women's Nations:
  • Canada, USA, Slovakia, Czechia, Great Britain, Switzerland, United Nations

I am happy to answer any and all questions the community might have. Post them here in this thread :-)

I'm aware he is here for the UNBC graduation and an honorary degree, my question is, does anyone know if he'll be doing any other public events or speeches anywhere else?
Im a Habs fan and Carey Price is by far my favorite hockey player of all time, Im super eager to meet him and have my jersey/hat signed by him but I am not a UNBC student.
If anyone knows anything please post here or DM me if necessary. I don't want to bug or harass the guy, but if he's doing any other official meet n greets I'd love the opportunity.
Thanks!

Just sharing the section re: his tenure with the Leafs
The Athletic - $
Babcock’s success earned him one of the most prominent gigs in hockey as head coach of Team Canada. He won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and 2014 Sochi Olympics. His international experience further bolstered his resume, and the Leafs signed him to an eight-year, $50 million deal in May 2015. It positioned Babcock at the premier job in one of hockey’s biggest fish bowls, and his deal was also heralded as an important benchmark in the fight to improve coaching salaries. At $6.25 million per season, Babcock reportedly made more than double any other NHL head coach at the time, and more than all but one Leafs player.
A little more than a month after signing with the Leafs, Babcock tried to influence who the team would take with its first pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, according to multiple team sources. Mark Hunter, the Leafs assistant general manager, lobbied for Mitchell Marner of the OHL’s London Knights, which Hunter co-owns. Babcock made it clear to others in the team’s hockey operations that he wanted a different player. Despite Babcock’s objections, the Leafs selected Marner fourth overall.
After the first period of Marner’s first preseason game, Babcock approached him in the tunnel and abruptly told him he was being sent back to junior — rather than sharing the news in a private meeting. Babcock’s approach, relaying the disappointing news after a single period, was viewed by some in the organization as unprofessional and callous.
Later that fall, in October 2015, Frankie Corrado was picked up off waivers by the Leafs from Vancouver. Corrado was excited to play for Babcock, knowing he had a reputation for helping players reach their potential.
“I have no idea who you are,” Corrado remembers Babcock telling him when they first met. He told Corrado to meet him at his office at the Leafs training facility the next day at 8 a.m. Corrado arrived early and knocked on Babcock’s door, but the coach told him he didn’t have time to see him. Corrado waited for an hour and a half, but Babcock never made time for him.
Corrado saw little ice time with the Leafs over the next few weeks, spending most games as a healthy scratch. But during practices, Babcock would quietly instruct him to go first in drills, so he’d have to push past star players in line — breaking hockey decorum — while awkwardly trying to explain that he was doing so per the coach’s instruction. Corrado felt Babcock was attempting to “sewer” him with his teammates.
Corrado said he later experienced panic attacks and threw up regularly before games because of anxiety, which he never experienced before playing for Babcock.
“It was cruel. It went on way too long and it did way too much damage to me,” he said. “I think he loves f—ing with people’s heads. I really do.”
Early in the 2016-17 season center Peter Holland lost his position to minor league call-up Byron Froese. Hoping to discuss the demotion, Holland went to Leafs practice early. He found Babcock eating his breakfast, and the coach told him he’d find him as soon as he was done. Nearly an hour later Babcock called him into his office.
“You’re here to remind me that you’re still on the team. But you’ve lost your job, and all you can do right now is show up in practice,” Holland recalls Babcock saying. “Now tell me what you came here to tell me, so you can go home and tell your family and your agent that you said what you wanted to say.”
Before a Western Canada road trip that November, Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello told Holland he’d be staying back while the team worked out a trade for him to a market where he could get more playing time. At a news conference in Edmonton the next day, Babcock gave reporters the impression it was Holland’s decision for him to not travel with the team.
“(Holland) met with Lou, had his agent on the phone and decided he wasn’t coming on the trip,” Babcock said.
Holland said Lamoriello treated him professionally, but Babcock did not. “I’ve played for hard-ass coaches who I really like and respect — because they still treat you like a person. My experience with Babs was that he doesn’t treat you like a human being,” Holland said.
Early in Babcock’s tenure with the Leafs, after team trainers completed player evaluations, ranking work ethic on a three-level scale — red, yellow and green — he called a meeting with players and the team’s training staff and projected the red reviews on a wall for all to see. Training staffers said they had been led to believe their evaluations would be confidential.
A similar incident involved Marner once he returned to the Leafs during the 2016 season. While the team was in New Jersey, Babcock made Marner rank his teammates from hardest to least-hardest working. Marner did, believing it was a confidential discussion. He placed himself at the bottom of the list. Babcock then took the list to several of the other players who were also at the bottom of Marner’s list. Afterward, two veteran players — Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak — confronted Babcock about the incident; they took particular issue with the coach treating a rookie that way. Babcock later apologized to Marner.
In the Leafs office, Babcock was known to chastise support staff workers if his routine was derailed or the environment didn’t meet his standards, former players and employees said. He often focused on one person in the office each day and hounded them repeatedly.
“When you work for Babs everyone is on their toes. No one is spared,” said one former staffer.
While coaching U of S, Babcock pushed back on reports that his leadership style was unsuited for the modern game. He blamed social media for unfair criticism and called the characterization of the incident with Marner “a complete farce.” He justified the ranking exercise by noting how well Marner played for the Leafs, telling Sportsnet: “Mitch Marner played great for Mike Babcock.”
“Anything in my life that I’ve done that I should be feeling bad about and I should apologize for, I’m good with that,” Babcock said. “I have to own it and I should do that. But some of the math doesn’t add up. It just doesn’t.”

Credit to Hockey Reference for helping me get the numbers for this exploration/catharsis.
Here's three metrics I'll use to break things down:
Points percentage (P%): Since 2019-20, the Bruins have gone 240-88-44, for a points percentage of .704 (0r 70.4). That's a 115.5-point pace over 82 games, which would've been enough to win the President's Trophy this season. It's the highest points percentage in the NHL over the span, with the closest being Colorado (68.4) and Carolina (67.7). Even impressive teams who have made multiple deep playoff runs and/or won President's Trophies, like Florida (64.8), Tampa Bay (63.6) and the Rangers (63.2) are well behind, as it's hard to maintain elite performance for five seasons like the Bruins have (only the Avs have also gotten 65% or more all five seasons).
Points above average (PAA): Hockey Reference gives you a league average point total as a round number every year, making it relatively simple to look at what your own point total compares to it. For example, the average in '23-24 was 90 points, so the Bruins were 19 above average at 109. Over these five seasons, the Bruins have accrued 112 PAA, which naturally also leads the league over that span. PAA will make for fairer comparisons with previous eras, where points weren't as easy to come by as they are under the post-lockout rules. On the other hand, this will undersell the Bruins a bit, as two COVID-shortened seasons took away opportunities to run up the score. This’ll be the metric I lean on the most
SRS: If you take a simple average of SRS (goal differential per game adjusted for schedule) over the five seasons, the Bruins come out to 0.74. That's second in the league this time, with Colorado narrowly edging them out. Like P%, this metric will also be era-sensitive in that the friendlier the scoring environment is, the easier it is to rack up high goal differentials.

The Competition

I wasn't able to find any other five-year stretch without a final 4 appearance which comes even close to the present Bruins’. Here are the closest:
Toronto Maple Leafs, 2020-2024 (65.3 P%, 62 PAA, 0.53 SRS): A direct comparison you might have been looking for. Of course, these guys have had an eight-year stretch without a conference final, but that only gets them to 99 PAA.
Washington Capitals, 2008-2012 (63.7 P%, 64 PAA, 0.25 SRS); 2013-2017 (64.6 P%, 66 PAA, 0.47 SRS): The Ovechkin era is unique in that they had two solid five-year stretches of this kind in a row, and added up they surpass the Bruins’ PAA.
Dallas Stars, 2001-2006 (62.9 P%, 79 PAA, 0.51 SRS): After Dallas made two straight Finals, they had some disappointing playoffs which made us forget about how good they still were. Playoff highlights include the 1-seed Stars lost to the 7-seed Ducks in ‘03, and the ‘07 Stars (the year after) losing a historically great goalie duel against the Canucks. Including ‘07 gets them to 95 PAA.
Washington Capitals, 1983-1987 (61.1 P%, 89 PAA, 0.55 SRS): Three straight seasons with 100 points, back when 100 points was quite meaningful. They ran into the Islanders four times and lost two winner-take-all games to them, including the infamous Easter Epic. In ‘86, the best season standings-wise, they lost to the underdog Rangers. Going through ‘89 would get these Caps up to 106 PAA.
Buffalo Sabres, 1981-1985 (59.3 P%, 74 PAA, 0.68 SRS): Being stuck in the Adams Division with Montreal and Boston didn’t help, though three of these years they lost to someone else (Minnesota, Quebec).

Grandfathered Competition

That’s the best I could find if we’re going by the strict rules (no CFs allowed), but what if we bended the rules a bit?
Carolina Hurricanes, 2020-2024 (67.7 P%, 89 PAA, 0.67 SRS): If we add the caveat that a team actually has to win a conference-final game to be excluded from the club, the Hurricanes get their foot in the door. So would the 2006-10 Sharks (88 PAA).
Buffalo Sabres, 1976-1980 (64.0 P%, 112 PAA, 0.94 SRS): These guys did make a final 4, but in an NHL with 21 teams where four of them were first-year expansion clubs. If you don’t count that, then this Buffalo team becomes a serious contender for the best team of this kind of category, especially if you include the early ‘80s years we already talked about.
New York Islanders, 1975-1979 (65.3 P%, 122 PAA, 1.23 SRS): In a smaller league, the pre-dynasty Islanders were in a Bruins-like role of losing in the playoffs after putting up impressive regular seasons (losing in four semifinals and one quarterfinals).
Chicago Black Hawks, 1970-1974 (65.9 P%, 123 PAA, 1.04 SRS): These Hawks made it to two Finals… in a 13/16 team league with rapid expansion happening. Again, you might think that’s enough of a comparison to modern teams who can’t make a conference final. The Rangers in this same time frame had 118 PAA and made one Finals, which is a similar story.

Other Comparisons

But, all we've done so far is compare the '20-'24 Bruins to other teams who failed in the playoffs. That limits the scope. What about some other teams? Can these Bruins' regular-season success compete with perennial contenders, even multiple-time champions we may remember?
Tampa Bay Lightning, 2018-2022 (69.6 P%, 104 PAA, 0.75 SRS): Two Cups, a then-record threatening season and two other solid ones, but still behind the Bruins in points and basically even in SRS.
Chicago Blackhawks, 2010-2015 (65.1 P%, 83 PAA, 0.58 SRS): Even if we cheat and give the dynasty Hawks six seasons, the six seasons they managed to win three Cups in, they still fall way short of the Bruins in PAA.
Colorado Avalanche, 1997-2001 (62.7 P%, 96 PAA, 0.57 SRS): The legendary years of Colorado with Patrick Roy can't make a five-year stretch with triple-digit PAA.
New Jersey Devils, 1997-2001 (64.6 P%, 112 PAA, 0.68 SRS): The Devils won three Cups in less than a decade, but the best you can do when selecting a five-year stretch is get one which ties the Bruins in PAA, and is behind them in SRS.
Detroit Red Wings, 1996-2000 (64.5 P%, 115 PAA, 0.86 SRS): In this stretch, the Red Wings won two Cups, and had a '95-96 season which surpasses the '23 Bruins in both PAA and SRS. Still, only three more PAA in total. To be fair, the Wings do pull more comfortably ahead in other stretches (like '01 to '05 with 133 PAA, though "only" 0.81 SRS).
New York Islanders, 1980-1984 (64.9 P%, 119 PAA, 1.00 SRS): Yes, the freaking dynasty Islanders, who made all five Finals and won four of them, had only seven more PAA than the Bruins. It’s strange how their playoff results were so different from the last five years, even though the regular-season numbers were actually slightly worse.
With all of that said, I don't want to give the impression that there aren't five-year stretches that comfortably beat the Bruins', because there are. The dynasty Oilers definitely do, as do the '70s Habs, Flyers, and Bruins (back when expansion doormats ruled the earth).

My dad likes to have the hockey jerseys of the schools that his kids have attended and we recently learned that Dal is changing the Tigers logo soon and we haven't had any luck finding one so far.
I'm looking for a men's hockey jersey in a XXL if anyone is willing to sell theirs or know of where we can find one?