Should NHL ban 'resting' players?

[KesLord]

This may be a high thought, but I'm convinced I'm not.

I believe the NHL should ban 'resting' players because they owe it to the fans. Hear me out: 

At the end of the day, hockey is part of the entertainment industry. Think of large sums of money paid by the fans who are going to watch these games. Essentially, the reason the tickets are so high is because they have the best player in the league and people want to see him pay. They're cheating the fans who are paying hundreds of dollars (a high price established by having a talented player) to watch the game, only to watch a team without a their talented player (who is the reason tickets are so high). Essentially, the Oilers managment is cheating the fans by having the ticket prices so high, and secondly, the reason those tickets are so high is so that the team can afford to pay their talented player that they promised a large sum of money to (for the sake of having fans to actually pay for that player through ticket sales). So when the player doesn't show up to the show, the player and the team are cheating the fans of the agreement they made. 

I'll give you a comparison:
Imagine fans pay hundreds of dollars to watch Taylor Swift. When they get to the show, they hear that Taylor Swift actually will be resting, and it'll just be the rest of the band playing tonight. Imagine the OUTRAGE of fans at something like that. 
We should feel a similar level of outrage when we go to a game and there's no McDavid. That he isn't there because he's 'resting'. Sure, I may know some names of the rest of the band, and I'd surely pay to see them, but only at a much higher reduced price (maybe $10 at the local bar). 
And yes, similar scenario should go for injured players. I'm not paying a similar price to go to a Taylor Swift concert, only to let me know ahead of time that she's going to be injured the day I'm going to watch her concert. Again, if this happened, I would expect my ticket price to get severely lower (if not fully reimbursed) if the person I paid big money to see wasn't there. Same mindset should be taken by the NHL towards their fans. Give them what you owe them. 

The way I see it, the NHL has 2 choices:
- ban the resting of players to live up to their end of the agreement with the fans
- Reimburse fans who paid for the ticket because high prices should guarantee the talented player. No talented player = ticket should be less. 

Honestly could make a legal case about it. It only takes one person to win the case and make hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

makes you think if you should go for it... 

Edited April 19 by KesLord

[Bllewellyn]

I agree with you, however, if there was any legal case, somebody would’ve already sued the NBA they rest players all the time. I think the team you were paying to see include all the lesser names. Therefore the teams meeting their obligation as long as there’s a team on the ice. That said people know ahead of time that players will be rested  not that I agree with it but it’s been done for quite a while and I feel if there was a legal case one would’ve already been presented.

[KesLord]

6 minutes ago, Bllewellyn said:

I agree with you, however, if there was any legal case, somebody would’ve already sued the NBA they rest players all the time. I think the team you were paying to see include all the lesser names. Therefore the teams meeting their obligation as long as there’s a team on the ice. That said people know ahead of time that players will be rested  not that I agree with it but it’s been done for quite a while and I feel if there was a legal case one would’ve already been presented.

I feel the same way... which makes you wonder WHY there hasn't been a case like this already. It seems like a no-brainer, so why hasn't anyone done it? 
Maybe because we're the ones who thought of it and everyone else will look at us when we make a butt-ton of money, wondering why they didn't think of this 'no brainer'

[KesLord]

Maybe we could go after the NBA and NHL... 

[AAA]

I hear what you're saying - but I don't really care if the "stars" miss a handful of games so that they're more rested and avoid injury before the playoffs.

 

I'm okay with stars like Miller, Hughes, Hronek taking a few days off at the end of the regular season, when the games are relatively meaningless

 

Id rather have them healthy and raring to go for Game 1 of the playoffs, when everything is on the line.

 

 

[KesLord]

13 minutes ago, AAA said:

I hear what you're saying - but I don't really care if the "stars" miss a handful of games so that they're more rested and avoid injury before the playoffs.

 

I'm okay with stars like Miller, Hughes, Hronek taking a few days off at the end of the regular season, when the games are relatively meaningless

 

Id rather have them healthy and raring to go for Game 1 of the playoffs, when everything is on the line.

 

 

I'd like you to see you "don't really care" when you pay $1200 to see Taylor's Swifts concert, only because she needed to "rest" as she's added 4-7 more stops on her tour that she really wants to impress for (fully refreshed and ready to do her best). Despite you paying $1200 and Taylor Swift not showing up, the concert says they will not repay you any money because Taylor is "resting" for her next tour. How is that an acceptable excuse for the fan who the paid $1200 to see her, yet didn't get anything back when she got yoinked from the band for the night so she could rest up. How is that any different then how the NHL should be!? 

Edited April 19 by KesLord

[KesLord]

Or imagine going to see One Direction, but Harry Styles isn't there. He's resting that night for the next shows he finds "more important". Is the venue not cancelling the concert/fully reimbursing tickets as to not have funs outrage? How is that any different from resting McDavid and letting Draisaitl, Nuge, and Nurse play? 

Answer yourself this:
If Harry Styles was 'resting' from the concert you paid to see, so that he could be ready for the other ones, would you:
A) Expect a show cancellation and Reimbursement (or if they choose not to give your money, they move the concert to a later date, where Harry will be in attendance)
B) Continue to go to the concert without Harry, pay the same price, and have everyone tell you that you "enjoyed it" so price was justified. 
 

It's the EXACT SAME. People pay massive amount on an Oiler's Game with the expectation that McDavid is there. They deserve to have their money justified! 

 

 

Edited April 19 by KesLord

[Miss Korea]

I don't think the NHL has a load management problem.  Not yet.  Hockey heavily encourages players to play through injury.  Usually, they can indeed just play through it and get better over time.

 

You are going to forget about tonight's games the very moment the puck drops in the Florida for Game 1.

[KesLord]

Just now, Miss Korea said:

I don't think the NHL has a load management problem.  Not yet.  Hockey heavily encourages players to play through injury.  Usually, they can indeed just play through it and get better over time.

 

You are going to forget about tonight's games the very moment the puck drops in the Florida for Game 1.

I wouldn't forget it if I paid $500 to watch it and McDavid wasn't playing. 

[Devron]

It’s kinda lame to be honest. I don’t care too much about tonight’s game because of it. I get it, I understand it but it’s boring from a fans perspective 

[Miss Korea]

4 minutes ago, KesLord said:

I wouldn't forget it if I paid $500 to watch it and McDavid wasn't playing. 

 

Fans are not anticipating marquee matchups in the NHL on the 82nd game day.  Maybe some playoff positioning (like tonight or the other day for the Eastern WC spots).  The NBA had an issue where players were just sitting out big matchups  (ie. Lakers vs Celtics) all the time for no good reason.

 

Guys like Boeser and McDavid were not 100% healthy.  You can't stop them or even fault them for sitting out when there's nothing on the line.

[Coconuts]

I'm indifferent, I wouldn't care if they disallowed resting players nor would I care much if the status quo remains

 

Knowledgeable fans who pay attention should know there's a chance top guys will be rested during the last handful of games 

[nux_win]

And maybe we should find a court to force Bill Wyman to re-join the Rolling Stones.  GCG!

[Canuck You]

Just give every fan a nice souvenir for the last 1-2 games and call it even.

[Drakrami]

So if you bought Oilers tickets to a game 2 weeks from now and McDavid gets injured in between and can't play, you are going to throw a fit? That's just life. Don't buy tickets to games towards season end. Stop feeling so entitled. 

 

Your concert comparsions are so wrong. How is buying Canucks tickets and Taylor Swift ticket the same?

Firstly, in reality, if Taylor Swift doesn't play in a concert, they will actually cancel the event and refund your tickets. 

Secondly, it even says in the wording, you are buying a "Canucks" ticket, so you get to watch the "Canucks" team with or without its star players. On the other hand, Taylor Swift is not a team game, it is just 1 singer. 

[24K]

It is usually only fir a game or two at the end if the season. No need to do anything. This ain't the nba.

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

Why bother signing a roster of 23 players then?  Just sign a half dozen, and play them 60 minutes a game.  All about duh starz powahz and entertains, amirite? 

[BPA]

If this ever comes to the courts, the coaches will just “McDavid” is banged up and taking a maintenance day.