Latest news with #McIndoe
Scoop
20-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
NZ Water Professionals Go Head-To-Head In High-Pressure Challenge
21 May 2025 – Next week in Nelson, water network operators and civil contractors from across New Zealand will compete in a live, high-pressure skills showdown. The winner of the 2025 National Live Tapping Competition will be crowned on 29 May at the annual Water Industry Operations Group (WIOG) conference. In this high-stakes competition, teams of two race against the clock to connect a household-sized water service to a live water main – without shutting off the supply. Known as water main tapping, this process allows connections to be made under pressure, avoiding costly shutdowns and ensuring customers continue to receive water without interruption. It's a hands-on challenge that demands skill, speed and teamwork, reflecting the real-world pressures water network operators face every day to keep communities supplied. Once the connection is complete, judges inspect every detail for leaks, faults and technical accuracy. The smallest mistake can cost teams valuable seconds, while major errors could mean disqualification. The fastest team – after any penalties are applied – will claim the national title and bragging rights for the next 12 months. Sponsored by Hynds Water, the competition is a showcase of the expertise that New Zealand's water operational teams bring to the job every day, ensuring essential water services reach their communities reliably and efficiently. 'The National Live Tapping Competition is a testament to the proficiency and commitment of our water network operations teams,' said Joshua McIndoe, Chair of WIOG. 'These are the people who work behind the scenes, around the clock, to deliver these vital services, often under demanding conditions.' Mr McIndoe also acknowledged the importance of industry support. 'Competitions like this wouldn't be possible without the backing of knowledgeable and trusted partners like Hynds Water. Their support helps us champion the professionalism of our sector and foster pride in our industry.' 'We're proud to support the National Live Tapping Competition and the skilled teams who take part,' said Brent Merritt, Business Development Manager, Hynds Water. 'There's no room for error in a live pipe connection. This competition showcases the incredible skill and dedication of the professionals who keep our water networks flowing.' Notes: 2025 National Live Tapping Competition: The competition will take place from 12-1.15pm on Thursday, 29 May. The winner of the 2025 National Live Tapping Competition title will be announced on the evening of Thursday, 29 May at the WIOG Conference and Awards dinner at approx. 7.30pm. Previous winners of the National Live Tapping Competition are: 2024 Waipa District Council 2023 Waimakariri District Council 2022 Conference and competition cancelled due to COVID 2021 Timaru District Council & Waimate District Council 2020 Conference and competition cancelled due to COVID 2019 Manawatu District Council About WIOG The Water Industry Operations Group of New Zealand (WIOG) is a national not-for-profit incorporation formed in 2006 by a group of dedicated water and wastewater operations professionals. Its membership covers professionals in water and wastewater treatment, reticulation and construction, asset management, engineering, supply owners and industry suppliers. The goals and objectives of the Group are simple: to provide its members with the opportunities to enhance their knowledge, experience and to provide them with a voice. The Group also promotes the water industry 'source to discharge' as a whole in order to raise public awareness. About Hynds Water A division of Hynds Pipe Systems, Hynds Water brings together the water expertise from across the Hynds Group, creating a focused team of professionals dedicated to providing our water customers with the highest level of service and technical expertise, with easy access to world-leading water product brands and agencies.
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The ultimate NHL team name rankings: Where do the Utah Mammoth rank? Who's No. 1?
What makes a great sports team name? Which ones are iconic and beloved by fans? And, conversely, which ones come up short and why? Now that the Utah franchise has a name — the Mammoth — we put out the call for NHL subscribers to rate all 32 NHL team names last week. Nearly 10,000 of you voted in only a few days' time, a really impressive turnout given we were in the middle of the second round of the playoffs. Advertisement To round out the results, we've also added our own votes and averaged them with the fan responses. Curiously, we were harder markers, with our average score of NHL team names 2.73 compared to 3.41 for readers' scores. Our votes were also often very different from fans' choices, showing how subjective this whole exercise can be. Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And maybe we can come up with some better names for the teams on the low end here. The Athletic rating: 4.5 (1st) Fan rating: 3.7 (8th) McIndoe: This is a near-perfect modern sports name. It's unique without trying too hard, simple without feeling simplistic, aggressive without feeling silly, and the alliteration is an added bonus. I named it the best team name in league history a few years ago, and while some of my opinions have evolved since then, I stand by this one. Mirtle: Yeah, this was one of the few names almost everyone agreed on, with 60 percent of fans giving it four or five stars. I remember when this team came out, and everyone wanted their gear, even though no one in western Canada knew much about San Jose. A lot of '90s teams went too goofy, but this one has stood the test of time. The Athletic rating: 4.0 (2nd) Fan rating: 4.2 (2nd) McIndoe: Very nice. Does it completely make sense when you think about it? Not necessarily, but it's almost a century old, so you don't have to. Mirtle: I'm not sure you can even explain why this one works exactly, but it just does. Better than Sox anyway? The Athletic rating: 4.0 (2nd) Fan rating: 4.1 (3rd) McIndoe: This is the first (but not last) of the Original Six examples in which I think the readers are just giving out high marks to the most familiar names. The 'Montreal Canadiens' has obviously come to represent something beyond a mere name. Purely as a name, though, it's cool that it's French but otherwise isn't all that creative. Advertisement Mirtle: Having a name that sounds good and is tied to the region scores high marks with me. This name is about local identity; it's more than just a team. The Athletic rating: 4.0 (2nd) Fan rating: 4.0 (4th) McIndoe: How old were you when you found out a bruin was a bear? I was older than I'd probably want to admit, but that's OK, because I'm not smart. I do know that bears are scary and cool, though, and this name has that creative twist that improves it without feeling kitschy. Mirtle: Boston Bears sounds a bit silly. Bruins? Old school and alliteration and we all learn something new? That's a lot of wins. The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.7 (7th) McIndoe: Penguins are adorable, nonthreatening and almost completely harmless. I'm not sure that makes a great sports team name, but at least the whole ice connection works. Mirtle: Penguins are also sleek, fast and opportunistic! I wish they kept the Igloo name and design with the new rink, even though it wasn't practical, because Pittsburgh was really nailing the motif. The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 4.2 (1st) McIndoe: It's cooler if you know the history, assuming the version of the history you believe is 'heroic military unit' and not 'blatantly stolen from a more popular local baseball team.' If you don't know the history, you're confused by both the grammar and why you'd name your team after something incredibly fragile that's known for falling helplessly when the going gets tough. Mirtle: The fan vote went bonkers for the Leafs, which is probably a combination of Toronto fans showing up due to how engaged they are right now, people voting up Original Six names in general, and the fact the name has just come to represent hockey and Canadiana in some fundamental way. But it's definitely a little weird. Advertisement The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.6 (12th) McIndoe: Kind of silly, but it works in that 1970s kind of way. Mirtle: My grandfather played briefly for the '40s version of the Canucks and my Dad remains a die-hard so I'm not going after this one! Like the Bruins, it introduces a term to a wider audience — and the concept of Johnny Canuck if you do your research. The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.5 (13th) McIndoe: Swords are cool. And they even chose to spell it the Canadian way. You're all wrong on this one, Mirtle especially. Mirtle: I thought this one was fine. But Sean voted it one of the greatest team names in professional sports history, elevating Buffalo's score. The fans are with me here. At least it's nice for the Sabres to not be at the bottom of something for once. The Athletic rating: 4.0 (2nd) Fan rating: 2.9 (27th) McIndoe: I liked it then, and I like it now. Color modifiers can be hit and miss, but it works here. I get why it would be a bit too clever for some tastes, but I think the low fan vote is more about people being sick of these guys than actually thinking this is somehow a worse name than 'Senators.' Mirtle: There's a large contingent of the more traditional fans who just don't like anything Vegas, it seems. But when you go to a game there, you see how well it suits the market as something completely different. Would it be goofy anywhere else? Probably. Way better than if they went with some gambling theme or something kitschy. The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.3 (21st) McIndoe: You can't touch a Flames when it's red hot! I mean, you can — that's actually the only time you can touch one — but a nice, simple monosyllabic plural can still be a great name. Advertisement Mirtle: I thought maybe this would get voted down more, given it was one of those weird 'relocated team keeps its name in a new market' ones. But fire is cool, so that helps. And when it blasts out after a goal at the Saddledome, you know they chose right. The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.7 (9th) McIndoe: Potentially problematic for many of the same reasons the logo comes under fire, but also a name with tons of history that's hard to ignore. I'm not sure quite how to grade them, aside from pointing out that Chicago once went 60 years spelling their own name wrong. Mirtle: I thought the fan vote would be lower given the controversy, but the pull of hockey tradition is strong. The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.2 (24th) McIndoe: Not many marks for creativity, with Florida sharing the same team name as roughly 90 percent of American high schools. But sometimes a name is a classic for a reason, and 'Panthers' has earned its status as an all-timer in the sports world. Mirtle: It seemed a bit cheesy in the '90s, but it's grown on hockey fans and just fits now, especially since it highlights the endangered Florida panther. The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.5 (14th) McIndoe: Everyone who gave this a good mark is going to hell. Which is most of the appeal here, if we're being honest. Mirtle: The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.5 (15th) McIndoe: It was reasonably cool, if a little plain, back in the 1970s. By the 2010s, it felt drab. But they kept it anyway, and it was absolutely the right call, because this is still a way better name than the Winnipeg Winter Moose or whatever some marketing consultant would have pushed for back in 2011. Mirtle: I do believe they were named after the New York Jets originally, which is unfortunate. But yes, it was better, given the history, than the alternatives. Advertisement The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.4 (18th) McIndoe: I still like it, but I get why some people don't. (They hate whimsy and fun.) Mirtle: Not nearly as good as what Vegas came up with. It gives me Toronto Raptors vibes. It's too bad they couldn't have been the Supersonics or some variation. I always liked the Seattle Thunderbirds get-up, too, so something along those lines could have been fun. The Athletic rating: 2.5 (19th) Fan rating: 3.8 (5th) McIndoe: A little bit of pandering to local industry isn't the worst marketing strategy, especially when you're coming in as part of a rebel league that might not survive more than a few seasons, but you wish they'd reached a little higher way back when. Mirtle: We're definitely getting hate mail for this one, DGB. This was where we were the most out of step with fans, who somehow voted it a top five name in the league. The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.3 (22nd) McIndoe: This is the team responsible for bringing singular names into the NHL. The name itself isn't awful, but actions have consequences. Mirtle: Bah, I like it. Did you want them to be the Lightnings? The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.2 (23rd) McIndoe: This is a nice, simple name that looks you in the eye when it shakes your hand. Mirtle: And then you fall asleep. The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.1 (26th) McIndoe: It's OK, and a huge step forward from Hockey Club. I might have considered a 4 if they'd gone plural. Mirtle: Nineteenth is higher than I was expecting for a brand-new name, but a lot of that is our votes propping it up. Maybe it'll grow on fans once their mascot starts impaling people with its tusks? The Athletic rating: 2.5 (19th) Fan rating: 3.4 (16th) McIndoe: So what do you guys do? 'We, uh, fly.' So, like, you're a bird? An airplane? A projectile of some sort? 'Look, you've already put more thought into this than we clearly did.' Advertisement Mirtle: Points for alliteration, but what is a Flyer? Shouldn't it be spelled Phlyers? I looked up where it came from, and it was part of a naming contest. They were almost called the Sabers so Sean could have had two best favorites. The Athletic rating: 2.5 (19th) Fan rating: 3.4 (20th) McIndoe: I realize this is hardly just a Carolina thing, but I've never fully understood the appeal of naming your team after a local recurring tragedy that kills people. Mirtle: Too bad there wasn't a way to keep the Whalers name and logo. The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 3.8 (6th) McIndoe: The same as I just wrote for the Hurricanes, only this one's also singular. Mirtle: I remember hating when we went from Nordiques to this, but it's grown on me a little. Points for the ice theme. Points deducted for sounding like a roller hockey team, though. The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 3.6 (10th) McIndoe: Another name that some of you are overrating based on familiarity, but as old-school names go, it's perfectly fine. Mirtle: They're sort of named after the Texas Rangers, which is just weird. But then again, most of the old names are strange. The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 3.6 (10th) McIndoe: You'd never pick this name today, but I don't mind that. The plural color is one of the oldest naming conventions in sports, and the musical connotation adds another layer. It's perfectly fine. Mirtle: I'd give it a higher rating if they'd bring back the musical jersey Mike Keenan wanted to burn. This was another one the fans liked a lot more than us, voting it 10th. The Athletic rating: 1.5 (27th) Fan rating: 3.4 (16th) McIndoe: So what do you guys do? 'We, uh, island.' That doesn't even make sense. 'Shut up, this will make total sense as long as we never temporarily move to Brooklyn.' Advertisement Mirtle: Yeah, negative points for creativity here. I think we're getting more hate mail now, though. Readers were bigger fans of it than we cynics, for what it's worth. The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 2.8 (29th) McIndoe: I like where they were going, but this is just a little bit too generic for my tastes. Mirtle: The double meaning of being a predator isn't doing them any favors either. Of the other options they were looking at, including Attack and Fury, Ice Tigers might have worked better? The Athletic rating: 1.5 (27th) Fan rating: 3.1 (25th) McIndoe: I liked that the Jets kept their old name when the market was resurrected, but that was a 15-year gap and this was over 50. I love history as much as the next guy, but not enough to name my pro sports team after an old rich guy with connections who never actually does anything. Mirtle: Yeah, there are classic names and just plain dated ones, and this is the latter. Although who doesn't enjoy cheering for their local senator to review and refine legislation? The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 2.5 (32nd) McIndoe: I want to like it. If you catch me on the right day, I kind of do. But most fans don't get it, and unfortunately, Columbus rarely gives them much reason to want to figure it out. Mirtle: This one received the lowest scores out of all 32 teams in the fan vote — by quite a bit. I don't think that's entirely fair, as they deserve some points for originality, but something about it hasn't worked. I wonder if they'd have been more successful it would have caught on more? The Athletic rating: 1.0 (31st) Fan rating: 3.4 (19th) McIndoe: Yes, you're the capital city, very clever. I kind of like the three-three syllabic flow here, but I would have said the same thing for Washington Dunderheads. Advertisement Mirtle: I'm a bit baffled why this one received such high marks from fans. Maybe someone can explain it in the comments for us, as we both gave this the lowest grade. Perhaps we're the dunderheads? The Athletic rating: 1.5 (27th) Fan rating: 2.8 (29th) McIndoe: It's an improvement on Mighty Ducks, in the same way that a fracture is an improvement over a compound fracture. Mirtle: But now they're just ducks. And they don't even do the quack attack late in games. The Athletic rating: 1.5 (27th) Fan rating: 2.7 (31st) McIndoe: OK, without any other context at all, 'Stars' is fine. Bland and uncreative, but also simple. We could live with it. But we know the context — the Stars were previously the North Stars, which was a way better name. They moved to Dallas and watered it down, partly so they could piggyback on the Cowboys brand. And yes, Lone Stars would have been better. Mirtle: And now we're robbed of getting the North Stars back, which led to … The Athletic rating: 1.0 (31st) Fan rating: 2.8 (28th) McIndoe: Awful. Mirtle: It's telling that we had tons of votes from our many Minnesotan/Russo readers and even they aren't defending it. Can we let them just have their old name back?
New York Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
One-way offside? Free range faceoffs? NHL Rules Court is back in session
By Sean McIndoe, Sean Gentille and Shayna Goldman Welcome to Rules Court, the feature in which you send in your proposals for NHL rule changes and three of us vote on them. Convince at least two of us, and your rule is passed. This is, by my count, the ninth edition of this feature. Over the years, we've changed everything from the salary cap to replay review to the playoff format, in some cases multiple times. We've also made it so that coaches have to walk across the ice to serve bench minors. We're really doing the Lord's work, is what I'm trying to say. Advertisement Today we're back with seven new suggestions sent in by readers. They'll be reviewed by Sean, Other Sean and Shayna (aka Almost Sean). Will any get the required YES votes to be passed into the NHL rulebook? Let's find out… Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and style. Once a team pulls its goalie from the ice for a sixth attacker, all icing should be waived off. This would allow the defense to take unlimited shots at the open net without icing being called. Additionally, you'd get some fierce skating races to try and get possession of the puck after it was shot at the open net. — A.J. F. McIndoe: I don't love it. Yes, you'd get unlimited shots at the empty net. But you'd also make things far easier on the defending team, and eliminate a bunch of the dramatic offensive-zone faceoffs. Empty-net goals are fun, but tying goals are way more fun, and this change would mean fewer of those. Put me down for a NO. (Bonus side rant: More rink-wide shots would just mean more TV directors doing that awful 'switch to the camera inside the net' thing that they still think is fascinating even though all it does is break the visual flow of a key moment. Stop doing this!) Gentille: Defending players having to decide whether to go for the empty net or risk the icing is one of my favorite parts of six-on-five play. Also, I like tying goals, and this one would guarantee some kind of catastrophic injury in those puck races. NO. Goldman: Yep, Sean 2's take here drives home the argument against this — the risk versus reward of shooting the puck down the ice is an exciting element of six-on-five play and helps show different coaching tactics. Plus, it takes away the one advantage a short-handed team has in those empty-net situations. NO. If you have pulled your goalie and are at six-on-five, if you ice the puck, you cannot put your goalie back in. You'll see a lot more teams being careful breaking the puck out six-on-five to avoid a defensive-zone faceoff without a goalie. As far as I'm concerned, being able to put your goalie back in is a line change and shouldn't be allowed. — Brad K. McIndoe: Brad, I can assure you that you're not alone here. This one comes up a lot. It really seems to bother a lot of hockey fans that the 'no subs on an icing' rule doesn't apply to a pulled goalie. But do we really want to see teams winning faceoffs and immediately scoring into empty nets? Like the first suggestion, this just seems like a way to tilt the ice in favor of the team that's leading and make life harder for the team trying to come back. Just in terms of entertainment value, that feels like we're getting it backward. Advertisement I'll admit I toyed with a yes here, if only because it would be interesting to see teams put a defenseman in the crease as a de facto goalie for faceoffs (which is what would happen). But it feels like the novelty there would wear off after the first few times, so this is another NO. Gentille: Why is everyone trying to end these games earlier? Did McIndoe micro-target fan bases whose teams recently gave up back-breaking six-on-five goals? Goalie pulls are one of the most exciting sequences we've got. They must be valued and protected. NO. Goldman: Sean Squared make very good points here. It feels like too drastic a punishment for icing the puck, which would lead to empty-net goals way more often. Don't we want to see more goalie pulls and potential comebacks? The rules are different for goalies for good reason — they shouldn't have to try and dramatically dive over the boards and race into the net right after the faceoff after playing 50-plus minutes each night. NO. My wife suggested this and I wholeheartedly agree. If you get a penalty near the end of the period, you have to stay in the box the entire intermission. — Daniel L. McIndoe: Who could be against this? The player in the box doesn't have to get yelled at by his coach. He gets some alone time to really think about what he's done. Fans could spend their intermission lining up to take pictures with him, like he's a panda bear at the zoo. As long as the guy doesn't have to pee really badly, I see no downside. YES. Gentille: It's not pee I'm worried about. NO. Goldman: I feel like the punishment doesn't match the crime for a minor penalty. Maybe there's a way to do this only for majors and 10-minute misconducts (just kidding, kind of). NO. I honestly believe this is the only good idea I have ever had, so hear me out: One-way offside. This rule change would mean that offside doesn't apply when entering the offensive zone. Players on the offensive team are allowed to cross the blue line before the puck, but once the puck crosses the blue line, regular offside rules apply. So if the puck leaves the zone, the players all have to tag up at the blue line as usual and the puck can't go back in the zone until the last player clears. After that, the players are free to enter the zone before the puck again. This rule would open up the game and stop teams from being able to play the dreaded 'trap' while also preventing the offensive team from being able to leave the zone to regroup. And the absolute best part? Reduces the offside challenges. — Buddy B. McIndoe: It wouldn't be a Rules Court without somebody trying to blow up the offside rule. I like this one better than the generic 'get rid of offside entirely' approach, since the hold-the-line battles to keep the puck in are good. With this rule, we're keeping those while still opening up the game and (crucially) getting rid of those stupid, awful, terrible freeze-frame offside reviews that all good and decent people hate. Sure, I'm in. YES. Gentille: This feels chaotic and impossible to officiate, which makes my ultimate stance very sad. NO. Goldman: It's a little convoluted for me and gets away from where the focus on offside challenges should be. Let's just put a time limit on when the entry is no longer eligible to be challenged, because it's fixing something else that isn't broken. NO. First, I want to say that NHL Rules Court is the best damn column on The Athletic and I look forward to it all year long. Thanks for making it. This will surely be too hokey for most, but I've always thought there has to be some way to make the Presidents' Trophy matter. The team that wins the 82-game bloodbath that is the NHL season gets no respect. My proposal, the winner of the Presidents' Trophy gets an 'extra life' in the playoffs. Meaning, for one time only in the playoffs, if the team that finished first overall in the regular season loses a Game 7, they are given a rubber match Game 8, also played at home. Shouldn't the league's best team be rewarded with something tangible? Hockey players have it driven into them from birth nothing matters but the Stanley Cup. This would increase the race for first overall right to the end of the season, instead of superstars being healthy-scratched for fans who are paying $150 a ticket. And, how rad would a GAME 8 be? I see no downside, but that's me. — Dave D. McIndoe: I am absolutely on board with the overall concept here. The NHL doesn't do enough to make regular-season success feel important, especially in the parity era, in which playing a 95-point wild-card team is nowhere near the easy matchup division winners used to get in the 21-team days. Unfortunately for Dave, his timing here stinks. Through no fault of his own, he sent his question in just before we got one of the all-time Game 7 classics between the Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets and the wild-card St. Louis Blues. Having watched that game, I'm trying to imagine what it would have been like if we'd known the Jets got a do-over if they lost. I can't do it. I try very hard not to have too many untouchables in my hockey-fan-head canon, but the sanctity of Game 7 is one of them. NO. Gentille: What's more tangible than a snazzy new banner? I like parts of this conceptually — adding juice to regular-season games is a good thing, and why we should have a 6-10 play-in tournament. Ultimately, though, I can't get past the idea of punishing a wild-card team for beating the Presidents' Trophy winner in a Game 7. NO. Goldman: Game 7s are the one thing in hockey that is NOT broken, so we cannot have a Game 8. Sean 1 is right, there should be a way to better reward regular-season success, but this just isn't it. The eighth seed potentially upsetting the first-place team adds too much pressure to a series; just think about when the 2023 Florida Panthers came back from a 3-1 deficit to take out the 135-point Boston Bruins. That's part of the magic of the Stanley Cup playoffs: anything can happen. NO. In basketball, players can stand anywhere they please on a jump ball. But in hockey, everyone lines up on the defensive side of the puck. Faceoffs are always a contest to pull the puck backward. My proposal is to allow players to line up for a faceoff anywhere on the ice they choose, as long as they're not in an offside position when the puck is dropped. Changes the faceoff strategy completely. — Mark P. McIndoe: This sounds cool at first, until you realize that it would work both ways: Offensive players could move forward, but the defending team could also put guys on the point. I think the pull-back faceoff works precisely because the other team isn't there to disrupt it. You might be able to talk me into allowing this change for center-ice faceoffs, but I like the offensive zone draws the way they are. NO. Gentille: Y'know what, I like the idea of adding this wrinkle. Defending teams could also send guys to the point, but there'd be a tactical element to the whole deal. Also, more generally, I can't think of a great reason to pass on this one other than 'that's just how faceoffs work,' and I don't love that justification. YES. Goldman: Maybe I have been saying no way too often today, and this rule change hit me at the right time. I'm intrigued by this because I love the idea of coaches having to tweak traditional faceoff strategies and get creative. Test it in the AHL or something first, then bring it to the big leagues. YES. If the ninth-place team in one conference (random example, the Calgary Flames) finishes with more points than the eighth-place team in the other conference (random example, the Montreal Canadiens), then the two teams play a one-game play-in, hosted by the challenged team. So in this example, Montreal would host Calgary in a one-game playoff, with the winner facing Washington in the first round. You could also put a points threshold on it if you wish (e.g. Calgary needs to finish three-plus points better than Montreal for the crossover game to be initiated). — Matt B. McIndoe: So, extra playoffs? An occasional bonus Game 7 to start the postseason? Gosh, twist my arm. YES. Gentille: Ah yes, love a random example. Let's put this one on the books until we get a full-on NBA-style play-in. Don't let the good be the enemy of the great, as I say when I file a story that I don't particularly like. YES. Goldman: I'm not big on the idea of a full-blown play-in tournament, but am on board with some sort of wild-card series for the No. 8 seed to truly earn its way into the final 16. This is a fun way to do it, and I even like the idea of a potential East-East or West-West Stanley Cup Final if that team can somehow defy all the odds of going through the wrong conference. YES. So after hearing seven cases, here are the new rules we wound up with: • Players can now line up wherever they want for a faceoff (as long as they're still onside), instead of just on their own side of the puck. • There will now be a single-game play-in for the last playoff spot if the ninth-place team in one conference has a better record than the eighth-place team in the other. Advertisement That's it. Just 2-for-7 this time around, which is not our best work. Although given how we started, I was legitimately worried we were heading for our first ever shutout, so maybe we just take the two YES nods and get out of here. As always, if you have a suggestion you'd like to see us debate in Rules Court, you can send it to us through this email address. (Top photo of Nathan MacKinnon and Roope Hintz: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
Scotsman
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Michael McIndoe: Let's all play our part in getting Edinburgh City into League One
Edinburgh City boss Michael McIndoe has called on the people of the Capital to help spur the club into League One next season. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Citizens promotion play-off journey begins on Tuesday night when they host East Fife or Annan Athletic in the first leg of the semi-finals. The second leg will be played next Saturday. Third-placed City, a point better off than Elgin in fourth, are fully aware that victory over Spartans tomorrow in their final League Two encounter of the campaign, will secure a tie against the Fifers. Edinburgh City boss Michael McIndoe. Picture: Tommy Lee However, McIndoe, who played in the English Championship play-off final for Bristol City at Wembley in 2008, insists all the focus is geared towards early next week where a large crowd is expected at Meadowbank as City bid to fire themselves back into Scottish football's third tier. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And the former midfielder is urging football fans to snap up tickets and break the attendance record of 1,320 set when Dunfermline visited the last time the club were in League one in January 2023. "The game is in high demand and sells itself," McIndoe told the Evening News. I'm asking the people of Edinburgh to come and watch one of their teams. It might not be Hibs or Hearts, but it's Edinburgh City and I think that's important. There's a brand of football that we're playing that is highly entertaining and we're trying to make people aware. "You're not coming to watch a boring game of football here - We've drawn the least amount of games in League Two this season, we've scored the second highest amount of goals and we've won the most amount of points since October than any other team so, again, it's an exciting, attacking brand of football. "We want to break the attendance record. It is one of the biggest games in the club's history because we're a few games away from potentially being back in League One again. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "We want to finish as high up as we can so we'll approach tomorrow as we always do looking to win the game. Momentum is important, and from my play-off experience down south - I've been involved in some big games - I've always been a big believer in continuity. That is what I'm about. My guys are fit enough to play four games in a week. I fight tooth and nail every week to get the win ratio up. Our focus is fully on Tuesday." City have been a force to be reckoned with this year where supporters have been treated to vibrant displays of youthful talent. Even the loss of top goalscorer Connor Young to Championship outfit Dunfermline in January failed to derail a squad that has gelled and improved week by week. McIndoe has worked wonders with the players at his disposal and has full belief they will complete the job he set out to do. "We fear nobody - why would we?" he explained. "We've beaten everyone in the division this season apart from Stranraer so I'm glad they're not in the play-offs! They've been our bogey team. Respectfully, I believe if my team turn up on any given day we win. "These games are different, they feel different. They are one-off games. If they don't, you've been in too many play-off situations. We don't want to take the pressure away - we want to ramp it up. For the ones who can handle it, they'll go far. For the others, they won't. It doesn't matter if it's League Two, the Premiership, or abroad, it's all relevant to that division. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "I am a wee bit disappointed we didn't win the league because a couple of weeks ago I felt there was an opportunity there. But, like I've said, we've been on a phenomenal run since October. I won't change the way we play for anybody. I've proved this attacking philosophy is successful and wins football matches. "There are a lot of smiles on the players' faces because they know they're good enough to play in the SPFL. I posed them that question at the start of the season. We've got 17 signed players and 75 per cent of them had never kicked a ball in the SPFL prior to this year. "If we don't go up then we'll win League Two next season. If we do go up, I believe we'll win League One. That's how much confidence I have in my players. I love this time of year. It's time for these young players." You can't knock McIndoe's aspirations for the club he was appointed head coach of in October 2023. He and his backroom team put pen to paper on new three-and-a-half-year deals in January. And they are not stopping at League One. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "This is my first full season in the SPFL and I'll be judged on this season and moving forward as it should be," he said. "You will be judged every minute of every day and I want that scrutiny - I want more of it. My job here is to get Edinburgh City into the Premiership. "I did say previously the Championship but that's not big enough given the rate we've developed. Tell me we can't go and get three promotions. We've got the chance to get one of those over the next few weeks. Everything is organised for next season already, irrespective of the division we're playing in - from pre-season, friendlies, to recruitment, in terms of what specific positions we'd be looking to strengthen."
New York Times
18-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Welcome to Red Light, our new hockey newsletter!
Red Light newsletter 🏒 | This is the first edition of The Athletic's hockey newsletter. Sign up here to receive Red Light directly in your inbox. We are your hockey hosts, Sean McIndoe and James Mirtle, and this is our letter 'o news. Let's go: Who has the best chance to win the Cup? 🤔 OK, maybe a bit heavy on the emojis so far, but hey, we're pumped to be here. This inaugural hockey newsletter at The Athletic has been a looooong time coming — nearly a decade for folks like us who have been around a while — and it's great timing, given the playoffs open with a doubleheader Saturday night in Winnipeg and Dallas. Let's start by looking at how the Stanley Cup odds are lining up, courtesy of our stats expert Dom Luszczyszyn. These factor in every team's injury situation, up to the minute. The full NHL playoff schedule is here. Try streaming games for free on Fubo. McIndoe: Let's start with the obvious. The Leafs are way too high, right? The model is based on the numbers, not the narratives, and usually that's an advantage. But after eight years of playoff misery, and facing a rival who loves to make them miserable, do we really think the Leafs are in good shape here? (Check out our Leafs-Sens series preview here.) Advertisement Mirtle: Yeah, there is zero chance I'd have them as a 71 percent favorite in Round 1, for starters. I think Ottawa is being underrated in general right now. The Sens were in 28th place on Dec. 1, got healthy, made some nice additions and have been the ninth-best team in the league since then! I can't see this being a cakewalk. (Plus, you know, the whole Leafs curse thing.) McIndoe: Since we're talking about Canadian wild-card upset potential, can the Habs pull one off against the top-seeded Capitals? Mirtle: Again, surely momentum has to count for something, no? Montreal has been on a 15-5-6 heater, and Washington has looked really ordinary down the stretch, winning just four of its last 12 games. And Logan Thompson has an .876 save percentage in his last 10 starts! I'm calling that as a surprisingly long series. McIndoe: You know what had better be a long series? Dallas and Colorado. Please tell me those Stars injuries aren't going to ruin what should be a classic. (Stars-Avs series preview.) Mirtle: Is now a good time to mention I'm a Blackwood believer and picked the Avs to win it all? And, yes, I do think Dallas is in trouble without Miro Heiskanen. Who do you got this year, DGB? McIndoe: I rarely get confused with a model, but maybe I will here: I've got the Jets to unite the country and end the drought. Elbows up, baby. Just don't mention which country their MVP goalie is from. For series previews and content from all eight matchups, check out The Athletic's NHL page. We're going right to the source for a couple more burning questions about our playoff probabilities this year. 1. Why does your model love the Jets so much this year? Fourteen percent to win it all is a lot for a team that has had a hard time getting out of Round 1. Luszczyszyn: The Connor Hellebuyck factor is big. Only Connor McDavid carries a similar per-game impact, and the gap between Hellebuyck and the NHL's next best goalie is substantial. On top of that, Winnipeg's star forwards look more dialed in this year, and the top four on defense looks better than usual thanks to Dylan Samberg. The Jets possess the puck better than ever and defend well in front of the league's best goalie. That's a recipe for good things in the postseason. And they'll have home ice in every series, too. Advertisement 2. What's the other biggest surprise for you after running the probabilities? Luszczyszyn: The Oilers were the team to beat for most of the year, but their inconsistencies and depth issues became too big of a problem to ignore. Mix in the loss of workhorse defenseman Mattias Ekholm, and they're now just a 50-50 bet against the Kings in Round 1 — a big drop-off from the past three years where the Oilers were 70 percent favorites each time. That series definitely caught me by surprise. See more of Dom's odds here. We'll have an updated version every morning in the postseason. 🏒 Dan Robson and Katie Strang examine the story of former junior star Mike McLeod, one of five Hockey Canada players about to go on trial for an alleged sexual assault in London, Ont. 🥅 Our army of puck pundits grades out the regular season for all 32 NHL teams, from A+ to F. And three teams will be forced to go to summer school by their parents. Can you guess the non-Buffalo flops? ❓ Who should you root for in these playoffs? If you're undecided and need a bandwagon option, McIndoe has your answer. 👁️🗨️ Think you know how the postseason will play out? Enter our prediction contest, which features one simple question (that you will get wrong). 📢 Exciting news for the PWHL: It's expanding, and Vancouver is set to become the seventh team. Hailey Salvian has the scoop. We believe that in hockey, as in life, there are no dumb questions. So if you have something you've always wondered about the sport, ask away by emailing us at redlight@ Today… Why do so many fans seem so mad about the playoff format? The short answer is that we just like to complain. Here's a slightly longer answer: The current format is based on the four divisions, with the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in each division playing each other, and the No. 1 seed playing a wild card. (Those wild cards can come from a different division, so we can't necessarily call it a 1-vs.-4 matchup, because nothing can ever be simple in this league.) Advertisement In theory, that works fine. But occasionally, it can lead to matchups like this year's Stars facing the Avalanche in a series between two teams viewed as elite Cup contenders. Dallas had the league's fifth-best record, while Colorado ranked eighth. But because they finished second and third in the Central Division, they're stuck playing each other in Round 1. That's too early, many fans would argue. The alternative would be a conference-based 1-vs.-8 format, which the league used from 1994 until 2013. That makes 'unfair' matchups less likely, although it doesn't eliminate them entirely. (You'd need to go to a leaguewide 1-vs.-16 format for that, and travel and time zones makes that impractical.) The downside is you'd get fewer rivalry matchups, which the league likes. This is the fourth year in a row that the Oilers have played the Kings, which is either fun or boring, depending on your perspective. All told, it's not like the format makes that big of a deal. There are no easy outs in the NHL playoffs, so everyone has to beat four good teams to win the Cup. And it's not like the Stars and Avalanche wouldn't have to cross paths eventually if they're truly among the best teams. You could argue the current format just pushes a few of those marquee matchups up a bit early, ensuring they actually happen. Maybe that's a good thing, but it doesn't feel that way when it's your team getting the tougher matchup. And like we said, we really do love to complain. 📫 Loved the first edition of Red Light? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters. Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Top photo of Matthew Tkachuk: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
