Your favorite "What if?" contemplation?

Mine has got to be:

What if Nathan Lafayette didn't hit the post?

Mine has got to be:

What if Nathan Lafayette didn't hit the post?


what if martin gelinas didn't hit the post?

My favourite two:

What if Steve Smith didn't score on his own net?

What if Gretzky had not been traded from Edmonton?

What if Viktor Tikhonov kept Tretiak in net for the "Miracle on Ice" game?

What if God was one of us? j/k :D

Im sure everybody and their dog heard has it hear but it still makes me wonder, what if bobby orr had good knees? :yo:

What if Mike Bossy had a good back for his whole career.

What if Edmonton was not handed the gift of the 2-3-2 format against the Isles in the 1984 playoffs and conference playoffs in a very weak Western Conference?

Gretzky never scored a finals goal in two series at Nassau Coliseum and their only win at the Coliseum was 1-0 where Fuhr stole the game. Game two of that series the Isles won 6-1.

That's a what if many Islander players themselves were thinking for years.

what if martin gelinas didn't hit the post?
What if the Rangers actually had to give up Leetch and Richter for Messier and seven other Oilers on the 94 team?

What if Hunter hadn't hit Turgeon's knee during the 92-93 playoffs.

You'd hope for a little more humility from Uniondale after completing two decades since the dynasty with zip and, perhaps, questions more like this ...

What if they caught the offsides goal by Duane Sutter in Game 6 vs. the Flyers in 1980, their third unarguable offsides goal of those playoffs?

What if the owners didn't have the good sense to ditch the Stan Fischler logo for a return to tradition? (a relevant question for every Bruins fan who attends a matinee).

What if Sam Pollock had made Bill Torrey an offer he couldn't refuse?

What if Gretzky had been caught highsticking Gilmour in 93
What if Wendel Clark, Mario Lemieux and Cam Neely were healthy.
What if Wendel played with Lemieux...
What if the russians were allowed into leave Russia earlier...
What if the leafs drafted Sakic instead of Richardson
What if Ballard never owned the leafs
What if the original six didn't have territory rights when drafting.

What if Lindros stayed in Quebec and Jersey drafted Lemieux

I'm with the above poster.

What if Gretzky got caught.

A Leafs vs Habs series in 93 woulda been just what the doctor ordered.

What if Leon Stickle called the obvious offsides in Game 6 of the 1980 Finals? What would have happened in Game 7?

What if Lafleur didnt blow his career away with smoking and suffered a car accident.

What if Mike Bossy had a healthy back.

What if Bobby Orr had healthy knees.

What if Lemieux hadnt been injured all the time.

What if Tim Kerr had played in either finals against Edmonton (85 & 87) ??
... especially 1987.

Oh and one more. What if Hasek had come to the NHL at the age of 20 not 28.

What if the Bruins, who stuck it to Quebec by taking Stephane Quintal 14th, didn't have that opportunity? (the Nords settled for Sakic 15th).


What if Gretzky had been caught highsticking Gilmour in 93
What if Wendel Clark, Mario Lemieux and Cam Neely were healthy.
What if Wendel played with Lemieux...
What if the russians were allowed into leave Russia earlier...
What if the leafs drafted Sakic instead of Richardson
What if Ballard never owned the leafs
What if the original six didn't have territory rights when drafting.

What if Lindros stayed in Quebec and Jersey drafted Lemieux

What if they had arthroscopy in the 60's?

What if Patrick Roy had been taken out after 4 goals?

What if the B's made a clean line change vs. Montreal in '79?

What if Hunter hadn't hit Turgeon's knee during the 92-93 playoffs.
He didn't. He slammed him into the boards injuring his shoulder.

What if Wayne Gretzky had never been cheapshotted by Gary Suter and his back never went sour for the last 8 years of his career?

What if Gary Suter had never tried to kill Paul Kariya, robbing us of one of the game's brightest young players?

What if the man upstairs had had the balls to review Brett Hull's no goal?

"What if" Tony Espisito didn't nix Guy becoming a Penguin in '89?
"What if" the Penguins had kept Rene Robert?
"What if" the Blackhwks had kept Hasek?
"What if" Mike Richter gets ejected from game 7 with the Devils for contact with a ref in 1994?
"What if" the problems in the NHL today were nipped in the bud in 1995?

I know it's been said but what if Bobby Orr had good knees?

What would happen if the players were greedy millionaires who only cared about money?

what if the leafs didn't win the cup in 67, then 50 mission cap would have different lyrics and no one would care about bill barilko

What if Bob Goodenow was a woman
What if Gary Bettman was a monkey

The Hockey News did a special on Great Debates back in the fall that went through some of the "what if's". According to them, if Bobby Orr had had two good knees not too many people would know who Paul Henderson is. Orr would have been the clincher for Canada in the 72 series, he was by far the best player in the world at that time (it was his peak of peaks) and he would not have let Canada fall behind three games to one in the series. They also point out that he dominated and was the MVP of the 76 Canada Cup even though his knees were nearly gone by then.


Imagine Canada hadn't come so close to losing the Summit Series? What if Bobby Hull, Derek Sanderson and Orr had all been able to play? Hull and Orr were pretty much the two best players in Canada at the time. Would it have been so close? The Soviets would still have probably won game one pretty easily, but wouldn't Hull and Orr have a huge impact on the rest of the games? What impact would that have had on the development system if Canada had won the series 5-2-1 or 6-2?

What if Bob Goodenow was a woman
What if Gary Bettman was a monkey

Isn't the second "what if" already the case? :joker:

What if Gordie Howe came back to the NHL instead of the WHA? Man, he'd have some big numbers. Not that he doesn't already.

"what if" the nhl hadn't had a lockout in 94?

What if the Rockies were competant and built a team in Denver

What if Lindros signed with the Nords

What if Peter Pock didn't strip the Oilers

What if Keane stayed with the Avs

What if the Avs drafted Gagne or Gomez instead of Parker

What if Gary Bettman wasn't a *****bag

What if ownership treated players more equitably.

What if the NHLPA had a clue how good they have it

What if the WHA merged in 1977

What if Bertuzzi didn't hit Steve Moore?

What if Bure never leaves Vancouver?

What if the Flames got Todd Harvey instead of Iginla?

Everyone has what if's about drafting. Its impossible not to.

What if Melnyk didnt buy the sens?

What if Mario, Ray and Patty played in the 96 world cup.

What if Milbury wasnt a loonatic
McCabe Bertuzzi for Linden
Chara, Spezza, Mckult for Yashin
Berard for Potvin
Jokinen Luongo Gaborik or Heatley for Parrish, Dipietro and Kvasha
Eric Brewer, Josh Green for Roman Hamrlik


Just to name a few

What if the NHL picked someone besides Bettman to become Commissioner in 1993?

What if Tampa Bay had traded Vincent LeCavalier?

What if Patrick Roy was never traded to Colorado?

You all missed a BIG one with HUGE implications:

Background: Two men in suits playing a game (backgammon or bridge?) one representing the Edmonton Oilers, the other the Winnipeg Jets... since the WHA had just folded they had to divy up some players for their NHL teams.

Anyway the winner of the series got to make a choice. The choice was a bunch of Houston Aeros (Morris Lukawich being the best player) or a skinny kid called Wayne. The Jets owner won the series but picked the "safe bet".

My "what if"...

What if the Winnipeg Jets had Gretzky from the beginning? Where would we be today???

My favourite two:

What if Steve Smith didn't score on his own net?

5 straight years.

What if Peter Pock didn't strip the Oilers

Probably 4 or 5 more championships.

What if we didn't have two boobs running the show.
What if teams tried scoring more goals rather than defend them.

what if the leafs didn't win the cup in 67, then 50 mission cap would have different lyrics and no one would care about bill barilko1967 had nothing to do with the song or the story.

Bill Barilko disappeared in August 1951 after scoring the winning goal in OT on April 21, 1951 to clinch the Cup for the Leafs 4 games to 1.

The Leafs floundered without him until 1957 when Punch Imlach came in and turned the franchise around.

They won the cup again in 1962, shortly thereafter Barilko was found.

If you are going to try and trash one of the greatest hockey stories, at least know what you are talking about!

i know these two were already said, but

what if the jets would've gotten gretzky?
what if bertuzzi hadn't attacked steve moore?
and then, what if pavel bure was healthy?

What if Pat LaFontaine had a longer career?
What if Cam Neely was healthy for a long time?

What it Fraser called the high sticking penalty on Gretzky against Doug Gilmour and the Maple Leafs in the Semi-Finals? (could have been Toronto VS Montreal for the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Cup)

What if the Toronto Maple Leafs kept goaltender Bernie Parent in the early 1970s? (No Philadelphia Flyers back-to-back Stanley Cup victories?...maybe one for Toronto?)

What if Ken Dryden didn't retire from the Montreal Canadiens after the 1979 season? (would there have been a NY Islanders Stanley Cup dynasty in the early 1980s?)

What if Scotty Bowman was never hired to coach the Detroit Red Wings? (would they have been just as successful without him?)

What if Eric Lindros decided to play for the Quebec Nordiques after they drafted him first overall? (No Forsberg in Colorado...Lindros-Sundin-Nolan top line in Quebec?)

What if the Buffalo Sabres never blocked Hamilton's entry into the NHL via expansion back in 1990? (No team in Ottawa today...Don Cherry coaching again in NHL for Hamilton?...huge rivalry with Toronto)

What if Paul Henderson never scored that goal in Russia back in 1972?

What if Lemieux stayed healthy
What if Lindros played for the Nords
What if Gretzky got caught in 93 playoffs
What if Pat LaFontaine stayed healthy
What if Orr had two good knees
What if Kevin Steven didn't break his nose in the 93 playoffs

I could go on.....

Everyone has what if's about drafting. Its impossible not to.

What if Melnyk didnt buy the sens?

What if Mario, Ray and Patty played in the 96 world cup.

What if Milbury wasnt a loonatic
McCabe Bertuzzi for Linden
Chara, Spezza, Mckult for Yashin
Berard for Potvin
Jokinen Luongo Gaborik or Heatley for Parrish, Dipietro and Kvasha
Eric Brewer, Josh Green for Roman Hamrlik


Just to name a few
If I was an Islander fan I would just most likely get depressed looking at that, wow Milbury hurt you guys real bad. I know if NYR had done some wild **** like that i would be looking at the all around picture and be somewhat disturbed and pissed.But oh well thats life.

What if the Leafs and Habs histories were reversed since the 1967 expansion. At that point in time the teams were actually quite close in the number of championships won (14 to 11) and overall they had the country split equally.

The Leafs suckiness over the last 40 years or so, combined with the Ballard regime, and the child molestation history within the organization were the Habs' property, WHILE the 10 championships, the class, the adulation, actual reasons to be proud to be a fan of the team (even with the difficult last six years) were all Maple Leafs property.

What kind of fan dynamics would we see? How much more annoying and arrogant would Leafs fans be? Or maybe not. I have always found that fans of winning teams are humble (except maybe Yankee fans), while fans of losing teams are quite arrogant.

It would be interesting to know ...

What if:

St Louis kept Joseph, Oates, Hull, Shanahan, and the airbitrator did not give New Jersey Stevens (for Shanahan).

Nick Kypreos did not take out Fuhr with that "hockey play" that happens so ofter has he and a two more say happens all the time.

What if all hockey analysts really knew what they were talking about? Would the average fan still loathe the trap or would they have evolved through education to know that the trap is one of the least things that is wrong with the game today?

What if Pelle Lindberg hadn't slammed his Porsche into a brick wall?

What if Eric Lindros was born with a pair?

What if the refs actually reviewed Brett Hull's goal?

What if Kiprusoff didn't suck in that softie from Niedermayer in the second period of the WCH2004 final?

What if Kiprusoff didn't suck in that softie from Niedermayer in the second period of the WCH2004 final?

What if the puck wasn't deflected for Finland's first goal?

:p:

What if Crosby only scored 7 goals in the same amount of games he has played this year?

What if the puck wasn't deflected for Finland's first goal?

:p:

You mean the nice play by Hahl to tip it in? But sure, if you wish you can imply it was cheap.

You mean the nice play by Hahl to tip it in? But sure, if you wish you can imply it was cheap.

Of course it was, the puck hit him, he didn't deflect it on purpose :p:

What if Crosby gets a potential career ending injury?

What if Crosby gets a potential career ending injury?

I take it you don't like Crosby

I take it you don't like Crosby
Nothing personal about the kid, but I could care less.

I'm sick of the hype.

Nothing personal about the kid, but I could care less.

I'm sick of the hype.

I had the same flava with Zach Parise.

I had the same flava with Zach Parise.
Thats another name. Especially those Isles fans that keep saying Milbury should've drafted him instead of Nillson. :shakehead

Would've/could've/should've yah never know.....

Thats another name. Especially those Isles fans that keep saying Milbury should've drafted him instead of Nillson. :shakehead

Would've/could've/should've yah never know.....

:lol Im a Devils fan, and I couldn't stand him, he's good in Albany, I'll give him that, and Im sure I'll like him in 05-06 when the NHL comes back, but, I was sick of the hype.

:lol Im a Devils fan, and I couldn't stand him, he's good in Albany, I'll give him that, and Im sure I'll like him in 05-06 when the NHL comes back, but, I was sick of the hype.
Exactly! :lol

I'm going to go read the top prospects for the 2009/10 season now! ;)

The way people hype and put expectations on these kids is rediculous. No wonder a lot of them flop or dont come anywhere near those expectations. :shakehead

What if Koivu never have had a serious knee injury. Would he have been a top 10 player in the league today?

What if Koivu never have had a serious knee injury. Would he have been a top 10 player in the league today?

Not a chance.

What if Maurice Richard isn't suspended for the rest of the season and playoffs in 1955?

Does he win the scoring title?

Do the Habs win the Cup?

What if the canucks staff member hadn't called Gretzky in the middle of the night?


Gretzky-Bure
Linden-Moginly


would have been a great one two punch

What if the canucks staff member hadn't called Gretzky in the middle of the night?


Gretzky-Bure
Linden-Moginly


would have been a great one two punch

What?

What if the Islanders had Luongo,Heatley and Jokinen.

What if Gary Bettman's called on officials to enforce obstruction rules exactly once... and they actually did?

What would be the effect on the game... and what would the trust level be during the current labor situation?

What if Pelle Lindbergh..... (enough said).

Also, what if Bernie Parent did not suffer a career ending eye injury towards the end of the 1978-79 season.

What if Glen Wesley had hit that yawning net in OT at Boston Garden in 1990? :banghead: :cry:

What if the NHL had not gotten greedy in the late 90's, raking in expansion money but ruinously overexpanding the league? :dunce: :joker:

What if the players on the Montreal Canadiens had to go off to fight in the War like the players from the Toronto Maple Leafs did? (Less Cups for the Habs?......More for Toronto?)

What if Don Cherry was coach of the Montreal Canadiens and Scotty Bowman was coach of the Boston Bruins? (Less Cups for the Habs?......More for Boston?)

What if Gordie Howe never retired and was still playing in the NHL? :D

What?


Thing was that when Gretzky was a FA before signing with the Rangers he was leaning towards signing with the nucks. But in the middle of the night someone called his house and woke him up and he got angry and signed with the rangers soon after.

Thing was that when Gretzky was a FA before signing with the Rangers he was leaning towards signing with the nucks. But in the middle of the night someone called his house and woke him up and he got angry and signed with the rangers soon after.

Seriously??? :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

the Flyers didn't trade: forsberg, ricci, hextall,huffman, simon, duchuesn, 2 #1's for Lindross?

What if he didn't have concussion problems?

The Flyers didn't introduce the Broad Street Bullies, how would hockey look today?

Of course it was, the puck hit him, he didn't deflect it on purpose :p:

Well, I was at the game at ACC that night and I also happen to have the DVD "It's Our Game" which has the entire final game. And I can assure you that Hahl #36 definitely tipped that one on purpose. Watch it and come back to discuss after that.

What if

Sather told Pocklington to get bent we are keeping Wayne

Sather traded Gretzky to the Wings for Yzerman, like it was supose to be

Sather told Pocklington to get bent and held out for Luc instead of Carson

What if

Sather told Pocklington to get bent we are keeping Wayne

Sather traded Gretzky to the Wings for Yzerman, like it was supose to be

Sather told Pocklington to get bent and held out for Luc instead of Carson



Even if Sather had told PP to get bent and.... there would be no difference today because what happened would still have happened. It was up to Pocklington, he made the decisions.

C'mon people, let's think about these and expand on them some more in your "what ifs"....


Ones like "what if blah blah had scored in the whenever playoffs against whoever" are silly because the answer is pretty obvious, his team would have won the game/series/Cup and..... that'd be it.

Or "what if Bertuzzi hadn't punched Moore..." ... well.... Moore would be one more locked out player and Bertuzzi would probably be playing in Europe..... whats so intriuging about that?


One's like "what if Mario had been drafted by the Devils" is a little more interesting, but that was before my time so I can't really get into those details. But when you pose those questions, think about them and expand on them, ... not to make this sound like an essay assignment, but whats the point of the thread if it's 90% "what if.... blah blah" and then nothing else?

http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=119343

This thread was on a similar topic and has a few more indepth responses.

Even if Sather had told PP to get bent and.... there would be no difference today because what happened would still have happened. It was up to Pocklington, he made the decisions.

Not unless he fired Sather, which would have been highly unlikely cause Glen was his "boy", and it was Sather who held the final choice, which he inturn handed to Gretzky.

What if Gilmour had been caught high-sticking Yzerman in the '93 playoffs?

The Wings might have started their dynasty a few years earlier.

What if Pat Quinn had never hit Bobby Orr?
What if Mike Bossy had played 15 years? (700 goals+)
What if Mario ever played defense? (-200 goals!)

Mine has got to be:

What if Nathan Lafayette didn't hit the post?

A lot of people forget in that series that Brian Leetch hit the post in overtime of Game 1 shortly before Vancouver scored. So maybe the question should be what if Brian Leetch didn`t hit the post? Since the Rangers won Games 2,3,and 4, would that make it a four-game sweep, and therefore not so fondly remembered by Canuck fans.

Here`s one: What if Craig MacTavish had decided to call a cab?

Here's a new one:

What if, say Kevin Dineen scored in OT of game of the 1986 Adams Division finals for Hartford vs. the HAbs? The Whalers were the only team to really push the HAbs to the limit that year (no other team was able to stay with Montreal for 7 games that year, let alone push game 7 to overtime). Would they have won the cup? We'll never know for a fact, but I'd have to say yes.

The 86' Whalers were AWESOME and were the best team the franchise ever had by a good margin, including the Canes' 2002 cup run.

OK, since I doubt anyone will even think about the Whalers example, here's another one. Tretiak was drafted by the Habs in 1983, but was never, to his extreme frustration, allowed by the Soviet government to play in NA, causing him to retire with a good 5 or 6 years left in his career.

What if he was allowed to cross the pond and play for the HAbs in '83? Let's assume he retired in 1988. A BUNCH of interesting implications here: Do the Habs have a shot at beating the teams they lost to in the playoffs between 1984 and 1988 (1986 not included), and upsetting the last year of the Islander dynasty and a few years of the Oilers run?

Even more interesting, does a young Patrick Roy even get a shot? I mean, how would the Canadiens management justify giving a second rounder with a junior GAA that was through the roof a shot at anything other than the backup job when you have Tretiak? Or would the situation have made Roy even better? Correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't one of the greatest sources of Roy's motivation early on being cut from one of his teams? Plus, as a backup, he'd have had Tretiak AND Allaire as tutors. Would it have made him that much better? Would it have even worked?

Ooh, and here's the million dollar question; would it have caused Roy to never reach his potential and forced him to remain a journeyman at best, instead of going to become the best ever?

What if Pelle Lindbergh..... (enough said).

:(

Poor Pelle. He was going to be a great one.

What if the Nordiques never became the Avalanche, would they still have won the Cup in Quebec City?

Anyway, we would still have one of the great rivalry ever of any sport.

what if the panthers elected to take the 4th overall in '93 and the 2nd overall in '94 rather than the 5th overall in '93 and the 1st overall in '94, and ended up with paul kariya?

what if the panthers had not rejected giving up jovanovski and dvorak for teemu selanne in his prime before winnipeg turned to anaheim's offer?

what if demers never checks mcsorely's stick in the '93 finals?

what if bure scores on richter in the '94 finals?

what if the kings never deal bernie nicholls, coming off a 70-goal season, for granato and sandstrom?

if mike rupp never becomes a nj devil, might the ducks be the '03 stanley cup champions?

What if the Nordiques never became the Avalanche, would they still have won the Cup in Quebec City?

Anyway, we would still have one of the great rivalry ever of any sport.

Roy never would have been traded to the Nordiques. He was the difference in puting the AVS over the top, helping them realize their potential. Remember the Red Wings dominated that regular season.

Fiset and Thibault were good keepers, but no cups in Quebec!

Roy never would have been traded to the Nordiques. He was the difference in puting the AVS over the top, helping them realize their potential. Remember the Red Wings dominated that regular season.

Fiset and Thibault were good keepers, but no cups in Quebec!

But, the Nordiques probably still would have tried to get a goalie. Who would they have traded for and would it have been enough to put them over the edge? Anyone remember what goaltenders were trade bait at that time?

Here's a new one:

What if, say Kevin Dineen scored in OT of game of the 1986 Adams Division finals for Hartford vs. the HAbs? The Whalers were the only team to really push the HAbs to the limit that year (no other team was able to stay with Montreal for 7 games that year, let alone push game 7 to overtime). Would they have won the cup? We'll never know for a fact, but I'd have to say yes.

The 86' Whalers were AWESOME and were the best team the franchise ever had by a good margin, including the Canes' 2002 cup run.

You know, I was just thinking about this last week. MSG Network has been showing Rangers classic games from the 1986 playoffs and I was wondering what would have happened if they faced the Whalers instead of the Canadiens. Would Beezer (who still continued to play great against the Habs) have been able to lead the Rangers to victory? Or would the Whalers have made it to the Finals? Would either of them been able to beat the Flames? And if the Whalers do go on to win the Cup, are they still a team to this day? A lot of things to think about there.

What if Scotty Bowman had been givin the GM job for the Habs back in '79 instead of horrific Irv Grundman? Would the Habs have stayed strong through the 80s?

What if Claude Lemeiux doesn't hit Draper in 1996?

The Wings stay unmotivated, no riot in Detroit, Vernon doesn't prove himself fightint Roy and Osgood is starting again. Ozzy true to form gets beat from the other side of the rink and the Avs win a second strait Cup.

What if McSorley uses a Legal Stick?

What if Bobby Clarke didn't two-hand slash Kharlamov's ankle.

What if hockey never had an ugly instance. Never a hit on Brashear, never a two handed slash, never a bertuzzi donkey punch; Would the game be more respectable? doubt it.

C'mon people, let's think about these and expand on them some more in your "what ifs"....



I have to agree. I think it'd be fun to debate some of these scenarios, but it's next to impossible when people are only posting one line example. Let's have some more elaboration. This could be really great thread.

You know, I was just thinking about this last week. MSG Network has been showing Rangers classic games from the 1986 playoffs and I was wondering what would have happened if they faced the Whalers instead of the Canadiens. Would Beezer (who still continued to play great against the Habs) have been able to lead the Rangers to victory? Or would the Whalers have made it to the Finals? Would either of them been able to beat the Flames? And if the Whalers do go on to win the Cup, are they still a team to this day? A lot of things to think about there.

Reminds me of a funny story about Kevin Dineen. During one of his last games ever, he lines up on the opening faceoff against Claude Lemieux, who had scored 2 GWG goals in the playoffs against Dineen's teams and then went on to win the cup (with Montreal in 1986 as mentioned earlier, and then again when Dineen was with the Flyers and Lemieux was with the Devils. So Dineen gets it into his head that Lemieux stole two rings from him and starts trying to provoke Claude into a fight (which he of course declines and turtles, I believe). Classic gutless Claude Lemieux.

Anyway, I think a Whalers/ Rangers series would've been a good one. Both teams had standout goalies (Liut v. a young Beezer), but in the end I think the Whale had too much firepower for the Rags to handle. Francis, Dineen, Ferrarro, pre-injury Sylvain Turgeon, John Anderson, and Dean Evason... That's a pretty scary top 6. Plus, their defense wasn't bad at all with guys like Dave Babych, Ulfie, and Quennville (a little top heavy, but still, not bad at all).

I think the Flames matched up a lot better, and the more I think about it, the more I wanna say the Whale woulda lost in 6 or 7. I think Calgary's top end guys (MacInnins, Suter, Mullen, MacDonald, Loob and Tonelli woulda been too much for Liut and the Whalers' defense to handle. That said. I highly doubt Calgary would have had an easy go of it and both teams would come out of that series black and blue.

What if Edmonton was not handed the gift of the 2-3-2 format against the Isles in the 1984 playoffs and conference playoffs in a very weak Western Conference?

Gretzky never scored a finals goal in two series at Nassau Coliseum and their only win at the Coliseum was 1-0 where Fuhr stole the game. Game two of that series the Isles won 6-1.

That's a what if many Islander players themselves were thinking for years.


really, i thought it was; What if Mike Milbury hadn't been born?

What if Richer or Holik score on Richter in OT of game 7?

What if Stan Smyl or Tony Tanti score on Vernon in game 7 of 89?

What if Reichel roofs it over McLean in game 7 in 1994?

What if Gretzky signs with Toronto in the summer of 1996?

What if the refs called Hulls skate in the crease?

What if Bobby Clarke didn't two-hand slash Kharlamov's ankle.

What if Bobby Hull and Bobby Orr had been able to play...?

What if Herb Brooks makes the 1960 Olympic team?

What if Chicago hadn't traded Phil Esposito?

What if Tim Kerr could have stayed healthy?

What if Cam Neely wasn't cheapshotted?

What if we were all going to a game tonight?

What if Brendan Shanahan didn't sleep with Craig Janney's wife?

What if Calgary's 1989 game 7 OT winner against Vancouver in the first round was called "kicked in?"

What would have happened if Hasek hadn't retired after his first Cup?

What if Steve Moore hadn't been injured in the Bertuzzi hit?

Would the Canadiens have made the playoffs in 2002 if Koivu hadn't come back with 3 games left in the season?(Remember there were 2 teams trying to get into 3 spots, the Habs had to win all 3 games, Koivu had points in all three I believe, and opposing teams they played, who had all secured playoff spots, seemed to lay off him)

Would the Flames have won the Cup last year if their goal in game 6 to give them the lead wasn't disallowed?

Just how much better would Yzerman have become if he'd never gotten a serious knee injury?

Did Larionov really need to retire because of age?(Seriously, I think if he'd stuck with the Wings, and there was still hockey, he'd have been fine)

What if Scotty Bowman had been givin the GM job for the Habs back in '79 instead of horrific Irv Grundman? Would the Habs have stayed strong through the 80s?
No, or at least not much better. They were done. Dryden and Lemaire were gone regardless of whether or not Scotty had stayed. Read Dryden's "The Game" which is a diary of the 1978-79 season. The Habs players at that point were bored with their dominance and were actually looking to an eventual playoff matchup with the Islanders as their motivation. I remember looking forward to that showdown as well. Shame it never came off.

What if the Habs had chosen Marcel Dionne instead of Guy Lafleur?

Would he have been a top 5 all time player? Could he have been a record setter for points at that time?

What if Bobby Hull and Bobby Orr had been able to play...?

What if the series were played one year earlier and Anatolyi Firsov and Vitalyi Davydov were able to play?

What if Daigle had been handled properly?

What if the Sens could beat the leafs?

What if Hossa's 2 posts in Game 7 against the Devils in the ECF had been goals?

What if Tommy Salo doesn't let the goal of his head in? Does Canada get to the gold medal game?

What if the Flyers drafted Jagr instead of Ricci.
What if Andrei Nikolishin had never jumped on Bertuzzi's back.

What if the Flyers drafted Jagr instead of Ricci.And what if they traded Jagr and Forsberg for Lindros?
What if Andrei Nikolishin had never jumped on Bertuzzi's back.Bertuzzi would have kept punching Moore.

What if Kerry Fraiser never worked in a habs playoffs game... ? ;)
And
What if Kerry Fraser had been ask by his wife to shave his head?

What if the Rangers never traded Doug Weight and Tony Amonte? Would they have still won the Cup in '94? Would they have won multiple Cups?

What if the Rangers never traded Doug Weight and Tony Amonte? Would they have still won the Cup in '94? Would they have won multiple Cups?

What if Dennis Sobchuk plays with Semenko; does he rack up 900 goals?

I have to agree. I think it'd be fun to debate some of these scenarios, but it's next to impossible when people are only posting one line example. Let's have some more elaboration. This could be really great thread.

Very well then I will expand on mine. Had the Rocket only been suspended the rest of the season by Clarence Campbell then two big things change.

1) Needless to say there is no Richard Riot. Which by itself is reason enough to wish it hadn't happened.

2) The Habs beat Detroit for the Stanley Cup and instead of 5 Cups in a row it's 6!

What if the Penguins beat the Devils in the 2001 playoffs? Would the NHL have taken a shift towards a more Offensive based game?

Imagine a Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk, Tanguay, Drury, Blake, Bourque vs Mario, Jagr, Kovalev, Straka, Lang, Hrdina Stanley Cup Finals.




What if the Penguins didnt lose Bob Johnson?
What if the Penguins had hired Herb Brooks and not Ed Johnson in 93?

Here's a fun one.

Prior to Bruce McNall swooping in, Nelson Skalbania (former owner of the Oilers) knew about the Oilers financial troubles and was working on initiating a trade that would have sent The Great One to Winnipeg in the summer of '88. Now there was probably never a chance in hell of this coming off, as Winnipeg didn't have the raw cash that Pocklington needed, but what if it had? Gretzky was traded for Jimmy Carson and L.A.'s first round pick, Martin Gelinas. What if he was traded for a package that included Hawerchuk and Winnipeg's first round pick... Teemu Selanne?

What if Quebec doesn't move to Colorado in the '95/96 season, what team does Roy get traded to?

What if Montreal had drafted Denis Savard instead of Doug Wickenheiser?

What if Herb Brooks was coach of the 1998 Olympic team?

One set of Herbies would have put an end to all of that partying.

What if a new CBA had been signed on September 16, 2004?

What if the Nordiques draft Jagr over Nolan?
What if the Avalanche draft Havlat over Kuleshov?
What if the Flames chose Skoula over Regehr?

and lastly, What if Bryan Fogarty didn't have a mental disease that eventually led to drugs/alcohol and his downfall?

My biggest "What ifs?":

1)What if one night in November, 1995, Pavel Bure does not get taken out behind the Blackhawks net by Steve Smith, does not catch his skate in a rut between the boards and ice, and does not turn his right knee into mush?

2)-This one was already mentioned-What if a Gretzky doesn't get ticked off by the Canucks managment/negotiations, and signs as a free-agent in Vancouver before the 96-97 season?

3) What if the Canucks' management wasn't so inept during the mid-late 90's, and decides to open the pocketbook??

Bure stays injury-free. He ends up clicking with Alex Mogilny and goes on a scoring tear during the 95-96 season. The team has a good season but loses to the eventual Cup Champ Avalanche in the playoffs.

However the next season the Canucks retool, adding the Great One in the off-season, as well as group II restricted free agent Dimitri Yushkevich for a little more compensation than Canucks fans feel is worthwhile. The team also signs Free Agent Pat Verbeek from the Rangers, as a hard-working role player.

Top Defensive prospect, 1994 draftee Mattias Ohlund is also brought over to north america one year earlier than projected. The canucks Also decide to retain the services of centreman Cliff Ronning, fresh off a 67 point season playing with Mogilny.

Canucks lines to start 96-97:

Tikkanen-Gretzky-Bure
Gelinas-Ronning-Mogilny
Naslund-Linden-Verbeek/Courtnall
Sillinger-Walker-Dowd/Odjick/Scatchard

Lumme-Yuskevich
Hedican-Aucoin
Murzyn-Ohlund/Babych/Cullimore

The Canucks go on to win the 96-97 Stanley Cup, Stomping the Flyers after a hard fought conference finals with the equally strong Detroit Red Wings.

Oh, I'm living in the past. Yes I am.

My biggest "What ifs?":

1)What if one night in November, 1995, Pavel Bure does not get taken out behind the Blackhawks net by Steve Smith, does not catch his skate in a rut between the boards and ice, and does not turn his right knee into mush?

2)-This one was already mentioned-What if a Gretzky doesn't get ticked off by the Canucks managment/negotiations, and signs as a free-agent in Vancouver before the 96-97 season?

3) What if the Canucks' management wasn't so inept during the mid-late 90's, and decides to open the pocketbook??

Bure stays injury-free. He ends up clicking with Alex Mogilny and goes on a scoring tear during the 95-96 season. The team has a good season but loses to the eventual Cup Champ Avalanche in the playoffs.

However the next season the Canucks retool, adding the Great One in the off-season, as well as group II restricted free agent Dimitri Yushkevich for a little more compensation than Canucks fans feel is worthwhile. The team also signs Free Agent Pat Verbeek from the Rangers, as a hard-working role player.

Top Defensive prospect, 1994 draftee Mattias Ohlund is also brought over to north america one year earlier than projected. The canucks Also decide to retain the services of centreman Cliff Ronning, fresh off a 67 point season playing with Mogilny.

Canucks lines to start 96-97:

Tikkanen-Gretzky-Bure
Gelinas-Ronning-Mogilny
Naslund-Linden-Verbeek/Courtnall
Sillinger-Walker-Dowd/Odjick/Scatchard

Lumme-Yuskevich
Hedican-Aucoin
Murzyn-Ohlund/Babych/Cullimore

The Canucks go on to win the 96-97 Stanley Cup, Stomping the Flyers after a hard fought conference finals with the equally strong Detroit Red Wings.

Oh, I'm living in the past. Yes I am.


If only this had happend i think that the East would have more cups because the west would have been such a B!@tch to get out of. That team the canucks could have iced woudl have been great if McLean was still adequate in net.

If only this had happend i think that the East would have more cups because the west would have been such a B!@tch to get out of. That team the canucks could have iced woudl have been great if McLean was still adequate in net.
Of course that was the line of reasoning every year in the Western conference, the big four would beat up on eachother and the east would walk over a weak western team, never really materialized.

What if Daigle had been handled properly?

What if the Sens could beat the leafs?

What if Hossa's 2 posts in Game 7 against the Devils in the ECF had been goals?


What if Daigle had actually wanted to play hockey is a better way of saying it

Canucks 1990 Draft. Eventually the Canucks got to be a great team 91-94, culminating in the Stanley Cup Finals in 94, but what if....

Canucks had overall picks #2, 18, 23, 65

Instead of #2 Nedved, take any of Primeau, Ricci, Jagr, Sydor, Hatcher. I don't think this is the biggie "What if" because even Nedved turned out to be a good player. It's our following picks that bug me to this day!

#18 instead of Antoski, we take Tkachuck or Brodeur!!! Heck even Smolinski would've been good.

Then at #23 instead of Slegr, we take Potvin (I know, we had him in the late 90's, but imagine having the Cat of the early 90's!!!) or Weight.

I know, I know, drafts are 20/20 hindsight, but this is a what if topic!

What if Cloutier stopped a beach ball in the Minnesota series and the Canucks made it to the Western Final vs. the Ducks a few years back.

What if Soviet players had started coming (been allowed to come) to the NHL 20 years earlier? Since they started playing in the late 80s, 20 years earlier puts their arrival at the time of the first major expansion.

Mine has got to be:

What if Nathan Lafayette didn't hit the post?

:joker: :handclap:

Having witnessed it live at MSG that unforgettable June evening in '94, I can attest to the fact that the last ten minutes of that Game Seven were surrealistic. More specifically, the crowd atmosphere in the closing minutes was unlike any other I've ever been part of. For you had 54 years of collective disappointment teetering on the edge of some 20,000 seats.

It wasn't so much a matter of unbridled joy and anticipation of victory as paranoia of heartbreak.

As a hockey fan (and not an NYR fan), I recall vividly the sense in the building that "the shoe was just waiting to drop" on NYR that night was palpable...and Lafayette's shot was nearly that prophecy fulfilling itself.

Not until the buzzer sounded did anyone in MSG seemingly allow themselves to trust the outcome.

A neat experience.

***

My "What if": What if NYI had a healthier squad entering the '85 Finals v. Oilers. That is not meant as an excuse in any way whatsoever, so don't even go there. ;) The Oilers EARNED that Cup, just as they earned the label of an all-time great team (joining NYI) over the rest of the decade. That said, the Isles came into that series bruised and battered, with no less than some 10 players having notable injuries. Likewise, Denis Potvin and Dave Langecin both had the mental stress of having buried their fathers during that playoff season. Again, no excuses, it was Edmonton's time, and injuries are part of the game. But I suspect that the series may have been significantly more competitive had NYI been in better overall shape.

So ended the Drive For Five. Still waiting for the Fifth Cup some 20 years later! (And not holding my breath in anticipation. :speechles )

What if Theo Fleury never came to New York? Would have have stayed sober? Would be still be playing today, considered one of the best?

And while we're on the topic of Theo...

What if he didn't check into rehab mid-season? Would the Rangers have made the playoffs (remember, at that point I'm pretty sure he was at least top 10 in scoring).

What if Lindros had gone to Toronto, and the Rangers instead got Jagr?

What if Sakic was signed to Smith's offer sheet?

What if Cloutier stopped a beach ball in the Minnesota series and the Canucks made it to the Western Final vs. the Ducks a few years back.

Better yet, what if Cloutier didn't let in that center ice shot from Lidstrom, and then struggle for the rest of the series?(Have we already what-iffed this?)

What if the Nordiques draft Jagr over Nolan?
What if the Avalanche draft Havlat over Kuleshov?
What if the Flames chose Skoula over Regehr?

and lastly, What if Bryan Fogarty didn't have a mental disease that eventually led to drugs/alcohol and his downfall?

What if , in 1983, the Red Wings drafted Pat Lafontaine ?(who they were planning on taking, but he got taken 3rd overall and the Red Wings got Yzerman as consolation prize...don't you wish every consolation prize was like that?)

What if Kerry Fraiser never worked in a habs playoffs game... ? ;)
And
What if Kerry Fraser had been ask by his wife to shave his head?

Well, if he shaved his head, I guess he'd just have to wear a helmet, what with his protective layer of hair gone and all
;)

There's one I want to go back to that I don't think has been expanded upon yet.

What happens to Patrick Roy if the Nordiques don't move to Colorado?

Almost everyone is in agreement that the Habs would NEVER have traded Roy to the Nordiques, so then where would he have gone? Who needed a goalie at that time? What players would have gone back in return? I don't recall if any other teams were in the running for Roy or if it was just the Avs the whole way.

And then, would the Nordiques have tried to pick up a goalie at the deadline in '96 for a playoff run? Anyone know who would have been available at the time? Or would they have just stuck with Fiset? (It was Fiset, wasn't it?)

What if Gretzky had been caught highsticking Gilmour in 93
What if Wendel Clark, Mario Lemieux and Cam Neely were healthy.
What if Wendel played with Lemieux...
What if the russians were allowed into leave Russia earlier...
What if the leafs drafted Sakic instead of Richardson
What if Ballard never owned the leafs
What if the original six didn't have territory rights when drafting.

What if Lindros stayed in Quebec and Jersey drafted Lemieux

i can see you have the limited edition of the hockey news! ;) :joker:

in 10 years, i think thrasher fans will be asking "what if we drafted phaneuf instead of coburn?"

There's one I want to go back to that I don't think has been expanded upon yet.

What happens to Patrick Roy if the Nordiques don't move to Colorado?

Almost everyone is in agreement that the Habs would NEVER have traded Roy to the Nordiques, so then where would he have gone? Who needed a goalie at that time? What players would have gone back in return? I don't recall if any other teams were in the running for Roy or if it was just the Avs the whole way.
The Avs had the inside track given that they were the repository of young Quebecios goalies at the time. Bowman made some offers when he realized he had stepped in it and I'm sure some other teams put out feelers, but Colorado had the inside track.

What if the Habs had gotten Deadmarsh in the Roy trade?

What if Mike Keane wasn't part of the package?

I was watching the NHL network last night, and one of their classic series' was 91 Devils-Pens two incidents really bothered me in these packages.

#1: Devils down 4-1 to Pens, come back, and score 2, and then get #3 and have it waved off saying it was kicked in, when the replay showed that Laurie Boschmann actually got his stick on it, not his foot.

#2 Devils lose that game 6 to the Penguins, and the series slips into a game 7. Early into game 7 Brendan Shannahan CLEARLY scores, and they don't count it, Devils lose that game 4-0.

What if the Devils had won that series? Pens wouldn't have had Cup #1, and possibly not even #2.........

What if we had a competent commissionner and a competent players union boss?

What if we had a competent commissionner and a competent players union boss?
Dude this is "what if?" not science fiction! :sarcasm:

What would happen if the players were greedy millionaires who only cared about money?

Classic :handclap:


What If Mario never had a bad back or got cancer?

In game seven of the '71 Finals, what if Hull's shot goes in to make in 3-0, or Lemaire's long bomb is stopped to keep it from going 2-1?

These are the thoughts that haunt my dreams.

What if Gary Suter hadn't existed?

This means Paul Kariya and Wayne Gretzky both never get their injuries from him.

What if the Nordiques never traded Mats Sundin?

What if Walter Gretzky was a priest?:eek:

What if Lindros stayed in Quebec??
What Colorado be the team it is today?
Would the Flyers have won a cup or two with Forsberg leading?
I'd like to think so

Here's a fun one.

Prior to Bruce McNall swooping in, Nelson Skalbania (former owner of the Oilers) knew about the Oilers financial troubles and was working on initiating a trade that would have sent The Great One to Winnipeg in the summer of '88. Now there was probably never a chance in hell of this coming off, as Winnipeg didn't have the raw cash that Pocklington needed, but what if it had? Gretzky was traded for Jimmy Carson and L.A.'s first round pick, Martin Gelinas. What if he was traded for a package that included Hawerchuk and Winnipeg's first round pick... Teemu Selanne?

An even more fun one... and my favorite hockey story of all-time. :)

In 1978, when the Oilers and Jets were still in the WHA, Gretzky started the season for the Indianapolis Racers. Nelson Skalbania owned the Racers at the time and needed money, so he wanted to sell Gretzky.

Enter Barry Shenkarow, Jets owner. He was in talks at the time to hire John Ferguson as GM of the Jets, and asked Fergie what he thought of Gretzky. Fergie's words: "Get him! I don't care what it takes, just get him".

So, Shenkarow flies down to meet with Skalbania, intending to offer him a 1/8 stake in the Jets in exchange for Gretzky. In a meeting on Skalbania's private jet, he pitches him the idea. Skalbania indicated he didn't want to have 7 other partners in the Jets, so he came up with a counter-offer...

One game of backgammon. If Skalbania wins, he gets the Jets. If Shenkarow wins, he gets Gretzky.

Shenkarow said no, and they couldn't work out a deal for Gretzky. Later that day, they played 10 games of backgammon, just for fun. Shenkarow lost 9 of the 10 games. The only one he won? The first one. :cry:

What if Shenkarow had the balls to literally bet his franchise on Wayne Gretzky???

What if Cris Chelios caught on at US International University in San Diego, CA (scroll down to the second paragraph) (http://hockeydraftcentral.com/1981/81040.html) Would USIU still be playing hockey (defunct since 1988) (http://www.uscho.com/stats/teamYxY.php?team=149&gender=m) ? Would there be more players coming from California? Would there be college hockey teams on the West Coast?

Would there be college hockey teams on the West Coast?


I think there is. I've heard of a PAC-10 in hockey (relatively recent too), but nothing other than that it exists or had existed.

I think there is. I've heard of a PAC-10 in hockey (relatively recent too), but nothing other than that it exists or had existed.
Nothing D-1 (with the exception of the Alaska schools), in the continental us NCAA hockey doesnt' go further west than Colorado. There are club hockey teams in California, which maybe what you're thinking of.

Nothing D-1 (with the exception of the Alaska schools), in the continental us NCAA hockey doesnt' go further west than Colorado. There are club hockey teams in California, which maybe what you're thinking of.


Oh I know that much. I know if it exists it wouldn't be D-1.


I know Northern Arizona used to have a hockey program. Bill Berg played in it.

What if Patrick Lalime wasn't a sieve in Game 7 vs. Toronto

Oh I know that much. I know if it exists it wouldn't be D-1.


I know Northern Arizona used to have a hockey program. Bill Berg played in it.
Greg Adams and Bob Beers too.

Should explain the problems of those programs. (http://www.augenblick.org/chha/h_grwest.html)

What if Ulf had never cheap-shotted Cam Neely?

What if Otto got caught for kicking it in?

What if Patrick Roy was never traded. what happens to the Avs?

What if when playing for the Rangers: Pat Lafontaine, Eric Lindros, Theo Fleury, Mike Richter and Pavel Bure had been healthy?

What if I started playing hockey at the age of 4. I might have been great. This is a very...unique thread :)

What if the Canucks had never drafted Trevor Linden? Would the Canucks have had the even remote chance of having the team they did in the early 90s?

What if the league hadn't let the Canucks keep Bure when they drafted him? Would they still of gotten him the next year?

What if Mike Keenan had never traded Linden for Bertuzzi and McCabe? Would Markus Naslund still be the great goal scorer he is without Bertuzzi?

What if Milbury kept Luongo and drafted Heatley.

What if Vancouver got Gretzky?
What if Roy didn't retire?
What if Roy wasn't traded?

What if Milbury kept Luongo and drafted Heatley.

What if Milbury was born 30 years earlier and became Islander GM just prior to their dynasty? Would he of traded Mike Bossy and Denis Potvin for a garden hose and a hawaiian shirt?

What if Brett Hull's goal didn't count in 1999?

[QUOTE=MooseHunter]What if the Canucks had never drafted Trevor Linden? Would the Canucks have had the even remote chance of having the team they did in the early 90s?

QUOTE]

LOL.

Canuck fans give Trevor Linden waaaaaay too much credit. Face it, the guy is a mediocre player. You gotta know that the Canucks are going to hang #16 right next to Smyl's #12. That is sad. Desperation for some history and tradition so hang up the numbers of mediocre NHLers. :shakehead

what if the NHL never got a hold of the Stanley Cup? I can't imagine any sort of small little normal trophy being used...hell, they would just be called the championship playoffs...

LOL.

Canuck fans give Trevor Linden waaaaaay too much credit. Face it, the guy is a mediocre player. You gotta know that the Canucks are going to hang #16 right next to Smyl's #12. That is sad. Desperation for some history and tradition so hang up the numbers of mediocre NHLers. :shakehead

Yeah I just with that Cy Denneny played for the canucks.... well I haven't seen him but I am sure that he would be the best player to grace the rink. But really Linden was not only a great player for a while, but he is a great person, who was the face of the team for the better part of a decade, the youngest captain in NHL? history, someone who has always carried himself with class, and donates more time than anyone else to childerns charities in Vancouver and where ever he played. I have much more respect for the King Clancy Memorial trophey than you do i guess. Getting your number retired isn't only about the quality of player you were, but also the quality of person they were.

someone who has always carried himself with class

You sure about that?


During a BCTV interview about the 1994 lockout, a reporter asked Linden his thoughts on rapidly rising player salaries driving ticket prices so high that average families could no longer afford to go to games. Linden's response:

"Let them go to the carnival, then"


Very classy.

What if Gretzky took a penalty shot in the olympics?
What if Toronto Beat Carolina?
What if Ottawa could beat Toronto in a P/O series?
What if Toronto could beat Philly in a P/O series?
What if toronto got Gretzky.. ****in ballard..?

I heard the same quote. I do think that the carnival offers solid family entertainment though. I also think the gentlemen and women operating the games of chance have the same level of integrity found on both sides of the current labor dispute. I wish Linden had warned some fans not to buy their kids a snocone before that damn cups and saucer ride.

You sure about that?


During a BCTV interview about the 1994 lockout, a reporter asked Linden his thoughts on rapidly rising player salaries driving ticket prices so high that average families could no longer afford to go to games. Linden's response:

"Let them go to the carnival, then"


Very classy.

Could you provide a link or anything to back that up? I have looked for anything to back up what you state but so far there is nothing. Seems to be a common theme.

What if the Flyers had never traded for Lindros?

Pens...

What if Jagr had a heart.

What if Mario stayed healthy.

What if Pilon didn't smash Stevens in 93 playoffs

What if the Penguins had Money !! :teach:

What if the Penguins kept Zubov and Naslund

what if all fans were leaf fans :yo:

Could you provide a link or anything to back that up? I have looked for anything to back up what you state but so far there is nothing. Seems to be a common theme. I actually heard this one on Montreal radio the other day. It was a sports talk station, it might have been one of the regualar contributors who come on to discuss hockey issues, I can't remember. It wasn't a clip of Linden though.

what if all fans were leaf fans :yo:
I'd buy shares in pharmaceutical companies that made anti depressants.

What if the Flyers didn't trade away Forsberg?
What if Brett Hull's kick goal had been reviewed?

what if all fans were leaf fans :yo:


then all the other teams would lose money...

OH WAIT A MIN.. THEY ALREADY ARE.... :biglaugh:

What if WHA2 could play a game?

The original WHA is loaded with questions. Salaries? How big would the leagues be? When would the influx of europeans taken place? Would Bobby Hull have the NHL goals record?

WHA franchises are loaded with questions. The Cincinnati Stingers looked like a viable franchise with a modern arena, what if they merged?

What if the Birmingham Bulls merged? Would hockey in the south have more respect? Would Alabama-Huntsville be a national power?

What if the Denver Spurs made it through one season in the WHA? Would the Scouts have moved to Denver? would NHL hockeyt have come to Denver before the Avs?

What if the limo driver were sober?

Was the loss of Konstantinov a necessary part for the '98 repeat or would a healthy Vlad the Impaler also have led to the win?
Would Lidstrom have won his Norris trophies, seeing as Konstantinov was the runner up the year before Nick started his string of Runner ups that later turned to wins.
Chelios wouldn't have become a Wing.

What if Kerry Fraser went bald?

I'm not so much interested in the hockey ramifications (he might be more worried about the game) as I'm just in a vindictive mood towards him.

Could you provide a link or anything to back that up? I have looked for anything to back up what you state but so far there is nothing. Seems to be a common theme.

I assure you that it did happen. I watched the sportscast twice to make sure I heard Linden correctly. I actually liked Linden until that interview. Since then, I have hated him with a passion. It is very real.

I have spoken to Brook Ward about that incident so, if you want to verify this, contact him.

You may contact Brook Ward at Team1040 radio in Vancouver. He hosts a show in the 12:00-2:00pm time slot on weekdays. His contact info:

Call In #'s
604-280-TEAM (8326)
*TEAM (8326)
1-866-266-TEAM (8326)

Email the hosts at live@team1040.ca


BCTV probably has the interview in their archives so, you may contact them if you wish:

GLOBAL BC
Main number: 604-420-2288
FAX number: 604-422-6427
bctvsportssmtp@globaltv.ca

What if Gretzky had been caught highsticking Gilmour in 93
What if Wendel Clark, Mario Lemieux and Cam Neely were healthy.
What if Wendel played with Lemieux...
What if the russians were allowed into leave Russia earlier...
What if the leafs drafted Sakic instead of Richardson
What if Ballard never owned the leafs
What if the original six didn't have territory rights when drafting.

What if Lindros stayed in Quebec and Jersey drafted Lemieux

That is the best one... what is the Russians were allowed into America say 30 years earlier. Imagine all those players...

Of course you have to also wonder how the Russian system would be as a result and whether or not it would continue producing such talents in the 70's, 80's with so much talent having left.

But it is still the best of these.

Injuries of course are the most common, from Orr to Mario to Wayne to Neely, etc, etc. Lindros staying in Quebec is a big one because of how enormous it ended up changing the hockey landscape. Wayne in Edmonton is a good one. What if today's goalies played in the 50's or what if an all-50's Detroit Red Wings team played today?

what if all fans were leaf fans :yo:

There'd be a whole lot less hockey fans. :teach:

Of course you have to also wonder how the Russian system would be as a result and whether or not it would continue producing such talents in the 70's, 80's with so much talent having left.You also have to wonder if the US system would have been any good without The Miracle on Ice to spur developement.

You sure about that?


During a BCTV interview about the 1994 lockout, a reporter asked Linden his thoughts on rapidly rising player salaries driving ticket prices so high that average families could no longer afford to go to games. Linden's response:

"Let them go to the carnival, then"


Very classy.

Somewhat amusing. Sure it makes him seem like a dick, but that doesn't change that he was a key player for the Nucks. He has a lot of heart and was a very good player for a while. I think you're making him out to be a bum when he wasn't.

As far as retiring his number, I don't think that really matters. To me that isn't about the greatest players to play for an organization, it is to honor those who gave the most to the organization while also being fan favorites.

The more I think about it, the funnier that quote is. Haha. Good stuff. I can imagine it being the new "catch attitude". "Mr. Levi, what of concerns that the rising prices for your jeans will make it impossible for average families to afford them." "Let them go to the Salvation Army, then." The possibilities are limitless.

You also have to wonder if the US system would have been any good without The Miracle on Ice to spur developement.

Good point. Miracle Fever definitely sped up U.S. hockey development.

I see Orr's knees mentioned here several times; what if Alan Eagleson had given Bobby the true details of the Bruin's last contract offer, supposedly including 10% ownership of the team. The face of Bruins hockey could have been so different up to this day, with Orr eventually as GM/President.


Also, what if Ken Dryden decided to play for the Bruins (who originally drafted him) instead of going to Cornell and eventually ending up with the Habs?

Uwe Krupp hit the post in the 4th o.t. in 96 finals,would we still be deadlocked??? :eek:

What would happen if the players were greedy millionaires who only cared about money?

I thought this had already happened ;)

What if the Canucks don't find out that Bure is elligible in '89 and he waits till the 1990 entry draft?

Possible options 1990 Draft goes like this:
a) Quebec picks the first ever Russian #1, Nolan goes to the 'Nucks
b) Vancouver takes Bure anyway with #2 instead of Nedved
c) Detroit grabs him and gets 2/3 of one of the most dominant jr lines ever to take the ice.

These are all hypothetical. He probably would never have been drafted that high due to the difficulty in bringing players over, but it's worth a gander.

Also, what if Lindros never slept with Brind A'mour's wife?

OK, since I doubt anyone will even think about the Whalers example, here's another one. Tretiak was drafted by the Habs in 1983, but was never, to his extreme frustration, allowed by the Soviet government to play in NA, causing him to retire with a good 5 or 6 years left in his career.

What if he was allowed to cross the pond and play for the HAbs in '83? Let's assume he retired in 1988. A BUNCH of interesting implications here: Do the Habs have a shot at beating the teams they lost to in the playoffs between 1984 and 1988 (1986 not included), and upsetting the last year of the Islander dynasty and a few years of the Oilers run?

Even more interesting, does a young Patrick Roy even get a shot? I mean, how would the Canadiens management justify giving a second rounder with a junior GAA that was through the roof a shot at anything other than the backup job when you have Tretiak? Or would the situation have made Roy even better? Correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't one of the greatest sources of Roy's motivation early on being cut from one of his teams? Plus, as a backup, he'd have had Tretiak AND Allaire as tutors. Would it have made him that much better? Would it have even worked?

Ooh, and here's the million dollar question; would it have caused Roy to never reach his potential and forced him to remain a journeyman at best, instead of going to become the best ever?



:(

Poor Pelle. He was going to be a great one.


Roy, if drafted by Montreal would have had his development delayed by a few years at most. He did lead the Baby Habs to the Calder Cup in his first year so he would be pegged by management as a winner. He would have backed up Tretiak instead of Soetaert and Penney his first year playing 30 games. In subsequent years he would play 30-35 games until taking over in 1988. He would have ended up with probably 50-60 less wins than he has now. Montreal as a team probably would have one less cup as 1986 probably doesn't happen.

One of the least remembered but greatest what ifs:

What if the California Golden Seals had not traded their #1 pick in 1971 to Montreal?

Guy Lafleur would have been a Seal!!!!

Would Guy have been the savior, leading the Seals to greatness and a string of Stanley Cups in the late 70s?

Probably not.

I think the Seals would have grown impatient and dealt him to the Canadiens anyway. Guy did not become a star until 1974-75, in the fragile Oakland market, I don't think they would have waited for that.

Ogo, I bet he would've become a star sooner. Being the go to guy on bad team, he would've exceeded the approx. 180 points he got in his first 3 seasons. Trouble is, staying in Oakland, he wouldn't have gone from star to superstar, at least not the player we know he was.

Ogo, I bet he would've become a star sooner. Being the go to guy on bad team, he would've exceeded the approx. 180 points he got in his first 3 seasons. Trouble is, staying in Oakland, he wouldn't have gone from star to superstar, at least not the player we know he was.

I don't know about that. Many greats have excelled on bad teams. Gretzky's first two years in Edmonton, Marcel Dionne in Detroit and LA, Andy Bathgate with Rangers and Peter Stastny with Quebec.

I think Lafleur would have been a superstar no matter where he played. JMHO.

I don't know about that. Many greats have excelled on bad teams. Gretzky's first two years in Edmonton, Marcel Dionne in Detroit and LA, Andy Bathgate with Rangers and Peter Stastny with Quebec.

I think Lafleur would have been a superstar no matter where he player. JMHO. Yeah, what I should have said was superstar/legend rather than star/superstar. You need the main stage to become legendary.

A Leafs vs Habs series in 93 woulda been just what the doctor ordered.

Frankly, what would have happened if Ozolinsh didn't hesitate on an open net and then later/what if Garpenlov hadn't hit the post against the Leafs in OT of Game 6 in the Semi's? Sharks-Vancouver in the Conference Finals.

Keeping on the Sharks theme, what if Teemu didn't miss a WIDE-OPEN net against the Avs in Game 7 in 2002?

Ugh....Teemu...what a waste.

What if Anaheim had brought in a premiere center to play with Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne?

and.. What if Paul Kariya never got crosschecked in the face by Gary f'ing Suter?

Keeping on the Sharks theme, what if Teemu didn't miss a WIDE-OPEN net against the Avs in Game 7 in 2002?

Ugh....Teemu...what a waste.
Speaking of the Sharks, what if they went with Tangerine? Would we been spared a decade of uniform redesigns using Teal?

[QUOTE=Injektilo]
Or "what if Bertuzzi hadn't punched Moore..." ... well.... Moore would be one more locked out player and Bertuzzi would probably be playing in Europe..... whats so intriuging about that?
QUOTE]

Its not really that simple. Calgary defeated the Canucks in seven games do you think they still would have won if Bertuzzi was there, I dont.

[QUOTE=Injektilo]
Or "what if Bertuzzi hadn't punched Moore..." ... well.... Moore would be one more locked out player and Bertuzzi would probably be playing in Europe..... whats so intriuging about that?
QUOTE]

Its not really that simple. Calgary defeated the Canucks in seven games do you think they still would have won if Bertuzzi was there, I dont.

The Canucks would have went on to lose in round 2, if they had Bertuzzi. Why do I say that? The Canucks ALWAYS lose, that is their trademark.

You really think Nealon is better than Burris?

Were due for 29 what if scenarios involving Crosby.

I'm with the above poster.

What if Gretzky got caught.

A Leafs vs Habs series in 93 woulda been just what the doctor ordered.
I am still peeved about that one. Damn you Kerry Fraser

I know it's been said but what if Bobby Orr had good knees?
Here,Here. Right on with that one.

The Hockey News did a special on Great Debates back in the fall that went through some of the "what if's". According to them, if Bobby Orr had had two good knees not too many people would know who Paul Henderson is. Orr would have been the clincher for Canada in the 72 series, he was by far the best player in the world at that time (it was his peak of peaks) and he would not have let Canada fall behind three games to one in the series. They also point out that he dominated and was the MVP of the 76 Canada Cup even though his knees were nearly gone by then.


Imagine Canada hadn't come so close to losing the Summit Series? What if Bobby Hull, Derek Sanderson and Orr had all been able to play? Hull and Orr were pretty much the two best players in Canada at the time. Would it have been so close? The Soviets would still have probably won game one pretty easily, but wouldn't Hull and Orr have a huge impact on the rest of the games? What impact would that have had on the development system if Canada had won the series 5-2-1 or 6-2?I agree. That 72 series probably would not even have been close.

what if Hakan Loob hadn't retired in his prime?

what if the Flames had taken martin brodeur in the first round instead of Trevor Kidd?

what if the Flames had been succesful in signing Selanne before he agreed to terms with Winnipeg?

(just trying to picture some scenario that has the Flames winning a playoff round in the 1990s :D )

What if Lindros didnt come back for the 2000 ECF?

What if Lindros looked up and avoided Stevens in game 7?

What if the leafs drafted Sakic instead of Richardson


Or Joe Sakic instead of Joe Sacco

What if Lindros didnt come back for the 2000 ECF?

What if Lindros looked up and avoided Stevens in game 7?

Flyers would have won the Cup. Lindros would be a legend for his comeback, he'd still be a Flyer because the fans would have kicked out Clarke before him. He'd still be the most dominant player in the NHL.

What if Andrew Raycroft hadn't brought the curse of the Montreal Forum Ghosts upon the Bruins by saying they were "sleeping" after the Bruins were up 3-1 in the last playoffs?

Because you know, it totally nixed the Bruins. Habs won three straight and the series. Bruins are doomed for 50 years. You don't mess with Rocket, Morenz and Plante.

The Canucks would have went on to lose in round 2, if they had Bertuzzi. Why do I say that? The Canucks ALWAYS lose, that is their trademark.


So someone else would've made it to the cup finals, regardless of whether the canucks lost round 2, and maybe tampa wouldn't have won the cup if they were playing someone else. so maybe tampa wouldn't have won the cup if bertuzzi didn't punch steve moore.

What if the Habs had selected Savard instead of Wickenheiser?

There are so many posts I did not read them all so I don't know if these exact ones are on there but here goes:

Sort of off-ice but in the end related to on the ice

What if Gretz had married Vickie Moss instead of Janet and stayed in Edmonton?

What if Gretz would have been given one of the penalty shots at the '98 Olympics?

What if McSorley had not been caught with the illegal stick?

Sorry- meant to say one of the 5 in the shootout for the '98 Olympics.

There are so many posts I did not read them all so I don't know if these exact ones are on there but here goes:

Sort of off-ice but in the end related to on the ice

What if Gretz had married Vickie Moss instead of Janet and stayed in Edmonton?

What if Gretz would have been given one of the penalty shots at the '98 Olympics?

What if McSorley had not been caught with the illegal stick?

Who Gretz married had nothing to do with him staying in Edmonton or leaving. A better question would be : What if Pocklington sold the Oilers in 1985?

And an answer to the '98 Olympics question - Marc Crawford wouldn't be ridiculed to his grave.

What if Norm Green didn't buy the Minnesota North Stars? Weren't they almost moved to San Jose anyway before he bought them?

What if Hartford didn't trade Ron Francis and Ulf Samuelsson to the Pens for Cullena and Zalapski? Would the Whalers still be around? Would Pittsburgh have won the Cup in '91? Would the North Stars have been Cup champs and stayed in Minnesota?

What if the Blues would have able to put Joseph, Brind'Amour, Stevens (even though this one wasn't by their choice), Shanahan, Oates, Hull, MacInnis, Gretzky, and a pretty good pre-injury prone Jeff Brown together? Brind'Amour for Ron Sutter and Murray Baron...I like both those guys, but I def wish the Blues would have held on to Brind'Amour.

I'm pretty sure the Blues had the opportunity to draft Sakic, but took Keith Osborne instead.

What if the Blues would have traded Brett Hull in a rumored deal with Washington for Jason Allison and Sergei Gonchar?

I'm pretty sure the Blues had the opportunity to draft Sakic, but took Keith Osborne instead.



A lot of teams wish they could have that draft day back. Right before Quebec drafted Sakic, Boston took Stephane Quintal. I think Sakic and Neely would been dynamite as linemates.

WHAT IF... the leafs traded for Gretzky like he wanted???

WHAT IF... the leafs kept the picks that led to Luongo and Niedermayer???

[QUOTE=MooseHunter]What if the Canucks had never drafted Trevor Linden? Would the Canucks have had the even remote chance of having the team they did in the early 90s?

QUOTE]

LOL.

Canuck fans give Trevor Linden waaaaaay too much credit. Face it, the guy is a mediocre player. You gotta know that the Canucks are going to hang #16 right next to Smyl's #12. That is sad. Desperation for some history and tradition so hang up the numbers of mediocre NHLers. :shakehead

After reading your post, I'm guessing that you weren't able to watch that cup run in '94. Linden was unreal and godlike. It was one of the best playoff performances of the 90's and the conn smythe was his if Vancouver was able to win. Injuries really slowed him down. He was a combination of Bertuzzi, Naslund, Morrison, and everybody else on today's team in those 30 or so games. It was an incredible performance.

Here`s one: What if Craig MacTavish had decided to call a cab?

Edgy.

Or Dany Heatley or Steve Chiasson....

What if Ballard never owned the Leafs.

Esoteric, but what if DU hadn't have gone on probabtion in the 70's? Denver was a dominant team using overage junior players, but eligibility changes got rid of that avenue for players and the NCAA made an example out of the Pioneers. While they still had good talent into the 80's would they have even more championships?

In that vien what if the University of Denver didn't get into financial trouble in the late 80's? The team made the Frozen Four in 86, but the University went into steep decline at the end of the decade until Richie saved the school. The Pioneers took about 8 years to rebuild into a contender.

The first attempt at a players association makes me think of a few what-ifs.

What if they had succeeded? Would Alan Eagleson still have been able to screw over the players?

What if the owners hadn't traded the union leaders to Chicago? Would Chicago have still become the winner it was? I know they had Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita coming up the ranks but the addition of Ted Lindsey, Glenn Hall, Jimmy Thomson and the others would have helped.

What if Montreal traded Doug Harvey? Would the Canadiens have still won five cups in a row? I know they were talent heavy but he was also a very important member of the team.

Another one: What if Bill Barilko wasn't killed in that plane crash? Would he have gone on to have a hall of fame career or would he have become an all but forgotten footnote in history?