A Lie Every NHL Team Likes to Tell Its Fanbase

In the NHL, there are times when a team may not be completely honest with its fanbase. There are times when things aren't going the greatest, so instead of being truthful and honest, the teams in question decide to stretch the truth.

Here are some of the lies each NHL team likes to tell its fanbase.

Anaheim Ducks

It is hard to find a distinct lie that the Anaheim Ducks have told the fans, but it seems that whenever Teemu Selanne is brought up, there is an automatic response stating that he isn't retiring.

While it hasn't really been a lie because Selanne has continually come back for more seasons, one day Selanne will retire. It would be wise for the Ducks to prepare the fans for this.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins had to deal with some controversy surrounding starting netminder Tim Thomas last season. There was the infamous White House incident, and then there were some incidents over the summer involving Thomas and his personal Facebook page.

Throughout it all, the Bruins gave the appearance of supporting Thomas but instead, they are trying to distance themselves from the Conn Smythe and Vezina winner.

Buffalo Sabres

When Terry Pegula bought the team, he made it a point to tell the fans that the Buffalo Sabres would be a playoff contender again. His goal was to make signings that would benefit the team and strengthen the team.

However, under Pegula's watch, the Sabres have signed players like Ville Leino and Christian Ehrhoff to long term contracts, players like Derek Roy have been traded, and the team hasn't rebounded like they were supposed to.

It is still early, and a lot can change. But so far Pegula's proclamation hasn't come to fruition.

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames have been lying to the fans the past few seasons, and it is pretty clear that the fans aren't buying it. The Flames are a team that are in desperate need of rebuilding, but Jay Feaster doesn't seem to believe so.

The Flames do not have a deep an promising prospect pool, and the current core of the team consists of players like Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff who are in the back ends of their careers.

However, Feaster semi-acknowledged that changes needed to made after the season had ended. It will be interesting to see if he sticks to his word.

Carolina Hurricanes

Every year the Carolina Hurricanes are billed as a legitimate contender in the Southeast division. Up to this point, this hasn't always been the case.

The Hurricanes made a sizable splash this offseason when they added Jordan Staal and Alex Semin to the roster.

They made a bigger splash when it was announced that Jeff Skinner was signed to a lengthy extension. These moves obviously speak volumes, but do they make the Hurricanes a legitimate contender?

They are set offensively, have an above average defense corp, and they have a quality netminder in Cam Ward.

They are in a tough division so it will be interesting to see if all these moves put the 'Canes over the top.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks have almost all the tools necessary to win the Stanley Cup. If the team was honest with its assessment of itself, it would have addressed goaltending this offseason.

The team inadvertently stood behind Corey Crawford, even when he was going through his ups and downs, but it didn't stop them from trying to sign future hall-of-fame goaltender Martin Brodeur.

It is one thing to give the fans the impression that the team is fine and competing, but it is completely another thing to attempt to acquire another starting goaltender. 

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche have been cultivating a youth movement over the past few years. Up to this point, it hasn't been successful. Matt Duchene, Ryan OReilly and Paul Stastny have highlighted the group of stars, and Gabriel Landeskog joined the mix last season.

The team has been in the middle of the pack the past few seasons and has stressed that the youth movement is what will take the team to new heights.

However, the team has added players like P.A. Parenteau and J.S. Giguere to infuse some experience in talents in certain areas.

At this point, it is looking like the youth movement may not work as well as it was supposed to because the Avs need some star power to take them into the playoffs.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Scott Howson was very adamant when he said that he made the best deal he could for Rick Nash. It's quite obvious that he didn't because he was offered a lot more at the trade deadline.

It was reported by the New York Post  that the Rangers offered Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon, JT Miller, Christian Thomas and their 2012 first-round draft selection.

That is a lot more than what the Rangers gave up in Artem Anisimov, Dubinsky, Erixon and a 2013 first round draft selection.

JT Miller is one of the Rangers top prospects, and Christian Thomas is a gifted scoring winger who likely would have cracked the Blue Jackets lineup in 2012-13.

At the end of the day, the Jackets didn't make the best possible deal for their franchise winger. 

Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars decided not to re-sign franchise star Mike Modano after the team sought to get younger.

However, this summer they made moves that include the signing of Ray Whitney and Jaromir Jagr to sizable contracts.

There is no denying the talents of Whitney and Jagr, but it seems a bit suspicious that they opted not to re-sign Modano because of age while they welcome older players just two years later.

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings have been an organization that has really never showed weakness over the past decade. For the longest time, a player would retire, and a young prospect or player would step in and fill a hole.

This offseason, the Wings lost Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart and missed out in the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter sweepstakes.

Despite this, the Wings are a team that still thinks they will be a top contender. Unfortunately, this is a lie because teams in the Western conference have improved enough to threaten the Wings and their playoff streak.

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are a team that will either hit it really big, or they will hit rock bottom.

The Oilers are in a position where Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov could take up a huge chunk of salary.

It may get to a point where the Oilers win, or it could get to a point where the party could be unceremoniously disrupted.

The Oilers' brass has given the impression that this group of youngsters has what it takes to win, but will it pay off in the long run?

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers made the playoffs last season and won the division. This is something that hadn't happened in quite some time, so obviously the fans are under the impression that this is something that is going to become a recurrence.

The team has even pushed its #REDRISING campaign through social media as a sign of the reborn Panthers.

However, for a team that was as bad as the Panthers were the previous seasons, it is hard to believe that the team is going to repeat its success when teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals have improved.

Los Angeles Kings

There isn't a huge lie associated with the Los Angeles Kings, but there was an exaggeration of their "unpredictable" run as a No. 8 seed to Stanley Cup champions.

The second-half Kings were one of the best teams in the NHL. That was a side effect of adding Jeff Carter. Plus the team wasn't as bad as most originally thought.

However, if the Kings were able to hold a lead going into the third period of their last regular season game, they would have become the No .3 seed as the division champions.

The Kings did win the Stanley Cup, and there is no taking that away. But the account of how they won is made into a larger deal than it actually is.

Minnesota Wild

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"We're not making money, and that's one reason we need to fix our system. We need to fix how much we're spending right now. [The Wild's] revenues are fine. We're down a little bit in attendance, but we're up in sponsorships, we're up in TV revenue. And so the revenue that we're generating is not the issue as much as our expenses. And [the Wild's] biggest expense by far is player salaries."

"

That quote was from Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold on April 11 during an interview with the Minnesota Star Tribune.

On July 4, the Wild owner signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to long-term contracts that totaled $198 million.

I think it is pretty clear in this situation that Leipold was not serious about curbing spending.

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens have been one of the league's most storied franchises, and they are a team that should be seen as a contender. However, the past few seasons were rough for the franchise and general manager Pierre Gauthier and Bob Gainey.

Both men made questionable moves like making a lopsided trade for Scott Gomez with the New York Rangers and trading Mike Cammalleri during the middle of a game.

For the longest time, despite the staunch criticisms, team brass showed faith in the individuals.

It was only this offseason where enough became enough, and the Habs ownership cleaned house by getting rid of Gauthier, Gainey and head coach Randy Cunneyworth.

Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators were very firm in their statement that they were going to retain Pekka Rinne, Ryan Suter and Shea Weber.

However, the Predators ultimately did get things on their terms like they told the fans. Shea Weber was signed to a tough contract that will pay him $26 million in one calendar year, and Ryan Suter went to Minnesota.

The Predators wanted their fans to have faith, so they had to tell the fans that they would be able to re-sign the trio after The Hockey News released an issue with this cover.

New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils have had well-documented financial problems. All year long they had no problem telling the fans that Zach Parise would be re-signed and he would remain in New Jersey long-term.

However, this turned out to be a lie, and you can't blame ownership for attempting to instill hope in their fans.

Nonetheless, the powers that be needed to keep the fans coming into the arena. It could have had a negative effect if they told the truth about Parise's tenure in New Jersey.

New York Islanders

The New York islanders have constantly told the fans that the team is going to remain in Long Island and that a new arena would be built. However, this has gone on for a few years now.

It has gotten to the point where optimism is dwindling when you consider that the county of Nassau voted down a proposition for a new arena last summer.

The Islanders have young talent, but until they get a new arena they will not be able to draw free agent talent.

Charles Wang should do what is best for the franchise: Sell the team to someone who can secure a long-term home for the Islanders.

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers rose up the standings chart last season. They also raised the cost of ticket prices 9.5 percent across the board. The one lie that management always tells the fans is that they need to rise ticket prices.

The reason ticket prices went up is to subtly help fund the massive renovation project that is currently in the works at Madison Square Garden. It was a project that was supposed to be privately funded, but the fans are covering a significant portion of the renovation. 

The one saving grace for Blueshirt fans is that James Dolan doesn't meddle with the Rangers' finances like he does with the New York Knicks, and that is something they are glad about.

Ottawa Senators

There isn't a single incident to point to recently, but the most recent lie the Ottawa Senators loved to tell their fans was that this was a legitimate and good goal.

It is quite obvious that this goal shouldn't have counted, but what did you really expect the team to think?

Philadelphia Flyers

"We are proud to announce that [insert player] will be a Philadelphia Flyer for the long haul."

This is a generic quote that has been used at press conference after press conference after a player has been signed to an extension.

This would apply to Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and James Van Riemsdyk, and it could apply to Scott Hartnell and Wayne Simmonds in a matter of time.

The simple fact is that if one of your favorite Flyers is signed to an extension, wait until after he is traded before you buy his jersey so you can save some coin.

Phoenix Coyotes

The Phoenix Coyotes have tried to convince the fans that they are going to remain in Glendale long-term.

One of the ways they did this was by making season tickets and regular season tickets for 2012-13 available very early.

This is potentially a way to distract the fans from the fact that Shane Doan could be leaving town and that prospective owner Greg Jamison may not be able to buy the team because he doesn't have the requisite funds.

The Coyotes need to instill hope in the minds of their fans, but if it isn't going to be a possibility, they should be upfront.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed Sidney Crosby to a long-term contract because they were confident that he would be healthy long-term.

However, there is no guaranteeing anything with Crosby because concussions are a fickle area. The Penguins had to tell this lie because Crosby is the face of the franchise, and they had to come up with a way to justify handing out such a significant long-term contract.

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks have constantly told their fans that winning a Stanley Cup is the ultimate prize, but that hasn't been apparent. Ticket prices have constantly gone up, and they have only a few division titles to show for it.

They team has also made some questionable moves that really don't reinforce that mantra.

Letting players like Devin Setoguchi, prospect Charlie Coyle, Daniel Winnik and Jamie McGinn go in favor of keeping older players like Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton doesn't make sense if the Sharks want to win in the long run.

The team doesn't have a solid contingency plan if this core doesn't get the job done.

St. Louis Blues

It is hard to come up with something that the St. Louis Blues have actually lied about to their fans. The only thing that comes to mind is how they deal with their goaltending situation.

The team employs two different netminders, and they split the time. But the team claims that there is no true No. 1 netminder. This really isn't the case because Jaroslav Halak is a goaltender who has been favored over Brian Elliott.

However, Brian Elliott was the goaltender who received a nice new extension. So when St. Louis claims not to have a goaltending controversy, it is pretty hard to believe it.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired Anders Lindback this summer to help solve their goaltending issues, but that doesn't appear to be an effective long-term solution.

The Lightning have showed confidence in a tandem that will include Lindback but the move appears to be nothing more than a stop gap until Andrei Vasilevski is developed.

The Lightning have a solid offensive core, and they upgraded their defensive core. But they should be more realistic with their intentions for Lindback because he wasn't that impressive in Nashville.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs have not made the playoffs the past few seasons. The lie they like to tell the fans is that they are sorry for their lackluster performances year after year. 

After this season, the Maple Leafs actually put it in writing for the fans, and fans didn't buy it at all. The letter actually turned out to be one of the biggest PR backfires in recent memory.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks have inadvertently told their fans that they have enough talent to win. They won the Presidents' Trophy two years in a row and went to the Stanley Cup final in 2010-11. 

However, the Canucks haven't made many changes to their roster over the past few seasons, and they have basically told the fans that they don't need to make any moves.

If the Canucks are unable to win a Stanley Cup this year, it is safe to say that some major changes are coming.

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals are an interesting team because they have tons of talent, but it hasn't translated to success the past few years. When you look back at the past few years, the Capitals have really made it sound like the players were not at fault.

Bruce Boudreau was fired, and Dale Hunter decided to not come back for another season. Instead of putting the onus on players like Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin for not playing their best, they got off scot-free.

Maybe it is time for the players to be held accountable because Washington can't go through coaches every time things aren't going well.

Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets returned to the NHL last season and had tons of fan support, but they failed to make the playoffs. When it was announced that the Jets were coming back, the team sold out 13,000 season tickets.

The team then talked up all year long how loyal the fanbase was and how strong support was in Winnipeg. However, the fan support of the team financially wasn't as strong as ownership initially thought.

The value of the Jets dropped 21 percent over the course of a year, and they were one of league's worst teams when it came to revenue.

The numbers don't lie, and the financial support of the team isn't as strong as the team thought.