3 things that will force a deal soon

[Jumptheshark]

Three things will force the NHL and the NHLPA to get a deal done sooner


1) ESPN saying goodbye--Both sides realize what this means and the impact it will have on both sides and the finacial stakes involved. What little TV coverage there was in the states--just went out the window. Poker and bowling get higher ratings then the NHL is most US states---this is the least powerful thing to get them talking

2)June 1st(today) and July 1st--- Draft picks will needed to be signed(june1st) and Q-offers to current nhlers--so teams can keep their rights-- IMG is already looking at the draft picks from 2003 and are saying they believe that the picks should be free agents--July 1st---when the VETS come up--You will see the water get murkier and what little control the NHL and the NHLPA over their underlings will start to be reduced. Neither side wants outside powers involved, because both sides could lose big time.

3) Splinter groups with both parties. Cracks in the NHLPA started showing a few weeks ago. The NHL has some owners that are getting upset at the slow pace fo the talks and there is talk from both sides about getting an outside party involved to settle things.


I think we will see a deal by July 1st

Click to read more...

 

[Chili]

There are no contract signings right now with no cba so those old dates are irrelevant. They should all be addressed in a new agreement as well as the rules & date of the next entry draft.

 

[Jumptheshark]

okay


for those of you have not seen the link


http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie.asp


The NHL NHLPA may try to ignore the whole thing

however

I have said previous that if they handle things the wrong way

they will be looking at a Curtis Flood type problem in the very near future

If agents are will to push the envelope with the Rookies-- you got to believe that they will try it for those who have already played in the NHL

 

[DuklaNation]

4) Vince Damphousse hospitalized for appendicitis.

 

[kdb209]

okay


for those of you have not seen the link


http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie.asp


The NHL NHLPA may try to ignore the whole thing

however

I have said previous that if they handle things the wrong way

they will be looking at a Curtis Flood type problem in the very near future

If agents are will to push the envelope with the Rookies-- you got to believe that they will try it for those who have already played in the NHL

No, they won't be looking at a Curt Flood type problem.

In MLB, the Reserve Clause was a unilateral rule of the owners and could be challenged under anti-trust law as a restraint of trade.

Any NHL/NHLPA terms negotiated under a CBA are generally considered to have an exemption to being challenged under anti trust law and instead are covered by labor law and the National Labor Relations Act which as a rule will uphold any terms fairly negotiated and approved under a CBA.

This non statutory exemption is why courts have upheld anti trust challenges to the NBA salary cap (Wood v NBA), the NFL draft (Clarrett v NFL), and others.

BTW, Curt Flood lost his case (due to Baseball's historic anti-trust exemption that the Supreme Court wasn't going to mess with - Congress, it's your problem) in 1970. The Reserve Clause went away and free agency was born 5 years later due to an arbiters ruling in the case of Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally - under the dispute resolution terms of baseball's CBA.

 

[blamebettman*]

are there players that want a deal? sure, but be careful, these "cracks in the unity" reports are always by pro owner "journalists" like garrioch, fischler, ulmer....eklund . Reports of dissent in the NHLPA have always been overstated.