80% say "yes".

[thinkwild]

The players that would be strikebreakers are all playing now. Why not go watch them and get ready for the season so you can fill usin on who will be good, who the new powerforwards are, who could win the Art Ross and Conn Smythe, who the best goalie is. We will need a lot of time to learn about the new teams here. A team that if you had last year, you would of discarded your tickets in disgust, we'll see how long you continue when they are now your team, especially of they are losing badly. And new players are coming in and out that you've never heard of.

This isnt going to make the players crack. Nor make the owners any money. Nor give fans what they want.

 

[SwisshockeyAcademy]

The players that would be strikebreakers are all playing now. Why not go watch them and get ready for the season so you can fill usin on who will be good, who the new powerforwards are, who could win the Art Ross and Conn Smythe, who the best goalie is. We will need a lot of time to learn about the new teams here. A team that if you had last year, you would of discarded your tickets in disgust, we'll see how long you continue when they are now your team, especially of they are losing badly. And new players are coming in and out that you've never heard of.

This isnt going to make the players crack. Nor make the owners any money. Nor give fans what they want.

It is a major step towards breaking a union. It is signifigant.

 

[Papa Smurf]

I should point out, if my Canucks won the Cup this year with replacement players (not that it would ever come to that), it would be extremely bitter sweet.

People would watch. That is, if their as desperate for hockey as they say they are. Who knows, maybe this experiment could make or break some franchises. Which fan base would bother cheering on replacement players. They should give it a shot, try it for a month or two and see how it goes.

Sure it was just an online poll, but still. I don't care what it's for, 80% is alot.

 

[PecaFan]

FYI, attendance at the ACC last night was 9,424. If Toronto gets that, what would Carolina get? I'm not sure how much tickets were, but you can bet you wouldn't be increasing attendance by charging more just because the logo on the front of the jerseys were different.

Doesn't follow. First of all, that doesn't have the Leafs name on it, or the NHL. There are lots of fans that simply aren't fans of the AHL, but are of the NHL and their beloved Leafs. Regardless of who's wearing the uniform.

Secondly, there's the season ticket aspect. If the league starts up with replacement players, it says "ok, we're starting. Your season tickets are here." And if you don't pay for them, you're going to give them up *permanently*. Or at least, go to the back of the line. And I understand there's quite a lineup there.

In fact, I bet you'd have guys buying season tickets just to guarantee they had seats once the NHLPA players came back.

If replacement players are used - and I said if, don't count on seeing top prospects. You are going to see players who have been out of the league thinking that they have one last chance to impress ownership and you are going to see career minor leaguers who want to tell their grandchildren that they played in the NHL. No top prospect or young player with a chance of ever making the league (or thinking that they could ever make the league) is going to play.

Yes, not the top guys, but I bet some prospects would. First of all, they're not NHLPA members yet, so there's *no scabbing* going on. They don't owe the union anything, and in fact, it's their salaries that the union will be sacrificing to protect the vets.

And after all, the players have told us that taking someone's job is perfectly ok, it's all just business and competition after all. So no player would ever hold anything against a young player that did play. Unless they were two faced hypocrits.

 

[GKJ]

A lot of people tuned into the XFL for the 1st couple weeks, then once they realized the product was not the same as the real players of the NFL they quickly stop watching.

Great point...here's another.



Canadians probably would watch replacement players in NHL uniforms. If the NHL finds out that they're wasting money...any money...putting replacement players out there, they won't do it. Attendance is already bad enough in some markets and thats with actual NHL players.



And replacement workers are illegal in Vancouver and Montreal anyways.

 

[Motown Beatdown]

I think the reason why people turned away from the XFL is for the fact that its not the NFL. Personally, I wouldn't mind replacement players because, sure their not the most top of the line players, but it's still NHL hockey.

Who knows really.

It's about the quality of play. It's like being forced to drive a Ford Pinto when you have a Lexus garage getting fixed.

The fact is everyone will know those guys are not the BEST players.

 

[Papa Smurf]

I'm wathcing the AHL on TSN right now.

Judging by the somewhat packed ACC between the Baby Leafs and Baby Sens, I think replacement players are a good idea.

 

[FlyersFan10*]

I don't know how seriously you guys take on-line polls. But on Sportsnet today, when asked "Would you watch replacement players", a whopping unexpected 80% said they would happily.

I don't understand enough about the buisness of the NHL but I wonder why the NHL wouldn't consider this.

Simple....labour laws in Canada. Labour laws in Canada prohibit the use of replacement workers in the event of a strike/lockout. There are claims that the NHLPA isn't a union, but that is far from the truth. They are a certified union. Besides, to get replacements in the U.S. there has to be an official impasse and it must be because there has been a stalement in good faith negotiations. There have been no good faith negotiations so far. It's been an ownership group which has claimed "take it or leave it" with regards to the six proposals they have tabled. And all six proposals have been less than 300 words. Any judge would tear the owners a new one for such proposals. The idea may sound good, but to actually get the idea to come to fruition would be the issue.

 

[YellHockey*]

I'm wathcing the AHL on TSN right now.

Judging by the somewhat packed ACC between the Baby Leafs and Baby Sens, I think replacement players are a good idea.

Except that the only players playing tonight that would be replacement players would be the fourth liners if that. Players who think they will eventually make it to the NHL will not cross a picket line.

 

[wedge]

like most people here, I would watch it on TV but I would never pay for it, unless the tickets are just a bit higher than the AHL.

 

[SENSible1*]

Except that the only players playing tonight that would be replacement players would be the fourth liners if that. Players who think they will eventually make it to the NHL will not cross a picket line.

Sure thing sparky.

 

[BLONG7]

Simple....labour laws in Canada. Labour laws in Canada prohibit the use of replacement workers in the event of a strike/lockout. There are claims that the NHLPA isn't a union, but that is far from the truth. They are a certified union. Besides, to get replacements in the U.S. there has to be an official impasse and it must be because there has been a stalement in good faith negotiations. There have been no good faith negotiations so far. It's been an ownership group which has claimed "take it or leave it" with regards to the six proposals they have tabled. And all six proposals have been less than 300 words. Any judge would tear the owners a new one for such proposals. The idea may sound good, but to actually get the idea to come to fruition would be the issue.

I am not convinced these guys are a union... what union lets each employee negotiate it's own pay, and allows one member with the same seniority as the next guy to make 4-5-6 times the money... I think they call themselves a union when it is conveinient for them, and they refer to themselves as an association when it is conveinient also...

 

[PecaFan]

I am not convinced these guys are a union... what union lets each employee negotiate it's own pay, and allows one member with the same seniority as the next guy to make 4-5-6 times the money... I think they call themselves a union when it is conveinient for them, and they refer to themselves as an association when it is conveinient also...

I agree. I've heard repeatedly through the past 25 years that they're not a union, just an association. No one can ever offer proof of either, there's just the belief (yes, that runs both ways)

The individual negotiation of salaries runs counter to everything a union actually works for, which is why I think they're just an association.

I'd love to get a definitive word on this.

 

[Bicycle Repairman]

I agree. I've heard repeatedly through the past 25 years that they're not a union, just an association. No one can ever offer proof of either, there's just the belief (yes, that runs both ways)

The individual negotiation of salaries runs counter to everything a union actually works for, which is why I think they're just an association.

I'd love to get a definitive word on this.

They collectively bargain. Ergo, they are a bargaining unit. You can call them anything you want.

Doctors call themselves a College of Physicians. Hockey players call themselves an Association.

 

[PecaFan]

They collectively bargain.

Aye, but there's the rub, isn't it? They don't actually collectively bargain, they bargain individually, just with some common guidelines established by the CBA. So they just "sorta" collectively bargain.

It's fascinating stuff. Especially with two countries, five provinces, and a boatload of states, all with differing labour laws.

 

[Bicycle Repairman]

Aye, but there's the rub, isn't it? They don't actually collectively bargain, they bargain individually, just with some common guidelines established by the CBA. So they just "sorta" collectively bargain.

It's fascinating stuff. Especially with two countries, five provinces, and a boatload of states, all with differing labour laws.

Well, lots of luck there, mate, convincing someone otherwise.

 

[PecaFan]

I don't have to convince anyone anything. It's a fact that sports associations are completely unlike any other business.

There's not a single mention of the NHLPA in any of the labour relations board stuff that I can find. Not in the US NRLB, the Canadian equivalent, the Ontario or BC board, nothing. Not even the complaint that was supposedly lodged back in September about who was on the locked out list.

It's like they don't even exist.

 

[PecaFan]

Also, there are questions about whether the provinces recognize the NHLPA as a certified union, like the UAW or the Teamsters, which are protected from replacement workers taking their jobs.

"In Quebec, hockey players are not covered by the labor code," said Michele Poitras, spokeswoman for the Quebec Ministry of Labor.

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/sports/hockey/9971708.htm

 

[Pepper]

It's about the quality of play. It's like being forced to drive a Ford Pinto when you have a Lexus garage getting fixed.

The fact is everyone will know those guys are not the BEST players.

Yes but if you have to go to work some way you will drive that Pinto instead of Lexus even if you preferred the latter.

 

[Pepper]

Except that the only players playing tonight that would be replacement players would be the fourth liners if that. Players who think they will eventually make it to the NHL will not cross a picket line.

You're very naive if you really believe that.

Nobody can be fully certain whether they make it to NHL or not except couple of surefire prospects like Ovechkin, Lehtonen and Crosby.

All other prospects would gladly take the 10x bigger pay-check of the NHL and chance to show their talents on the highest level instead of the lousy pay & bus trips of the AHL.

 

[Epsilon]

You're very naive if you really believe that.

Nobody can be fully certain whether they make it to NHL or not except couple of surefire prospects like Ovechkin, Lehtonen and Crosby.

All other prospects would gladly take the 10x bigger pay-check of the NHL and chance to show their talents on the highest level instead of the lousy pay & bus trips of the AHL.

And what makes you think these guys will be those sort of paycheques? The NHL knows that replacement players are a dime a dozen, and no one cares about any of them, and so they will simply take the players who will play for the cheapest possible dollar.

 

[Pepper]

Because AHL players make ~50-70K per year, even the scabs would be making atleast several hundred thousands per year.

Minimum salary is something like $350K, I think scabs would be getting that atleast.

 

[Bicycle Repairman]

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/sports/hockey/9971708.htm

A "spokeswoman" for a provincial labour ministry is not a judge.

 

[Epsilon]

Because AHL players make ~50-70K per year, even the scabs would be making atleast several hundred thousands per year.

Minimum salary is something like $350K, I think scabs would be getting that atleast.

Minimum salary does not apply if there is no CBA.

 

[PecaFan]

A "spokeswoman" for a provincial labour ministry is not a judge.

And what does a "judge" have to do with anything? If the NHLPA has a labour disagreement in Quebec, they'll be going to see the C.R.T. (http://www.crt.gouv.qc.ca/), not a "judge".

A very transparent attempt to discredit her by the way, using quotes to attempt to minimise her position. She's paid to speak on behalf of those who wrote the labour laws, her credentials are not in question.

I expect more from a "moderator".