Congrat´s Canada you killed the game of hockey...

[JF]

Let me get this right... You're a rangers fan and You blame Canada to explain the bad shape of the league? I don't even know where to start on this one...

Ever heard of the expression "Don't throw stones when you live in a glass house"??

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

Isn't trolling grounds for a ban? (Hopefully, it is).

I think it is but unfortunately, it is rarely put into application.

 

[jacketracket*]

I couldn't even make it through the first post.

 

[Blueshirt13]

I wouldn't blame Canada for the problems of the league but rather head right to the front office and blame Bettman. Over the past few years the excitement of the game has fallen dramatically. Part of the problem is the dilution of talent across the league. The reason for the dilution is the over-expansion of the league into environments that cannot support a team.

The league should look at the top 15 media markets in the US and make sure that there is some sort of hockey presence there. I'm sorry but there are a number of markets where the league should not be present. Bettman has to realize just because an environment supports a junior or minor league team, that doesn't equate to it being able to support an NHL team. I would say the same thing about the Canadian markets but I believe the league already covers the top markets there, with the exception of Winnipeg.

As far as using replacement players in the US, I can guarantee you it will not work at all. Canada I am sure is different on a few levels in this regard but there isn't a chance in hell it will work in the US.

Ultimately, a few big owners have driven up a number of contracts in the league. The majority of those owners have failed in creating a competitive club (ie. Rangers) and have attempted to remedy that. Its happened across all major NA sports and in the end, things always panned themselves out.

For those who blame the players, answer this: If another company offered you a new job at 300% of your current salary, would you come back and say "I appreciate the offer but you can only give me 150%?".... I didn't think so.

Also just as a side note... for those players who flocked to Europe, their European salaries are benefitting from a nice exchange rate when it gets transferred back over to the US so the are a bit better than they appear in writing.

 

[Puck]

Ola is over-reacting and is overly-emotional and the way he worded his post is a flame but....

What are the hardline teams that are backing Bettman? One would have to conclude that the small market teams like Edmonton and Calgary are there, and after the Melnyk rant, Ottawa too. That's 3 teams. I have no idea where the owners in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto stand. Technically because of the NHL ban on talking to the media and the fines, it is hard to tell who the hardliners are.

One must think that the top teams financially could live with the NHLPA proposal and the hardline Bettmanites are the small market teams.

One could also include US teams like Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Atlanta, Carolina, Columbus, Nashville and even Florida and Washington, are probably backing Bettman.

To put the onus on Canadian teams as the focal point for 'small market motivations' for some teams backing Bettman, is a tad simplistic....The NHL uses small market Canadian teams more as an example to make its point, but there is a sizeable US ownership community behind the NHL hardline as well.

As Vlad put it well, "How can it be Canada's fault when there are 30 NHL owners but only 6 teams located in Canada (not to mention certain Canadian team owners are in fact Americans, as well as the commissioner)."

The issue is not nationalistic. Its more about the financially profitable markets vs the less profitable markets vs the players and making the NHL more profitable for the 'lessers' so they don't go under; or finding a dummy-proof system where the larger markets don't hurt the smaller markets with salary escalation. The players want to keep their free-market system. Pick a side. It's a battle of wills between various differing financial philosophies, a battle between the billionaires and the millionaires, not a battle of nations.

Get a grip Ola.

 

[Riddarn]

Who in the world today cares if the Molson center is sold out? There are floor ball games in sweden that are sold out. There are Handballs games in Copenhagen that are sold out. I never once heard New York complain about lost money. There are seven strong nations in hockey today, and 3-4 more countries like for example Germany who are getting stronger. Without a strong NHL in 15 years the game of hockey won´t be among the 3-5 biggest team sport in the world. It will be number 20.

Whoa dude. You're actually believing Ice Hockey is among the 5 biggest team sports in the world?

 

[High flyin' Habs*]

Who in the world today cares if the Molson center is sold out? There are floor ball games in sweden that are sold out. There are Handballs games in Copenhagen that are sold out. I never once heard New York complain about lost money. There are seven strong nations in hockey today, and 3-4 more countries like for example Germany who are getting stronger. Without a strong NHL in 15 years the game of hockey won´t be among the 3-5 biggest team sport in the world. It will be number 20.

Every sport league in the world have teams who have better conditions to be successful then other teams. Every league.

Ok loser its not Molson center its Bell center and it has been for the last 2 years....proves just how much you know....

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

Congratulations Canada you killed the game of hockey that we know of. Your jealous attitude towards what the players are making and the competitive imbalance thats given big city american teams an advantage has made this possible. The attitude of a few owners like Eugene Melnyk is what runs this negotiations. Canada has never been able to face competition eye-to-eye in the game of hockey. Canada has always made sure they have the refeeres on their side, in their rinks and all that is find. But this time you have really went to far.

The fact is that USA has done more for the good of the game of hockey then Canada, Russia and all other countries in the world together have.

Gary Bettman plans to start a replacement league. Its gooing to take atleast 12 month before a replacement league is up and running. If its even possible to start one ´cause it will take atleast 600 players to get gooing. All europeans will leave the AHL and north america as soon as possbile, I wouldn´t be suprised if allot of guys left right away after christmas. They will sign contracts in Europe this spring long before the NHL can offer them contracts.

I am telling you that a replacement league in the USA is gooing to have a helluva lot harder to survive then the NHL would have with the NHLPA´s offer.

Hockey is the most entertaining sport in the world when you see it live, in a full arena and the best players in the world on the ice. However if you watch a team made out of 50% ECHLers with 1500 people in the stands, in a arena that takes 20.000 you are never gooing to come back, and I doubt you would be willing to spend even 10$ on it in the first place.

You guys belive that the NHL is in a poor state allready. Well teams have been able to charge 70$ a seat and still fill arenas. When there have been no hockey to watch for thoose people who fill the arenas for 18 month, allot of them won´t come back. When thoose of them who comes back gets to watch crappy hockey in a arena with only a couple of thousends in it the NHL will be in a poor state.

Good luck Bettman you will kill hockey in the USA thats for sure. Gary you have never been to a hockey game where you can hear every thing the players say on the ice. When the loudest sound in the arena is when the puck hits the end board after a iceing. Not one of the guys who makes the decision have. This is what you will have to work with in the american market in 12-14 month. Good luck indeed!

Without a strong NHL, hockey will loose its status everywhere. The NHL and a strong american market is what makes allot of young kids all over the world choice Hockey instead of Basketball, Handball, Bandy, Floorball and even Soccer. Hockey is gooing to loose major parts of the market to other sports(mainly soccer) in countrys like Russia and Chechz rep. Where soccer is by far the biggest sport today and only will get bigger.

Today hockey is a sport that gets world wide attention. It won´t tomorrow. Thanks CANADA!

You're quite welcome. Now back to the cave, troll...

 

[habfan4]

<<< the succinct way to respond to Ola's post.

How long before this thread gets padlocked.

 

[Sp5618]

Small Market Canada is a Ruse

Small market teams in the US that are having trouble making it in the NHL is a somewhat different issue from small market Canadian teams. The exchange rate alone puts the Canadian teams at a severe disadvantage. The NHL equalization plan barely scratches the surface when the Loonie is at 0.82, but try "equalizing" a payroll of US $40 mil when the Loonie is at 0.62, which it was very recently! Just think how much better off the Canadian teams would be if that were the only thing fixed.

The US teams, on the other hand, have failed to attract a huge fan base, and the league has failed to get a TV contract that increases every teams' revenues in a significant manner. Retaining talent is only one problem. Poor marketing, poor expansion planning & selection, and a poor product being put out on the ice are key issues.

The NHL has won the hearts of small market Canada, but the real issue right now is not about Canada. Its about hundreds of millions of dollars in expansion fees the league collected. It is also about failing to admit where the plan to expand failed in its implementation. If we separated the issues into (1) what it takes to save Canadian teams and (2) what it takes to save US teams that are failing....you probably would come up with different options and solutions.

 

[Gee Wally]

I've been here a loooong time... but this particular thread is really one of the lowest I've seen..
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