NHL/NHLPA Meeting over for 6/17.Meet on Monday in TO

[RangerBoy]

Bill Daly and Ted Saskin met for several hours on Thursday in New York and will resume CBA discussions early Friday morning. (NHL lawyer, Batterman and NHLPA lawyer, McCambridge also took part and will be in the discussion on Friday.)

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20050616_231230_5172

According to two sources close to the situation, the league and the NHL Players Association are progressing toward the final stages of negotiations on a new collective-bargaining agreement that could be announced by the end of the month.

“I think there’s going to be a (ratification) vote in the next few weeks,†said one prominent player. “They’re close on a lot of things. It’s time to put this behind us and move forward.â€

In the last week, two teams — the Vancouver Canucks and the New York Islanders — have started the process of rebuilding staff by taking out newspaper ads to post job openings.

The majority of players want to play after being locked out by owners since last September, missing a full season of pay.

“The players are more desperate than the owners,†said the player. “The owners have more money than we do. We’re just trying to get the best deal we can now.â€

http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/sportsstory.asp?id=62596

Click to read more...

 

[chiavsfan]

Ahhhhh, the "Daily Herald" my hometown paper. They have the best, and really the ONLY, hockey coverage in the Chicago-land area. All things are pointing in the right direction.

 

[Tekneek]

Wow. This anonymous player sounds like he gets it. No owners are counting on their NHL franchise to pay their bills, or at least few are. Most NHL players are counting on their salaries to pay their bills.

If they don't get it all resolved before July 1, there will be some complications.

 

[chiavsfan]

I want the PA people who said they all had the leverage, and that the owners are the ones who are desperate to read that article...especially this line

“The players are more desperate than the owners,” said the player. “The owners have more money than we do. We’re just trying to get the best deal we can now.”

 

[Tiki]

I want the PA people who said they all had the leverage, and that the owners are the ones who are desperate to read that article...especially this line

Why? They would jsut twist his words to fit their delusions anyway.

by the way. I'm feeling Optimistic this morning, just in case anyone needed to know.

 

[GKJ]

I'm feeling Optimistic this morning, just in case anyone needed to know.

My baseball bat wants to meet your face.

 

[Tiki]

My baseball bat wants to meet your face.

Where's the love man, where's the love?

 

[Motown Beatdown]

My baseball bat wants to meet your face.

A real fan would use a hockey stick.

 

[BLONG7]

Bill Daly and Ted Saskin met for several hours on Thursday in New York and will resume CBA discussions early Friday morning. (NHL lawyer, Batterman and NHLPA lawyer, McCambridge also took part and will be in the discussion on Friday.)

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20050616_231230_5172

According to two sources close to the situation, the league and the NHL Players Association are progressing toward the final stages of negotiations on a new collective-bargaining agreement that could be announced by the end of the month.

“I think there’s going to be a (ratification) vote in the next few weeks,†said one prominent player. “They’re close on a lot of things. It’s time to put this behind us and move forward.â€

In the last week, two teams — the Vancouver Canucks and the New York Islanders — have started the process of rebuilding staff by taking out newspaper ads to post job openings.

The majority of players want to play after being locked out by owners since last September, missing a full season of pay.

“The players are more desperate than the owners,†said the player. “The owners have more money than we do. We’re just trying to get the best deal we can now.â€

http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/sportsstory.asp?id=62596

If the PA had a different leader, this would have been done last year...Bob tested the resolve of the owners and league, and lost his members over a billion dollars...everyone knew how it was gonna play out except Bob and Ted ...

 

[chiavsfan]

except Bob and Ted ...

Didn't they have an "Excellent Adventure" and "A Bogus Journey?"

 

[joepeps]

Didn't they have an "Excellent Adventure" and "A Bogus Journey?"

hahah you beat me to it but it's bill and ted lol....

on anyother note... This is in the Players hands right now.... PLayers are in no rush.. the NHL Owners are because of the draft, FA'ies, and sponsership/tv deals/ season tickets.....

 

[chiavsfan]

hahah you beat me to it but it's bill and ted lol....

on anyother note... This is in the Players hands right now.... PLayers are in no rush.. the NHL Owners are because of the draft, FA'ies, and sponsership/tv deals/ season tickets.....

The players are in no rush? Did you miss this quote???

“The players are more desperate than the owners,” said the player. “The owners have more money than we do. We’re just trying to get the best deal we can now.”

Looks like a rush to me

 

[hockeytown9321]

If the PA had a different leader, this would have been done last year...Bob tested the resolve of the owners and league, and lost his members over a billion dollars...everyone knew how it was gonna play out except Bob and Ted ...

I agree that, in hindsight, Goodenow's strategy was flawed. But so was Bettman's. The League never had any intention of playing unless there was total capitulation by the players on every issue. Bettman's strategy through the fall and winter was that the league didn't really need the players. Real progress only began when Bettman found out his owners didn't want to use replacement players.

 

[GKJ]

Both sides are in a rush, and both sides, once again have a lot to lose, if this doesn't get done soon.

 

[Chili]

"It’s time to put this behind us and move forward.â€

It was time quite awhile ago.

 

[chiavsfan]

I agree that, in hindsight, Goodenow's strategy was flawed. But so was Bettman's. The League never had any intention of playing unless there was total capitulation by the players on every issue. Bettman's strategy through the fall and winter was that the league didn't really need the players. Real progress only began when Bettman found out his owners didn't want to use replacement players.

I agree with that, but I also think real progress started as well, when players started to question, and push Goodenow out of the forefront

 

[sveiglar]

New MTD: now with 35% more Optimism®

 

[SENSible1*]

I agree that, in hindsight, Goodenow's strategy was flawed.

Most had enough foresight to avoid the need for hindsight. Unfortunately those with foresight were attacked by those who couldn't see what was obvious to most.

But so was Bettman's. The League never had any intention of playing unless there was total capitulation by the players on every issue.

And that is exactly what he has gotten. Pretty good strategy if you ask me. Use your opponents weaknesses against them.

Bettman's strategy through the fall and winter was that the league didn't really need the players. Real progress only began when Bettman found out his owners didn't want to use replacement players.

Real progress began when the players wrested control from their misguided leader and capitulated on all the major issues.

 

[GKJ]

Most had enough foresight to avoid the need for hindsight. Unfortunately those with foresight were attacked by those who couldn't see what was obvious to most.



And that is exactly what he has gotten. Pretty good strategy if you ask me. Use your opponents weaknesses against them.

Real progress began when the players wrested control from their misguided leader and capitulated on all the major issues.

You act as if the owners win. The owners are still going to lose money before they make it. The season got canceled...nobody wins.

 

[SENSible1*]

You act as if the owners win. The owners are still going to lose money before they make it. The season got canceled...nobody wins.

When the CBA comes out, list the owners major goals going into the CBA and then see how many they reached and then get back to me on whether the owners or players won.

 

[GKJ]

When the CBA comes out, list the owners major goals going into the CBA and then see how many they reached and then get back to me on whether the owners or players won.

But they lost a whole season to do that. That revenue (for some owners) will also never been seen again not to mention the yet to be determined damage to the game this will cause. There will be a lot of avid hockey fans who will never watch or never go to a game ever again (or until there is an opportunie time to jump on the bandwagon) just because they missed a whole season. I'm wondering how hockey is even going to survive anymore in places like Nashville, Carolina and Florida...

 

[SENSible1*]

But they lost a whole season to do that. That revenue (for some owners) will also never been seen again not to mention the yet to be determined damage to the game this will cause.

When your expenses exceed your revenues, a year without playing isn't the worst thing that can happen if it gets you a deal that ensures the situation is corrected.

There will be a lot of avid hockey fans who will never watch or never go to a game ever again (or until there is an opportunie time to jump on the bandwagon) just because they missed a whole season.

Avid hockey fans will be back. Less commited ones will take some convincing. Now that the PA has a vested interest in growing the game, it should make a large difference in the NHL's ability to sell and market the game.

I'm wondering how hockey is even going to survive anymore in places like Nashville, Carolina and Florida...

They get to start fresh with the chance to sell hope and increased revenue sharing. How is that worse than when they were new to the markets?

 

[GKJ]

They get to start fresh with the chance to sell hope and increased revenue sharing. How is that worse than when they were new to the markets?

Because they're not hockey markets. Carolina fans (sorry to people who live there) are fair weather to fans unless you're talking about basketball. The NHL is going to have to sell to these teams their players and no one on this planet comes to watch Erik Cole, David Legwand or Olli Jokinen.


You don't think people in Nashville haven't found other things to do? it was only 7 years ago they didn't even have a hockey team. Or a football team or a basketball team (in Memphis)



The market in Miami is what I'm most concerned about. In the past year the Heat traded for some guy named Shaq. That alone sells tickets, and a lot of them (not to mention many are fair weather fans as well). There may not be room for a hockey team in South Florida, if I live in Miami, why should I go see the Panthers play? They're going to be a bad team for a few more years.


Just running around saying "ok everyone...we're back, you can come back to our games now" isn't going to do it. There are many many hockey fans who have been insulted. The fans in smaller hockey markets do not have any incentive to come back. Selling the future of the game isn't going to do it.


There are quite a few markets that are going to need more to come back to. Just saying we have a new collective barganing agreement isn't going to do it. It's the fans that makes the money for the owners. I have a friend who goes to school in Miami, there are a lot of people who don't even know there was a lockout, and even when they played last season, he went to games in an empty arena.



So I ask you, if I am a fan of the Panthers, given their history, why should I come back?

 

[SENSible1*]

You completely missed the point.

The teams can act like expansion franchises with NO fan base, except they now have:

1) A far more level playing field and the chance to sell hope of more rapid improvement and the ability to keep their core together.

2) Access to more talent at a far more reasonable cost, as the hoarders are forced to trim rosters.

3) Increased revenue sharing, helping the bottom line as they grow their market.

4) Increased confidence on an organizational level that they can succeed with good management being the paramount factor in on ice success.

5) Players that have a vested financial interest in selling the product.

There is no guarantee that they will succeed, but they are in a FAR BETTER situation than when the lockout started.

 

[GKJ]

You completely missed the point.

The teams can act like expansion franchises with NO fan base, except they now have:

1) A far more level playing field and the chance to sell hope of more rapid improvement and the ability to keep their core together.

2) Access to more talent at a far more reasonable cost, as the hoarders are forced to trim rosters.

3) Increased revenue sharing, helping the bottom line as they grow their market.

4) Increased confidence on an organizational level that they can succeed with good management being the paramount factor in on ice success.

5) Players that have a vested financial interest in selling the product.

There is no guarantee that they will succeed, but they are in a FAR BETTER situation than when the lockout started.

Again, the 'give us time' experiment will not work. That's why we had the lockout. There are going to be a lot of teams that want to see instant results or they will either not come back to will stop coming (I am not one of these people).


I don't know if you live in Canada or not, but in the USA, hockey is barely on the radar, and fans are going to want instant results regardless of what the organization's plan is. There are a lot of teams whose fans are going to say we had to wait a whole year, give us something to watch, NOW.