.
BTW... what do the players have invested in the game? Why should the players make the return on their investment like they do? Players come and go, the game remains. Get that through your head. When Chris Pronger retires the St. Louis Blues will go on, just like the Colorado Avalanche did when Patrick Roy retired or when the premiere self-absorbed SOB in the league decided to stay home in Sweden and nurse his boo-boos. No player is bigger than the game itself, contrary to what 700 some primadonnas are trying to make you believe.
The players are the product. The NHL is nothing without the players. They generate 95% or more of the revenue . Everything thel eague does is a spin off of their players. The product.
They are very important. They should be able to get what the market is willign to bear, just like the owners should be able to price their tickets at the market will bear as well.
Basically, there are 2 ways to structure a sports league
1. Have lower UFA ages and an artificial barrier on payrolls.
2. Have a restrictive system with no real barriers on payrolls.
I prefer number 2 because it focuses on the player development and drafting abilities of teams and organizations. Number 2 is suited for baseball and Hockey. Number 1 is suited for Basketball and Football. Why? The investment in hockey and baseball is far greater than the NBA and NFL. Also, those sports are more team oriented, in a way.
This is good for fans. Continuity of rosters and the ability to win a championship and dominate is what has led me to follow the NHL so closely. Its interesting that way. Far better than the detrimental strategy that Gary has planned.
In the end they'll meet somewhere in the middle, but I still can't fathom why any fans want an NFL type system.
The two sports arent even comparable. Unfortunately, weasel Gary seems to think they are. Shame.