Taxman
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Rumor of plans in works
From Rob Simpson
This info came from Rob Simpson of Maple Leaf America...he was on a Talk Show in Philly last night. This goes along with alot of what I've been hearing.
- He has three unnamed sources: a "high up" Leafs exec, a player rep, and a current player, who is a Hall of Fame lock, who wouldn't play again if the season was cancelled;
- The NHLPA reps are meeting via conference call by the end of the week;
- The players will offer that player salaries take up 56% of league revenues and will not call this a cap. They'll find a way to spin it so as not to lose face. The league would be expected to try to argue it down to 54%. (Note from me: Quickie math based on the numbers from the NHL has player salaries that take up 56% of revenues equaling about a $37 mil cap).
- They would need to agree on one party to conduct end of the year audits and Simpson brought up Bill Wirtz's shuffling of numbers and concealing revenues by putting certain parts (ie, concessions) under the name of a different company and not the Hawks;
- He says the season will start January 24th and that some teams already have plans for a seven-day minicamp in the works. The season would be 48 games (provided the league could start up by the 24th), with intraconference only play, with the Cup Final wrapping up by the third week of June;
- The players are apparently buckling because they've lost $800 million this season already (Note from me: This number seemed awfully high to me, but again, number crunching using the basic numbers given by the NHL actually prove the $800 mil in lost salary to be correct);
- He pointed out that if this drags into the summer and then "next season," the NHLPA would likely be dissolved, and keeping the union together is a motivating factor for players;
- Again, he says that this will NOT be called a cap. It will be considered a form of cost-certainty. But it'll pretty much be a cap; and
- He "quoted" the unnamed Leafs exec, who has supposedly said, "It will get done."