Greschner4
Registered User
- Jan 21, 2005
- 872
- 226
Wetcoaster said:No European players need apply. They cannot be issued work permits under Canadian or US immigration law while there is an ongoing labour dispute a decalration of impasse does not end the labour dispute - it is only a temporary measure.
Only US citizens or legal alien residents will be able to play for US based teams.
On Canadian citizens or legal permament residents will be able to play for Canadian based teams. That is even assuming that the Canadian teams are part of the NHL since in Canada there is no counterpart provision to an impasse declaration unde the various provincial labour codes.
In any event in BC no replacement workers at all so no Vancouver Canucks, in Quebec they would be prohibited upon a vote of the Habs players (as the Expos players did in the 1994 MLB dispute) and currently there is legisaltion proposed in Ontario to ban replacement workers again which was in force during the 1994 MLB dispute so that the Jays could not put a team in Toronto and if so no leafs and no Senators. While Alberta labour law permits replacement workers there is no guarantee the Alberta labour board would allow it.
1. Assuming that the same visa restrictions would apply as applied to the minor league hockey strike -- a huge assumption -- all that would mean is that a European not currently working in Canada or the US couldn't get a visa. So what.
What about the Europeans who have visas already ... you know, the ones already playing hockey in North America? Do their visas say they can only play in a league that has a labor agreement signed by consent? Or would the same visa not allow them to play hockey in the National Hockey League? Would not the visa that allows Alexander Semin and Josef Balej to play hockey in Portland and Hartford, not also permit them to play in Washington and New York? Especially since the job he'd be "taking" very well might be that of another European. That makes little intuitive sense, so I'd have to be shown, not told, that common sense doesn't apply.
2. The difference between the Habs and Expos is that the NHLPA isn't registered as a union in Quebec. The best reporting I've seen has "replacement player" games allowed in Quebec.
3. Legislation may be pending in Ontario, but under current law my best understanding is that replacement player games could be played in Ontario.
4. You're right on BC. Vancouver could just play their games in Seattle or Portland, though.