Brooks: League willing to negotiate hard cap up to $45 MM

[mudcrutch79]

http://www.nypost.com/sports/22061.htm

A well-placed source, however, has told The Post that the league is willing to negotiate a hard cap figure of up to $45M if it receives such an offer from the union no later than the beginning of next week.

This information, we have confirmed, has been floated from the management side to players of influence within the NHLPA, but not officially from Bettman to NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow.

There is no doubt that the league and a clear majority of the clubs recognize the severe economic consequences they will face in the aftermath of canceling the season, even while they inflict more punishing damage on the players. Without an agreement, there's little chance of selling a semblance of the required complement of season tickets and sponsorships. As such, the league is reaching out to the union for its own interests, certainly, but also with a fair measure of victorious generosity, much as that description might seem incongruous.

While Jarome Iginla, Chris Pronger and Jeremy Roenick have been previously identified as the most noteworthy of the insurgents — whose movement was a colossal miscalculation and failure, given that it fractured the union while doing nothing to advance a settlement — one influential player yesterday told The Post he was satisfied that Iginla had not been involved. He pointedly refused to say the same about Pronger, who posted a denial and explanation on the PA's secure website, or Roenick.

Indeed, there was near universal rage at Roenick, who, we've learned was actually paid $1.7M during the lockout as an injured (concussion) player.

Wow. If true...wow.

Click to read more...

 

[Jacob]

Do It

 

[Hockeycrazy3033]

 

[RR1107]

Hm, maybe they will just decertify?

 

[thestonedkoala]

Didn't his media pass get revoked? Is he pulling stuff out of his ass again?

 

[nikolai19]

Make it happen you homos

 

[NJD Jester]

So 42.5 was the ultimate stretch, with several owners furious at Bettman for going too high...yet they'll do 45, even with all the leverage at the bargaining table?

Did the owners all have a lobotomy in the last 24 hours?

 

[MmmBacon]

Didn't his media pass get revoked? Is he pulling stuff out of his ass again?

He was in the front row of Bettman's press conference. Bettman even said "I'm glad you asked that question" when Brooks asked why the league had no detailed revenue sharing plan.

 

[leafaholix*]

Make it happen you homos

 

[GirardIsStupid]

do you guys also get the feeling the league held a memorial service before the sick person actually died? he's kind of taken the season hostage by telling everyone its dead. judging by bettman's actions/words...he's definitely hoping the players will cave just enough to entice the hardliners to agree to a new deal. to show he's also not bluffing, he's called off the season. it seems like the union does have an extra movie to utilize if it so chooses.

however, it is also possible neither side wanted to get a deal in place and are relieved they can start the negotiation process with a renewed vigor or frech start.

 

[Hockeycrazy3033]

Would this offer include the 8 team rule?

 

[nomorekids]

I don't care what people say about Roenick, but I have ALWAYS loved his forthrightness. Something tells me that while Pronger might have been involved, while Iginla might have been involved...both of those guys would backpedal to save face. Not Roenick. Roenick would laugh and say, "yeah, and?"

 

[Rhett4]

He was in the front row of Bettman's press conference. Bettman even said "I'm glad you asked that question" when Brooks asked why the league had no detailed revenue sharing plan.

On a side note, do you remember what Bettman's response to that question was? I must have missed that part of the press conference, and I am quite interested in the answer. Thanks in advance to you or anyone that knows.

 

[MmmBacon]

On a side note, do you remember what Bettman's response to that question was? I must have missed that part of the press conference, and I am quite interested in the answer. Thanks in advance to you or anyone that knows.

I'm paraphrasing, but he basically said the revenue sharing plan would vary, depending on the structure of the future CBA. Because the league didn't know what type of CBA would ultimately be signed, he didn't want to delve into the revenue sharing details.

Kind of a weak answer, IMO, since many other elements of these "rough draft" plans have been laid out in minute detail. But that's another thread, I guess.

 

[bhawk24bob]

I don't care what people say about Roenick, but I have ALWAYS loved his forthrightness. Something tells me that while Pronger might have been involved, while Iginla might have been involved...both of those guys would backpedal to save face. Not Roenick. Roenick would laugh and say, "yeah, and?"

exactly. he's also part of the 2 percent of the players that actually shows up every night with the intention of putting on a show for the fans. i would love for somebody in the pa to go up to roenick and see his reaction to how they feel over what he did.

 

[bcrt2000]

the first credible rumors were last night, tom zenner of nbc 12 reporting that players are upset, and bob mccown (fan590) getting a call from a deep source which was unrefutable.. this morning mckenzie said he was hearing things, then the next stories we've gotten with names to the articles are hahn (nydailynews), brooks (nypost), and now Erelendsson (Tampa Tribune)... brian burke also said he was hearing things... however we know brooks is known to be a rumor monger...

the other thing thats curious is in the Erelendsson article, the first source he states says is specifically a league source.. unless its an owner such as Ed Snider, Mario Lemieux, Larry Tannenbaum who is working behind the scenes, its questionable because the players themselves don't seem to be knowing whats going on right now, so its hard to say that anyone at the league level would know whats happening... he also gives the generic number of 44-45 which has been speculated so much since tuesday night that something might have been misread...

on the other hand, Hahn gives solid numbers which doesn't seem like pure speculation, so his article at this point probably seems like the strongest report right now... however we may never hear the light of day of this as it seems a lot of the hardliners still believe 49 million is a steal for the owners

 

[ChiHawks468]

Didn't his media pass get revoked? Is he pulling stuff out of his ass again?

He had access to an NHL media website revoked. He still has his media pass, which I beleive the NHL can't do anything about.

 

[arnie]

http://www.nypost.com/sports/22061.htm









Wow. If true...wow.

This is getting ridiculous. Look, the difference wasn't just the gap between 42.5 and 49.

1. The NHPLA wanted a soft cap, the NHL wanted a hard cap. Under the NHPLA plan, teams could still have the payrolls that they do today. If the NHL has learned anything, they've learned that loopholes like this invariably cause disaster.

2. The NHPLA offer also had a provision that the cap could rise, depending on revenues. So the cap could go up.

3. There were still huge disagreements on revenue sharing, arbitration and qualifying offers, among other things.

 

[clefty]

Do It

Come on do it. Seriously, do it.








Well, anyone else remember The Ben Stiller Show?

 

[ChiHawks468]

Well, it's funny. The FAN590 was probably the leader in churning the rumor mill yesterday, now they are saying there is nothing really there. On the last 20/20 report they dispelled two rumors-the one that said that Gretzky and Lemieux were in on an attempt to save the season and that there is a new proposal for 46MIL cap and 100% lux. tax from 42. Their mood has drastically changed from yesterday. They also just had Pierre Maguire and Nick Kypreos and they were basically of the same opinion.

Time will tell, but the day is starting out less optimistic than I thought it would.

 

[futurcorerock]

So where did all the pessimists go

no, seriously. Do they sleep in or something because none of these threads have those annoying detractors.

Its cool though, they arent welcome

you homos

well put.

 

[Steve L*]

So the league would go to $45m

The players would go to $46m

Does anyone think a deal wouldnt have got done if those were the next two offers?

The only person that stopped this from happening is Sideshow Bob and his inflated ego!

 

[pei fan]

The moderators should lock all these threads spewing this garbage .THE SEASON
IS OVER.

 

[ChiHawks468]

So the league would go to $45m

The players would go to $46m

Does anyone think a deal wouldnt have got done if those were the next two offers?

The only person that stopped this from happening is Sideshow Bob and his inflated ego!

In all fairness, there was a little season cancelling press "availability" that kinda threw a wrench in the process as well. The timing was a little odd on that one.

 

[SENSible1*]

The ONLY way this works is if the players agree to the owners hard cap deal, with the NHL throwing them a bone and uping the cap SLIGHTLY just to let them save face.

Make on mistake, this is no longer a negotiation. This scenario is the PA completely shattering and taking what is offered with NO leverage whatsoever.