Hull speaks out on the lockout

[swflyers8*]

TSN

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[Oilhitch]

I have to respect Hull for speaking out (like he always does). He is absolutely correct in saying "As far as I'm concerned, the players, I think, have to become a little more realistic about what is fair-market value for themselves,"

He also blames Bettman for the state of the game. I'm not sure you can point the finger at one guy to blame for this.

 

[MacDaddy TLC*]

As always, Brett Hull hits the nail on the head. Both sides are to blame, the players being the most unreasonable and the blame for the state of the game falls squarely on Gary Bettman's shoulders. If he only through a few jabs Goodenow's way his comments would have been perfect.

 

[Iceman23]

I don't like Hull very much but the man makes sense.

 

[#66]

I wish that Bret Hull would shut up sometimes so that he would have a little more validity when he has something smart to say. (like this article) How Bettman keeps his job I'll never know? IMO he settled for to little back in 94/95. Now that being said why would a person agree to such a long term deal, thats so overly player friendly, when you know that the state of the game will just get worse. Now he just doesn't have to worry about costs escalating but he needs for them to roll back.

 

[fan mao rong]

I wish that Bret Hull would shut up sometimes so that he would have a little more validity when he has something smart to say. (like this article) How Bettman keeps his job I'll never know? IMO he settled for to little back in 94/95. Now that being said why would a person agree to such a long term deal, thats so overly player friendly, when you know that the state of the game will just get worse. Now he just doesn't have to worry about costs escalating but he needs for them to roll back.

Fact is, the owners didn't have the gumption to follow through with what they started in '94. There were around 6 new arenas opening then, and the proprieters thereof engineered the league backing away from what they really wanted. The owners in this camp were led by Ed Snider and Abe Pollin. This was on the Sports Talk Radio in New York City and reported as it happened.

 

[MacDaddy TLC*]

IMO he settled for to little back in 94/95. Now that being said why would a person agree to such a long term deal, thats so overly player friendly, when you know that the state of the game will just get worse.

In one word: Money. The owners didn't want to jeopardize losing all the expansion money that was coming their way. That was the reason it was extended once or twice.

 

[Brent Burns Beard]

In one word: Money. The owners didn't want to jeopardize losing all the expansion money that was coming their way. That was the reason it was extended once or twice.

not to mention that the last labour negotiations were widely thought of as a large win for the owners. the fact that it is now viewed as too player friendly can be placed squarely on the shoulders of incompetent managers.

dr

 

[Benji Frank]

As always, Brett Hull hits the nail on the head. Both sides are to blame, the players being the most unreasonable and the blame for the state of the game falls squarely on Gary Bettman's shoulders. If he only through a few jabs Goodenow's way his comments would have been perfect.

If he threw any jabs at Goodenow, he'd have to come back later this week to say he was misquoted! :lol

I think he worded what he said quite carefully & well ... for Brett!

It was good he mentioned the players needed to be reasonable, & also he didn't completely squash the idea of a salary cap ... just the starting number....

Over-all, he's gotta suck up to the fans a little more if he wants his comments during the world cup to be forgotten, but it's a good start Brett!!!

 

[Melanson]

"I expected it but ... I'm more perturbed at the fact that whether it's one side or the other, they don't seem to really care whether (a deal) gets done or not."
"Once you start talking, anything can happen. But if you're not talking, nothing's going to happen."

This is just lip service from Hull in my opinion. If he honestly believed that then he can do something about it. He could get together with the other players and put pressure on Goodenow to talk with Bettman or agree to some form of arbitration. It's easy for Hull to say he is angry about them not talking but what is he, as a member of the player's union, doing about it?

Brett, if you care so much get off your butt and do something!


I do agree with his other statements regarding the state of the NHL game right now. The NHL already started losing fans long before this lockout due to the entertainment value of the games sliding downward. If I wanted to watch guys grab and hold each other all game long with an occasional fight I would watch the WWE who does it much better.

 

[Go Flames Go*]

Brett is a tratoir and he will stab the union in the back in one second. He is right that the number offered by Bettman and Harley Hotchkiss is very low, but there will be salary cap and its gaurnteed.

 

[roadrunner]

Here is the whole interview, if you care to read it in its entirety:

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1123hull1123.html

 

[rwilson99]

As always, Brett Hull hits the nail on the head. Both sides are to blame, the players being the most unreasonable and the blame for the state of the game falls squarely on Gary Bettman's shoulders. If he only through a few jabs Goodenow's way his comments would have been perfect.

My proposal:

Give the owners a salary cap.
Name Brett Hull Commisioner.

Let's play hockey!

 

[rt]

Brett, if you care so much get off your butt and do something!

He did say that he's playing golf everyday. That's something.

 

[rt]

Name Brett Hull Commisioner.

 

[quat]

It's ironic that in Bettman's tenure, it's been the players alone that have made out like bandits, and yet they're the ones who complain about him the most. He's been bad for hockey, but great for the players.

 

[eye]

Considering that Brett has as much to lose as anyone in hockey this was quite diplomatic for him but out of character as he wasn't truthful about what he would say to Goodenow if given 10 minutes to talk to him. He gave the political version of what he would say which isn't like Brett. Chances are we have seen Brett play his last NHL games and he won't have the chance to get the 61 goals he hoped to before retiring. As poorly as he played in the 2nd half of last season and then being a healthy scratch in the Worlds a full year off will end his career.

 

[me2]

Is it entirely Bettman's fault that the quality of hockey has died off over his stay? Bettman is guilty of expanding too quickly. However

Bettman doesn't make the rules.

Bettman doesn't tell coaches to play the trap.

Bettman doesn't force players to hook, grab, hold and interfere. The players do that themselves. Maybe if the players aren't happy with the quality of the game they could stop committing the interference. There is a bold thought.

 

[struckmatch]

Is it entirely Bettman's fault that the quality of hockey has died off over his stay? Bettman is guilty of expanding too quickly. However

Bettman doesn't make the rules.

Bettman doesn't tell coaches to play the trap.

Bettman doesn't force players to hook, grab, hold and interfere. The players do that themselves. Maybe if the players aren't happy with the quality of the game they could stop committing the interference. There is a bold thought.

I agree with that partly, but the systems the coaches employ force the players to do those things. In today's NHL, with coaches whom aren't afraid to bench their players, if players don't follow the systems, and play well defensively, they won't get ice time.

I think Bettman is to blame for the trap, and the defensive systems, expansion has watered down the talent pool in this league incredibly. It's a joke when some teams can barely ice a quality second scoring line.

 

[me2]

I agree with that partly, but the systems the coaches employ force the players to do those things. In today's NHL, with coaches whom aren't afraid to bench their players, if players don't follow the systems, and play well defensively, they won't get ice time.

I think Bettman is to blame for the trap, and the defensive systems, expansion has watered down the talent pool in this league incredibly. It's a joke when some teams can barely ice a quality second scoring line.

Fair amount of truth in that, but its not entirely true. 24 to 30 teams in about 10 years. But the increase European player numbers is quite enough to nullify most of that 6 team expansion.

And as for the trap, its a plague but unfortunately it isn't a weak team plague. I think its a strong team plague. The number of weak/expansion teams that trap is around the numbers of the elite, talented teams that trap. NJ was trappnig long before the last 4 expansion teams came into being, so its not dillution at that point. If dillution isn't driving the trap forward then its likely to be the success of the trap that is driving its adoption. If you can't beat them, join them. And plenty of teams have joined.

 

[gary69]

My proposal:

Give the owners a salary cap.
Name Brett Hull Commisioner.

Let's play hockey!

If eventually nothing else can be negotiated, in the end it might even be that NHLPA is considering a reasonable cap (say 40m US$) next season (read spring 2006), but draft, arbitration and UFA-age would be severely altered.

For example, as a compensation for limiting teams' spending power on already NHL-calibre players, draft would be sort of free-for-all, with draft positions to be bought with money. So, the team offering most money would get the no.1 pick each year, team offering most for no.2 pick would get that and so on.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Bettman doesn't force players to hook, grab, hold and interfere. The players do that themselves. Maybe if the players aren't happy with the quality of the game they could stop committing the interference. There is a bold thought.

Some of them tried that... but they got sent down to the minors.

 

[Melanson]

Fair amount of truth in that, but its not entirely true. 24 to 30 teams in about 10 years. But the increase European player numbers is quite enough to nullify most of that 6 team expansion.

And as for the trap, its a plague but unfortunately it isn't a weak team plague. I think its a strong team plague. The number of weak/expansion teams that trap is around the numbers of the elite, talented teams that trap. NJ was trappnig long before the last 4 expansion teams came into being, so its not dillution at that point. If dillution isn't driving the trap forward then its likely to be the success of the trap that is driving its adoption. If you can't beat them, join them. And plenty of teams have joined.

I think you are missing the point. The trap isn't the problem in the NHL...it's the clutching a grabbing. You can put in all the traps you want and teams will beat it as long as you aren't allowed to grab and hook players with the puck and impede players who don't have the puck. The only way to stop this is for Bettman to force the officials to call the rules as they are written. He tries to do it every year and then by the midway point the refs go back to "letting them play". This turns a great spectator sport into nothing more than a wrestling match. The best players aren't allowed to showcase the skills that fans want to see. Hull was right last season when he said he wouldn't pay to watch the game the way it is being played today. THAT is why nobody cares that the NHL is having a lockout in the U.S....today's style of play doesn't implore you to miss it when it's gone. I lay that blame in the lap of Bettman.

 

[MacDaddy TLC*]

My proposal:

Give the owners a salary cap.
Name Brett Hull Commisioner.

Let's play hockey!

Awesome proposal. Brett Hull has his finger on the pulse of the game and the business. He would make an outstanding commisioner.

 

[me2]

I think you are missing the point. The trap isn't the problem in the NHL...it's the clutching a grabbing. You can put in all the traps you want and teams will beat it as long as you aren't allowed to grab and hook players with the puck and impede players who don't have the puck. The only way to stop this is for Bettman to force the officials to call the rules as they are written. He tries to do it every year and then by the midway point the refs go back to "letting them play". This turns a great spectator sport into nothing more than a wrestling match. The best players aren't allowed to showcase the skills that fans want to see. Hull was right last season when he said he wouldn't pay to watch the game the way it is being played today. THAT is why nobody cares that the NHL is having a lockout in the U.S....today's style of play doesn't implore you to miss it when it's gone. I lay that blame in the lap of Bettman.

Its the players that are doing the hooking and the holding. Its already illegal. By 1/2 way point of the season the refs just give up calling it. The last time they went on a crusade against it, some teams were spending over 30 mins a game on special teams and the fans complained. When they stopped calling it, fans complained. The refs can't win, its their fault if they don't call it and its their fault if they do. Maybe the players, coaches and GMs could make a concerted effort to stop it. There isn't much Bettman can do that hasn't been tried, the solution needs to come from the players up.