Its Scab time!

[John Flyers Fan]

This season ticket holder won't pay a cent to watch scab players ... and if when the players do return I don't get my seats, or ones I consider equal to them back, I'll be done as as season ticket holder (30+ years).

 

[nedved93]

low ratings obviously imply a complete and utter implosion

it implies that people would rather watch a cavalcade of well-groomed dogs (and poker, and bowling, and arena football) than watch a F**CKING hockey game! that's just how dire the situation is for the NHL's future...

 

[MLH]

it implies that people would rather watch a cavalcade of well-groomed dogs (and poker, and bowling, and arena football) than watch a F**CKING hockey game! that's just how dire the situation is for the NHL's future...

10 million people watched game 7 last year. Come find me when 10 million people watch a bowling match.

 

[nedved93]

10 million people watched game 7 last year. Come find me when 10 million people watch a bowling match.

pro-fishing. i've even read that NHL ratings lag behind pro-fishing, and is on the verge of being surpassed by the MLS.

 

[WhalerBoy]

I am not a moderator.
I cover prospects for the website. I'm just like anyone else on the board here.

As for your numbers spiel, I didn't look at 49 and 42 and split the difference.

Gary Bettman and the NHL suggested they could move to 45.
Then negotiations started and some of the owners threw a fit.

No, he didnt say he would move to 45, he said the PA should have offered it if they wanted to know his reaction.

It doesnt matter, semantics. 42.5 is what the NHL is offering, take it or leave it.

The players still think the 70million payroll is coming. If thats what they think, I suggest they pick a baseball bat and learn to swing, and then give George Steinbrenner a call. Cause thats the only league without a cap that still has a couple of teams willing to pay these players what THEY THINK they are worth, instead of what the economics bear.

good luck Sean Avery, Robert Esche....hardly knew ye. BRING ON THE SCABS, I GOT MY MONEY READY!

 

[WhalerBoy]

10 million people watched game 7 last year. Come find me when 10 million people watch a bowling match.

Hey thats true.

I guess if every year we can 1280 game 7's, then the NHL will really have a lot of money!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(dude, poker outdraws hockey.get real, that ship has sailed)

 

[greatlakeshab]

"it implies that people would rather watch a cavalcade of well-groomed dogs (and poker, and bowling, and arena football) than watch a F**CKING hockey game! that's just how dire the situation is for the NHL's future..."

Well the dogs are showing more intelligence lately. You could say the NHL right now is the sequel to the movie Dumb and Dumber< I can't figure out who is dumber, the owners or players?


*

 

[MLH]

Hey thats true.

I guess if every year we can 1280 game 7's, then the NHL will really have a lot of money!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(dude, poker outdraws hockey.get real, that ship has sailed)

A third of the leagues markets watch games on CBC, and don't count in Neilsen ratings.

 

[Mess]

Excuse me? The NHL isn't going to self-destruct if that's what you're implying.

I am Pro-owner and in this case really Pro-owner in the case of yours and want him to make as much money as possible .. You claim your owner is making more money not playing so ..

If that means he loses money if he plays or makes money if he does not then logic would suggest his strongest position financially is when he no longer is a member of the NHL ..

Maybe he could have an AHL team .. I am sure he could make money and pay the players and everyone is happy NO?

 

[Mess]

Here is the Impasse Story for those interested

LAST RESORT ???

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature.asp?fid=9941

 

[JKP]

"Bring ticket prices under control"
If you think this is going to happen or even be brought down you are living in a dream world.

"Maybe they'll willingly sign autographs"
Maybe if you autograph hounds would stop bugging them for their autograph just to sell on ebay and profit from it, then the REAL NHLPA players would be a little more willing to sign something

Scabs will bring a big break in ticket prices to entice people into the buildings in order to break the union. Then it will likely take a few years of slowly raising them before they'll get to where they are, if they need to. That's not a dream world, that's common sense.

I'm not an "autograph hound" nor do I sell them on ebay. In fact I have no autographs nor do I want any, I'm just thinking of all the little kids I've seen at the various big league games I've been to looking for autograhs that have been completely ignored by the players. I was simply trying to illustrate how they completely forget and ignore the people that actaully pay their ridiculous salaries - the fans.

A pretty poor way to make your argument, BTW, by jumping to conclusions about someone and trying to insult them.

 

[Wetcoaster]

Scabs will bring a big break in ticket prices to entice people into the buildings in order to break the union. Then it will likely take a few years of slowly raising them before they'll get to where they are, if they need to. That's not a dream world, that's common sense.

How do you stock the US teams whe you can only sign US citizens and legal US alien residents??? No Canadian or European players need apply.

Hockey is not baseball or football with minor leagues and colleges full of cannon fodder.

 

[JKP]

How do you stock the US teams whe you can only sign US citizens and legal US alien residents??? No Canadian or European players need apply.

Hockey is not baseball or football with minor leagues and colleges full of cannon fodder.

Good point. Colleges, the minors. I would expect lots of 3rd / 4th liners to cross the lines and big contract guys that want their $$$. All the US players that had jobs in Europe prior to the NHLers going over there...

 

[OntCanuck]

Whoa!!!!! some of the guys on here better sharpen up their skates. Seriously it's league rhetoric. Just like can't live above 30 million cap.....wait oh carry the one.....OK can't live above 42.

 

[Brewleaguer]

Scabs will bring a big break in ticket prices to entice people into the buildings in order to break the union. Then it will likely take a few years of slowly raising them before they'll get to where they are, if they need to. That's not a dream world, that's common sense.

I'm not an "autograph hound" nor do I sell them on ebay. In fact I have no autographs nor do I want any, I'm just thinking of all the little kids I've seen at the various big league games I've been to looking for autograhs that have been completely ignored by the players. I was simply trying to illustrate how they completely forget and ignore the people that actaully pay their ridiculous salaries - the fans.

A pretty poor way to make your argument, BTW, by jumping to conclusions about someone and trying to insult them.

I am just stateing facts of how people use their "kids" or sick mother/father as an excuse to get autographs and then sell them on eaby. Wasn't emplying you are one of them. But I know it happens.

But one things for sure, you bring in scabs (which I am sure will be at least half the current pa), you won't see a break in tic prices cause the owners are just as greedy.

 

[gr8haluschak]

For all of you that are fans of bringing in scabs and are going to watch them, I hope you are not a Leaf or Sens fan (there should be more added to the list but I do not know the exact laws) because it would be hard to go to the game when they have to play somewhere else since you can't have scabs in Ontario, which was the same problem that MLB had when they where contemplating using scabs back in '95

 

[Balej20*]

Expect AHL rosters to be depleted next year.

Good for the Rangers and LA...thats my prediction for the cup finals next year, if no NHL players cross..

 

[Phanuthier*]

I'm so tired of these illogical statements.

I ask you to back up your comment.

If you were an NHL owner, explain why you are willing to throw the season away based on a $2.5 million difference in salary cap.
Please.
Knowing that 5 to 7 teams top are going to to use that $2.5 million, you're talking about 13 to 17 million divided between the 100 to 140 players on those teams.
So inflation can't be you big concern.
What is?

Explain that to me.
ANd if you can do that, then maybe your comment will make a little sense.

Once again, if it isn't such a big deal, then why are 700 NHL playeres willing to give up a years worth of salary (on an average 7 year career span) for an averaged out 56,000???

 

[Balej20*]

Once again, if it isn't such a big deal, then why are 700 NHL playeres willing to give up a years worth of salary (on an average 7 year career span) for an averaged out 56,000???

we do not know that all 700 NHL players are willing to sit out a whole year.

 

[not quite yoda]

Expect AHL rosters to be depleted next year.

Actualy I feel that that is a best case scenario. I think that the young stars in the AHL (say like Stajan or Spezza) have tasted the NHL, know NHLers and may feel that they are NHL bound as soon as the dispute is resolved (through support of scabs or not). Therefore I expect a good chunk (not all) of the "good young players" to hold out and stick it out in the AHL. Especialy those who have agents with clients of prominent NHLers. The kids will be advised to avoid being a scab.

For example, Crosby hinted he might join a scab league because he wants to play in the NHL. The next day he backtracked, saying he only wants to play in the best league in the world (with NHLers) because his high profile agent told him to.

I would hope that the Spezzas and Parises and Crosbys and Keslers and Higginses all cross the line but I don't think they will.

 

[not quite yoda]

it would be hard to go to the game when they have to play somewhere else since you can't have scabs in Ontario, which was the same problem that MLB had when they where contemplating using scabs back in '95

I hear you can have scabs in Ontario. No problem. It s in Quebec and B.C. that have labour laws aginst the use of scabs. As per www.tsn.ca

 

[Lady Rhian]

Bring on the "scabs". Let these selfish, greedy morons work regular jobs like the rest of us commonfolk, and watch what "could have been" from the stands. Sweet victory could be had in the long run, if the NHL does find a way to do this.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I don't think the replacment players NHL will be all that bad. I think enough UFA and RFA's will cross the line to put out a respectable team. There will also be some talented players like Steve Kariya and Jiri Bicek who never got a shot to play in the NHL with offensive weapons getting big time minutes. Both are capable of putting up big numbers, Kariya leads the SMLiga and Bicek is near the top in the Slovak elite league.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I live in a small market city and my team's owner is worth $1.6 billion and he's saving $5 million by not playing hockey this year. Why should I be concerned?

Reminds me of a story. The son of one of the great oil giants, the Hunt Family, bought an AFL (the upstart 60's american football league eventually merged with the NFL) team, the Chiefs, and after a couple of years a reporter came to his father and said 'do you know that your son lost $10 million dollars each of the last two years?'' Now rememb er this was the 60's and $10 million dollars was a lot of money. Mr. Hunt looked shocked and said '$20 million dollars? Damn, in 200 years I will really have to start worrying.'

 

[IslesRule]

Reminds me of a story. The son of one of the great oil giants, the Hunt Family, bought an AFL (the upstart 60's american football league eventually merged with the NFL) team, the Chiefs, and after a couple of years a reporter came to his father and said 'do you know that your son lost $10 million dollars each of the last two years?'' Now rememb er this was the 60's and $10 million dollars was a lot of money. Mr. Hunt looked shocked and said '$20 million dollars? Damn, in 200 years I will really have to start worrying.'

That logic may have been OK in the 1960's but we are a long way from that. Business owners look at the bottom line more than ever, that creates value for them. Very few if any professional sports owners will tollerate that today, and I can't say I blame them. They didn't get to be millionaires/billionaires by pissing away millions of dollars a year.