New Eklund Post! Re:Cap/NHL teams Splitting?

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ceber

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Rumors are just rumors. No matter who the source is you shouldn't think of them as fact. Why do people think Eklund is the one making this stuff up? Maybe he's actually got some contacts. Maybe some of his contacts are feeding him BS. Maybe he is making it up. What difference does it make? Seems like some people think having a weblog suddenly grants some special validity to someone's comments.
 

SuperUnknown

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ceber said:
Rumors are just rumors. No matter who the source is you shouldn't think of them as fact. Why do people think Eklund is the one making this stuff up? Maybe he's actually got some contacts. Maybe some of his contacts are feeding him BS. Maybe he is making it up. What difference does it make? Seems like some people think having a weblog suddenly grants some special validity to someone's comments.

I agree, besides, the suing thing by a few owners and parting out of the NHL has been flying around for at least a week, AND reported on HF on this forum!
 

HF2002

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ceber said:
Rumors are just rumors. No matter who the source is you shouldn't think of them as fact. Why do people think Eklund is the one making this stuff up? Maybe he's actually got some contacts. Maybe some of his contacts are feeding him BS. Maybe he is making it up. What difference does it make? Seems like some people think having a weblog suddenly grants some special validity to someone's comments.
I agree, but there's also his credibility. This is a case of trying to establish whether this guy is full of bull or not.
 

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He makes a decent statement in his later comment on the rumour. What the players may have done is bring their own cap to the table and the NHL may want to let them stew on that for a day or two. Basically allow the team reps to report back to the players and say "listen we have proposed this hybrid system what do you think". If players don't freak out over the potential cap the hard part is done. It's a lot easier to get the NHLPA to move from a potential cap in three years to a cap that is grandfathered in over a couple of years then it was to get them to the cap mentality in the first place. It's a lot easier for the NHLPA to sell at that point as well.

Of course it's all dependent on that hybrid thing being true in the first place and I don't really believe it is. If it is, the Eklund statement whether made up or not is a pretty decent comment.
 

ceber

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HF2002 said:
I agree, but there's also his credibility. This is a case of trying to establish whether this guy is full of bull or not.

But that's impossible. All he's saying is "This is what was sent to me." How can you establish if that's bull or not? You can question the rumor, but I'm not sure what good questioning the messenger does for you. In the comments for the post in question he calls the rumor into doubt himself.
 

bleedgreen

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if the league can say they will sit out 2 years to get a cap, and the players can say we will wait 2 years to avoid a cap, whats wrong with the owners threatening to split off? its all preposterous negotiation tactics. what matters is that both sides are finally feeling the heat to get it done. i think the players want back in, thus the meetings, and owners want to play, so they pressure bettman. you knew the owners wouldnt agree on everything in the end. i dont think this blog is ridiculous at all.
 

JohnnyReb

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mudcrutch79 said:
"They have threatened Bettman to get this done or they will seek legal action, possibly even split off from the NHL and form their own league next year."

It's stuff like this, supposedly from a source that makes me certain that this guy is full of BS. What in the name of God does he mean that they'd split off and form their own league? They don't own the logos or names of their teams-the NHL does. This "threat" is meaningless; does anyone think that the owners of the Maple Leafs or Red Wings are going to walk away from the brand equity that they have in their names? The rest of the owners would love it. All of a sudden, they'd have franchises that have historically been huge cash cows, and they'd get to sell them. How much money do you think you could sell the rights to a sizeable NHL market, contracts with good players, and brands with a truck load of value for? It'd be a massive infusion of free money for the owners that remained.

What grounds for legal action do they have against Bettman, to point out the other absurdity? Can anyone explain this to me?

While I don’t for a second think its even remotely a possibility, its not quite as crazy as you think. Supposed, just for the sake of argument, the six biggest market teams decided to form their own “Super League†with no cap. We’ll say Detroit, Colorado, Dallas, Toronto, Philadelphia and New York.

What could the NHL do? They’d have to find 6 new owners – pretty quickly – to buy these franchises. Even if they did, where would they play? All six teams own their arenas, and there is nothing that says they have to let the NHL play in them. Where would the NHL Toronto franchise play? Skydome?

Player wise, the Super League would very easily, and very quickly stock up on the best players in the world. Remember, these six all had massive payrolls anyways, so its not like it would be any different for them. $60 million is $60 million, regardless of whether you are spending it on NHL players or Super League players. They could bid on every free agent that comes available. Think of all the free agents that haven’t been signed from last season. Think of all the players whose contracts expire after this year/season. And we’re not just talking UFAs here. Restricted free agents would be free to sign with the Super League too. Like Kovalchouk.

Then there are the undrafted players, like Sydney Crosby. “Hey Sydney, you can play for the Nashville Predators, for a rookie-capped $800,000 a year, or you can play in Toronto, for $3 million.â€

If money is no object, the Super League would have no trouble finding players.

Now, the brand recognition. This is where the court fight could come in. Who owns the name “Detroit Red Wings?†Is it Mike Illitch, or the National Hockey League? When you buy a National Hockey League team, what exactly are you getting? Isn’t it the rights to all things Detroit Red Wing-ish? When Karmonos changed the name of the Whalers to the Hurricanes, did he need NHL permission to do so? I honestly don’t know, and I suspect a pretty good court case could be fought over the matter.

And is brand recognition all that important? Would you rather watch Pierre Dagenais skating for the Toronto “Maple Leafs†or Mats Sundin skating for the Toronto “Super Leaguers?†Some suburban rink, or the ACC?

These big market owners have listened to everyone, including Gary Bettman, tell them that they are idiots and morons, that they are ruining hockey, and can’t control themselves. And really, what have they done? Spend money to get the best players, to ice the best team, to give their fans the best chance at a Stanley Cup? Up until this year, fans always said Bill Wirtz and Jeremy Jacobs were cheap, greedy you-know-whats, who only cared about making money, and “not doing what it takes to win.†Now, all of a sudden, the “good†owners, who did do what it takes to win, are being called incompetent fools, while everyone is lining up to get on the Wirtz/Jacobs school of NHL team building?? From a pure ego standpoint, the rich owners might look at the profits they are making, the players they can sign, the arenas they own, the TV broadcasts they can make, and say “screw you, I’ll show you who the moron is.’

Like I said, I don’t for a second think it will happen. But its certainly not as crazy as some make it out to be.
 

HF2002

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ceber said:
But that's impossible. All he's saying is "This is what was sent to me." How can you establish if that's bull or not? You can question the rumor, but I'm not sure what good questioning the messenger does for you. In the comments for the post in question he calls the rumor into doubt himself.

Questioning the messenger is entirely the point.
 

likea

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JohnnyReb said:
While I don’t for a second think its even remotely a possibility, its not quite as crazy as you think. Supposed, just for the sake of argument, the six biggest market teams decided to form their own “Super League†with no cap. We’ll say Detroit, Colorado, Dallas, Toronto, Philadelphia and New York.

What could the NHL do? They’d have to find 6 new owners – pretty quickly – to buy these franchises. Even if they did, where would they play? All six teams own their arenas, and there is nothing that says they have to let the NHL play in them. Where would the NHL Toronto franchise play? Skydome?

Player wise, the Super League would very easily, and very quickly stock up on the best players in the world. Remember, these six all had massive payrolls anyways, so its not like it would be any different for them. $60 million is $60 million, regardless of whether you are spending it on NHL players or Super League players. They could bid on every free agent that comes available. Think of all the free agents that haven’t been signed from last season. Think of all the players whose contracts expire after this year/season. And we’re not just talking UFAs here. Restricted free agents would be free to sign with the Super League too. Like Kovalchouk.

Then there are the undrafted players, like Sydney Crosby. “Hey Sydney, you can play for the Nashville Predators, for a rookie-capped $800,000 a year, or you can play in Toronto, for $3 million.â€

If money is no object, the Super League would have no trouble finding players.

Now, the brand recognition. This is where the court fight could come in. Who owns the name “Detroit Red Wings?†Is it Mike Illitch, or the National Hockey League? When you buy a National Hockey League team, what exactly are you getting? Isn’t it the rights to all things Detroit Red Wing-ish? When Karmonos changed the name of the Whalers to the Hurricanes, did he need NHL permission to do so? I honestly don’t know, and I suspect a pretty good court case could be fought over the matter.

And is brand recognition all that important? Would you rather watch Pierre Dagenais skating for the Toronto “Maple Leafs†or Mats Sundin skating for the Toronto “Super Leaguers?†Some suburban rink, or the ACC?

These big market owners have listened to everyone, including Gary Bettman, tell them that they are idiots and morons, that they are ruining hockey, and can’t control themselves. And really, what have they done? Spend money to get the best players, to ice the best team, to give their fans the best chance at a Stanley Cup? Up until this year, fans always said Bill Wirtz and Jeremy Jacobs were cheap, greedy you-know-whats, who only cared about making money, and “not doing what it takes to win.†Now, all of a sudden, the “good†owners, who did do what it takes to win, are being called incompetent fools, while everyone is lining up to get on the Wirtz/Jacobs school of NHL team building?? From a pure ego standpoint, the rich owners might look at the profits they are making, the players they can sign, the arenas they own, the TV broadcasts they can make, and say “screw you, I’ll show you who the moron is.’

Like I said, I don’t for a second think it will happen. But its certainly not as crazy as some make it out to be.


so how will the big market teams get the revenues to pay these players

an 82 game season with 6 teams???? I don't think so

and with less games comes less TV money and less concessions, parking...ect. ect
 

Benji Frank

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likea said:
so how will the big market teams get the revenues to pay these players

an 82 game season with 6 teams???? I don't think so

and with less games comes less TV money and less concessions, parking...ect. ect

I bet you didn't know this, but there was a time when there were only 6 teams in the NHL & they used to play a 72 game season. Back before satelite, computers and maybe even cable TV. Way before the remote control!!

Since then, technology is usch that these guys could probably charter airplanes & fly to games and play a full 82 games. I heard some of the owners are pretty rich and because of their wealth, may even have friends in fairly high places ... if it came to that.......

Concessions won't be a problem. The owners still own the arenas. If they ice a hig-end team in Toronto like they do in the NHL, I bet the fans will come....... the fans are coming out in droves in Europe right now and they didn't have to sit through a winter with no pro hockey!!!

Call it NHL or not, bottom line is, these guys would be able to afford to finance high end :hockey: :hockey: :hockey: !!!!
 

likea

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Benji Frank said:
I bet you didn't know this, but there was a time when there were only 6 teams in the NHL & they used to play a 72 game season. Back before satelite, computers and maybe even cable TV. Way before the remote control!!

Since then, technology is usch that these guys could probably charter airplanes & fly to games and play a full 82 games. I heard some of the owners are pretty rich and because of their wealth, may even have friends in fairly high places ... if it came to that.......

Concessions won't be a problem. The owners still own the arenas. If they ice a hig-end team in Toronto like they do in the NHL, I bet the fans will come....... the fans are coming out in droves in Europe right now and they didn't have to sit through a winter with no pro hockey!!!

Call it NHL or not, bottom line is, these guys would be able to afford to finance high end :hockey: :hockey: :hockey: !!!!


what fools would pay 120 dollars a ticket to see the same 6 teams play an 82 game schedule

people would get bored of it
 

JohnnyReb

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I think they could make money with a 65 game schedule, myself. I mean really, what would they be giving up? 8 Tuesday night home games against Nashville/Florida/Columbus/Anaheim?
 

ACC1224

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likea said:
what fools would pay 120 dollars a ticket to see the same 6 teams play an 82 game schedule

people would get bored of it

if you can afford to buy all the road games as well you probably wouldn't care....for myself, I buy 45 games a year, go to about 15 and would be happy if they were all quality teams....not all seats are 120, mine are $75 a pair.
 

CREW99AW

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JohnnyReb said:
I think they could make money with a 65 game schedule, myself. I mean really, what would they be giving up? 8 Tuesday night home games against Nashville/Florida/Columbus/Anaheim?


do all 6 teams make the playoffs?

or just the top 4?Win 2 round playoff rounds and win the cup?
 

JohnnyReb

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CREW99AW said:
do all 6 teams make the playoffs?

or just the top 4?Win 2 round playoff rounds and win the cup?


Sure, why not? How did they do it in the olden days?

Can't be any worse than awarding the cup in late June, early July.
 

oil slick

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mudcrutch79 said:
Not the Cup. A cup. Maybe break the old Avco Cup out of storage?

The super league cup, with it's long storried hist... ah wait.

It's probably possible though. Personally I would think it would get so tediouse seeing the same 5 teams day in and day out, and seeing exactly the same playoff matchups each year... but too each their own I guess. Toronto might actually have a shot at winning in a 6 team league.
 

Benji Frank

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likea said:
what fools would pay 120 dollars a ticket to see the same 6 teams play an 82 game schedule

people would get bored of it

Good point. It'd sure suck having to watch Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Chris Pronger, Jerome Iginla, Eric Lindros & Paul KAriya 8 or 9 times a year (are they all FA's???) instead of getting an opportunity to cheer on Dave Lowry, Ramzi Abid, Shawn Horcoff, Mike Leclerc, Steve Ott, and Turner Stevonson a couple of times per year form those same $120 seats!!!! :bow:
 

HF2002

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ceber said:
Why? Rumors by definition have no known authority.
"Inside sources", "sources tell me" or "I heard on good authority" are phrases you hear all the time.

Someone like Bob McKenzie uses these lines and he's often closer to the truth than most others, which makes him more believeable and credible over time. Real 'people in the know' give him the info because they want to see what kind of reaction it will get from a player or the fans. For example, a GM may say to McKenzie "we've had discussions about moving so and so". Often, this is done to send a player a message. Players read the papers and hear the rumours (despite their insistence that they don't).

Who is more likely to be believed - McKenzie or an anonymous blogger such as Eklund? If you're Eklund, and you're constantly being fed misinformation, after a while you're just not going to listen to what you're being fed because it's always wrong.

Let's be honest, everyone loves being told secrets and everyone loves to be heard. People stop listening to you very quickly if they think you're talking through your rear.
 

incawg

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Do we really need a new thread every time this guy gets bored and makes up a new rumor? He has the credibility of an eggplant and is obviously just looking for attention.
 

Bruwinz37

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incawg said:
Do we really need a new thread every time this guy gets bored and makes up a new rumor? He has the credibility of an eggplant and is obviously just looking for attention.

What better way to get attention than through a small blog with no advertisements?
 
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