NHL drops replacement players idea

[Jaded-Fan]

NHL DROPS SCAB THREAT

April 21, 2005 -- Instead of dropping the Big One, the NHL disarmed it, a hopeful bombshell in itself.
Meeting in midtown yesterday, the Board of Governors surprisingly shelved for summer the threat of opening with scab players in October.

The league's move may have been the response to wise legal opinion, the result of individual teams' distaste for the scheme, or simply a rare conciliatory act. The NHL has already won its ideological salary cap battle at the expense of its season and playoffs, but could reconsider using scabs if the season is postponed.

http://www.nypost.com/sports/44986.htm

It is the NY POST, but is pretty widely reported, just grabbed this one and could have grabbed any.

As my own commentary, it is a pretty good move as it puts quite a bit of pressure on the players. The NHL said as well that they are perfectly willing to postpone next year. I think that Goodenow has sold at least some players on the thought that they would win it all back and more in court. The last thing that I would want if a player is the loss of another very precious year if the few that I had to earn, and now lose any chance of ever getting that back. It is true, the owners hurt under this scenerio as well, but not nearly as much as the individual players. Hockey was in the unique position among sports of not having very much to lose. They were at the bottom. Lose another year? Bad, but does anyone truly think that the league, when it comes back, would be in a much worse starting position after two seasons off than they will be next year? The bottom is the bottom. Now factor in not getting the right deal if the NHL caves just to start the season? No, I truly believe that the NHL can outwait the union, and if willing to do so the players can never even set foot in a NLRB hearing. This is bad news for the players, and yes, bad news for us unless the players break as it could mean a loss of season number two.

Click to read more...

 

[Weary]

"Two weeks ago, the union gave us a proposal and we said this is a concept we can work with," Bettman said. "I hope this is just about dollars and cents. Then there would be no point in stalling any longer. The result is inevitable. This is going to get fixed. Let's get through the issues. Since it's turned into a dollars and cents negotiation, let's go do it."

Not too smart for Bettman to make public the fact that the league has been stalling.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Not too smart for Bettman to make public the fact that the league has been stalling.

Given Bettman's tirade recently about Goodenow and the NHLPA 'stalling' I would think that he was referring to them, not himself.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Not too smart for Bettman to make public the fact that the league has been stalling.

 

[Weary]

Given Bettman's tirade recently about Goodenow and the NHLPA 'stalling' I would think that he was referring to them, not himself.

Bettman went on a tirade about how Goodenow and the NHLPA had set up the Black Saturday meeting.
Turns out the NHL called that meeting.

Bettman went on a tirade about how Goodenow and the NHLPA reserved a press room for use after the Black Saturday meeting.
Turns out the NHL reserved the press room.

So it shouldn't be surprising if the NHL is the one doing the stalling.

 

[Wetcoaster]

There is a current thread on this subject.
http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=139953&page=1&pp=15

 

[ColoradoHockeyFan]

Anyone else notice these two quotes?

It was a really positive meeting. They're working toward an agreement," Dallas' Jim Lites said. "We're on the same page."

"It was good, really good. We'll be playing next year," hard-line Bruin owner Jeremy Jacobs said.

The Lites quote is even a touch more positive than the one that's appeared in most of the articles following this meeting. And the Jacobs quote is startlingly positive and quite different from what we heard was his hurried comment while leaving (and frankly surprising given his recent explosion in the Tuesday meeting with the PA).

 

[Jaded-Fan]

There is a current thread on this subject.
http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=139953&page=1&pp=15

I looked before posting but missed that. My apologies, if a Mod wishes to merege this into that thread of course feel free.

 

[Weary]

The Jacobs quote could've referred to using replacement players. He may have just been referring to the fact that the league will use replacements if no CBA is reached by September 15.

 

[ColoradoHockeyFan]

The Jacobs quote could've referred to using replacement players. He may have just been referring to the fact that the league will use replacements if no CBA is reached by September 15.

Was this indicated as fact anywhere? (I may have missed it.)

 

[futurcorerock]

I dont think it was dropped for the "nasty reprocussions". A lot has changed since April 4th, so this could be a big reason why it's off the table.

 

[HockeyCritter]

"Two weeks ago, the union gave us a proposal and we said this is a concept we can work with," Bettman said. "I hope this is just about dollars and cents. Then there would be no point in stalling any longer. The result is inevitable. This is going to get fixed. Let's get through the issues. Since it's turned into a dollars and cents negotiation, let's go do it."

Not too smart for Bettman to make public the fact that the league has been stalling.

I read the comments as Bettman stating that if the proposal was real, then the PA had no reason to stale.

 

[HockeyCritter]

Bettman went on a tirade about how Goodenow and the NHLPA had set up the Black Saturday meeting.
Turns out the NHL called that meeting.

Bettman went on a tirade about how Goodenow and the NHLPA reserved a press room for use after the Black Saturday meeting.
Turns out the NHL reserved the press room.

So it shouldn't be surprising if the NHL is the one doing the stalling.

You mean the meeting where players called Bettman and said a deal could be had? If so, then yes, technically Bettman “called†the meeting, but only at the behest of the players just as Gretzky and Lemieux were in attendance at the request of Linden.

 

[Weary]

Was this indicated as fact anywhere? (I may have missed it.)

Not that I saw. It's just that when I read the quote it sounded pretty close to what Bettman was saying previously about playing next year. It's the only way I could reconcile it with what he said on Monday. That's just my interpretation, though.

 

[Weary]

You mean the meeting where players called Bettman and said a deal could be had? If so, then yes, technically Bettman “called†the meeting, but only at the behest of the players just as Gretzky and Lemieux were in attendance at the request of Linden.

According to Daly, the meeting was called after Bettman had back-channel communications with one player who indicated a deal could be made. Daly did not say this player held any position in the union. One player is not "the players." Bettman told Daly to call the meeting based on this conversation -- a conversation he shouldn't have been having to begin with. Then he tried to pin the blame for his actions on the union.

Bettman lied -- plain and simple.

 

[HockeyCritter]

According to Daly, the meeting was called after Bettman had back-channel communications with one player who indicated a deal could be made. Daly did not say this player held any position in the union. One player is not "the players." Bettman told Daly to call the meeting based on this conversation -- a conversation he shouldn't have been having to begin with. Then he tried to pin the blame for his actions on the union.

Bettman lied -- plain and simple.

I do not think I it is as "plain and simple" as you make it out to be. There are too many credible sources that reported several players (some even suggesting Roenick and Iginla) went to Bettman and said a deal could be done for $45-million. Hearing that Bettman encouraged Daly to call Linden (who requested the presence of Gretzky and Lemieux) and set up a meeting.

I need to search a bit, but there was an article printed in one of the Toronto papers just after this incident; it discussed out Goodenow “chewed†out several players that he perceived as dealing behind his back.

The fact is that neither side has been forthcoming, neither side has been honest, neither side made a genuine effort until it was too late, both sides have lied, both sides have mislead the press/public/membership, and both sides should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[Weary]

I do not think I it is as "plain and simple" as you make it out to be. There are too many credible sources that reported several players (some even suggesting Roenick and Iginla) went to Bettman and said a deal could be done for $45-million. Hearing that Bettman encouraged Daly to call Linden (who requested the presence of Gretzky and Lemieux) and set up a meeting.

I need to search a bit, but there was an article printed in one of the Toronto papers just after this incident; it discussed out Goodenow “chewed†out several players that he perceived as dealing behind his back.

The fact is that neither side has been forthcoming, neither side has been honest, neither side made a genuine effort until it was too late, both sides have lied, both sides have mislead the press/public/membership, and both sides should be ashamed of themselves.

Were the players that Bettman was in contact with members of the negotiating committee? Did they have standing to conduct discussions for the NHLPA? The clear answer is no. Otherwise those players could've relayed the need for a meeting. Daly would have had no need to call Linden.

So "the players" were not the ones who "called" the meeting. "Some players" may have "encouraged" the meeting. But the NHL called the meeting. The NHLPA did not call the meeting. The NHLPA did not ask the league to call the meeting.

Yet when Bettman was on the radio he was asked straight out if the NHLPA called the meeting. His reply:"Yes."

That's plain and simple in my book.

 

[ColoradoHockeyFan]

Not too smart for Bettman to make public the fact that the league has been stalling.

Given the PA's recent stall that caused more than a two-week gap between the April 4th and April 19th meetings, along with this latest report about Goodenow, I think it's pretty easy to determine who has done most of the stalling.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20050421_143158_3828

 

[AM]

and

Were the players that Bettman was in contact with members of the negotiating committee? Did they have standing to conduct discussions for the NHLPA? The clear answer is no. Otherwise those players could've relayed the need for a meeting. Daly would have had no need to call Linden.

So "the players" were not the ones who "called" the meeting. "Some players" may have "encouraged" the meeting. But the NHL called the meeting. The NHLPA did not call the meeting. The NHLPA did not ask the league to call the meeting.

Yet when Bettman was on the radio he was asked straight out if the NHLPA called the meeting. His reply:"Yes."

That's plain and simple in my book.

you're not biased in the least.

 

[Morbo]

you're not biased in the least.

and you are.....?