Potential HERO has one or two days left to save the season

[CarlRacki]

30 teams have a legitimate shot at the playoffs in a 40 game schedule. Take a look at position of teams at the midway point of a season and then take a look at how they finish, and there are usually many shifts in playoffs positioning. A lot less money would be lost on just 40 games of salary when you could potentially bring in up to 2 million a playoff game.

For those that make the playoffs, yes. But we're talking about only a little more than half of 30 teams. A few of those 16 playoff teams won't see more than a couple home playoff games. So really, we're only talking about a dozen teams (of 30 overall) that stand to gain much from the playoffs. Given that it only takes eight owners to reject a CBA proposal, it's not likely there will be a rush from ownership to get a deal in time of a legitimate season and playoffs.
I wish it were otherwise, but I don't see it happening.

 

[me2]

Actually, there is very little pressure on the owners. Sure they will miss their playoff revenue, but since only ~1/2 the teams expect to have a guaranteed shot at getting in to the playoffs, and most of the rest are just hoping to get in to the playoffs, how many of them are really going to miss that revenue? Besides that, hockey revenue is only a small part of the owners income and ~1/2 of them are used to having losses from hockey. How is another loss this year going to bother them?

The owners also have the option to increase the number of non-hockey events at their stadiums to offset some of the lost hockey revenue.

 

[me2]

The players on drugs? Yikes, don't go there. Imagine the ugliness when the media starts poking around hockey the way it has baseball in recent years. Stimulants, steroids and tranquilizers ... oh my!

The owners should introduce mandatory random drug testing of olympic standard as a bargaining chip. You can bet the players wouldn't want it. It'd give the owners something to give up during negotiations.

 

[leaflover]

The Owners dropped their salary cap demands and luxury tax demands in 1995. The players are on drugs if they think they will even come close to winning this time.

I cant beleive there are still people that think anyone can WIN in this lockout.

Its lose,lose,lose from every angle.Especially the fans.

 

[Hockeyfan02]

especially when you haven't collected any in 12 months.

Not 100% up to date on everything like most of you, but arent most of these guys receiving checks from the PA during the lockout? I remember reading an article a few months back that checks were going out.

 

[djhn579]

I cant beleive there are still people that think anyone can WIN in this lockout.

Its lose,lose,lose from every angle.Especially the fans.

Depends on how you look at it. If your a fan worried about your team being in the league 5 years from now and you feel a hard cap (or tough luxury tax...) will help your team stay in the league, a win for the owners is a win for you...

 

[Grave77digger]

Your assuming the team owners also own the arena.

 

[djhn579]

Not 100% up to date on everything like most of you, but arent most of these guys receiving checks from the PA during the lockout? I remember reading an article a few months back that checks were going out.

Something along the lines of $10K the first two months, then $5K a month after that. That works out to ~$70K a year. Barely enough to feed Modano's dog. How long do you think you would survive on $70K a year when your accustomed to making at least 5 times that much (for the lowest paid players)

 

[Cloned]

I cant beleive there are still people that think anyone can WIN in this lockout.

Its lose,lose,lose from every angle.Especially the fans.

I would agree with that. I would add, however, IMO that this is about who can lose less.

 

[leaflover]

Depends on how you look at it. If your a fan worried about your team being in the league 5 years from now and you feel a hard cap (or tough luxury tax...) will help your team stay in the league, a win for the owners is a win for you...

I think alot of people are overestimating the NHLs popularity and ability to recover from this mess.Drag this lockout into next year and try and fill the buildings,good luck.Thats why there can be no winner,winning your salary cap at the expense of your revenue source is hardly a winning situation.Some teams would still fill the buildings,but many will be lucky to hit 10k.I just dont see how that is a win.

 

[hfboardsuser]

Something along the lines of $10K the first two months, then $5K a month after that. That works out to ~$70K a year. Barely enough to feed Modano's dog. How long do you think you would survive on $70K a year when your accustomed to making at least 5 times that much (for the lowest paid players)

Besides that, there's the basic problem of scarcity at work. The NHLPA could raise member fees, (if they have them, or start them if they did not) rake in a bunch on their yearly mutual fund/interest-earning account, charge more/begin charging for having NHLPA members speak at functions and even take donations from the richer players, but it will never be enough to support every union member for a prolonged period of time. The owners, on the other hand, usually have businesses that have the potential to rake in a couple hundred million a year.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I think alot of people are overestimating the NHLs popularity and ability to recover from this mess.Drag this lockout into next year and try and fill the buildings,good luck.Thats why there can be no winner,winning your salary cap at the expense of your revenue source is hardly a winning situation.Some teams would still fill the buildings,but many will be lucky to hit 10k.I just dont see how that is a win.

If they get a cap, I can predict from what I have read in the Pittsburgh papers, listened to with the sportscasters, especially with how screwed people feel by the Pirates regarding the need for a Cap and McClatchy taking the money instead in the last CBA, that hockey would recover nicely and grow. There remains genuine interest and love of hockey in the burgh, get the house in order, which baseball could not do, and you will see hockey not only recover but thrive, at least here.

 

[PecaFan]

I also imagine that the NHL is like every other sport in that each players' share of that pool depends on how deep his team goes in the playoffs.
But assuming it's still $7.5 million (unlikely) and dividing it by 384 players (16 playoff teams, 24-man rosters) that means the average playoff payout is $19,531. I'm sure those numbers have gone up.

Try $13,500,000.
http://www.nhlcbanews.com/cba/article28.html

And yes, it's not split evenly. I don't have a handy reference for that, but I know I've seen it recently.

 

[190Octane]

Did anyone else hear this Giguere interview?

I didn't even know he was the player rep for the Ducks.. I thought it was Rucchin or Carney.

 

[misterjaggers]

JS Giguere was a guest on FAN590 in Toronto with Mike Hogan today.Gigeure is the Mighty Ducks player rep.He actually said there will be a season which will begin in February.When Giguere was asked by Hogan and his co-host(I'm not sure who it was today)about why Bob Goodenow is not engaging Gary Bettman in negotiations,Giguere in broken English said "Goodenow is waiting to see if the owners panic"

Aren't we passed that by now?

I know I sound like a broken record, but Goodenow thinks the owners aren't united, that he can exploit this by playing the same waiting game he played in 1994.

 

[misterjaggers]

I think alot of people are overestimating the NHLs popularity and ability to recover from this mess.Drag this lockout into next year and try and fill the buildings,good luck.Thats why there can be no winner,winning your salary cap at the expense of your revenue source is hardly a winning situation.Some teams would still fill the buildings,but many will be lucky to hit 10k.I just dont see how that is a win.

It's a win because replacement players are temporary. Eventually the NHL's superior infrastructure, financing and market access provide the leverage to again ice the best hockey in the world.

 

[misterjaggers]

Yes but at the same time, if the owners completely cancel the season, which they'll have to do soon, than the players aren't going to negotiate anything at all until atleast August because than they know they aren't getting paid anyway. I think if anything, coming back this year and paying the players a little will make it easier for the NHL to win this thing over the summer.

You are kidding, right?

 

[RangerBoy]

Did anyone else hear this Giguere interview?

I didn't even know he was the player rep for the Ducks.. I thought it was Rucchin or Carney.

Monday afternoon just after noon eastern.Hogan introduced Giguere as the Mighty Ducks player rep.Gigeure is currently at his home in Orange County.Giguere is concerned about the state of the NHL in southern California because on Sunday he ran into some people who had no idea the NHL was not playing.He said the Ducks have a base of 10,000 die hard fans who will come back after the lockout but he was concerned about the rest of the fans.Gigeure also said is on the phone keeping his teammates abreast of the latest information(which is no information).Hogan and his co-host kept firing questions at him and he seemed to be not very informed.When Hogan asked him "why can't the NHL have a cap when the NFL has a cap with much greater revenue",Giguere said "you have a point there"

 

[crossxcheck]

Monday afternoon just after noon eastern.Hogan introduced Giguere as the Mighty Ducks player rep.Gigeure is currently at his home in Orange County.Giguere is concerned about the state of the NHL in southern California because on Sunday he ran into some people who had no idea the NHL was not playing.He said the Ducks have a base of 10,000 die hard fans who will come back after the lockout but he was concerned about the rest of the fans.Gigeure also said is on the phone keeping his teammates abreast of the latest information(which is no information).Hogan and his co-host kept firing questions at him and he seemed to be not very informed.When Hogan asked him "why can't the NHL have a cap when the NFL has a cap with much greater revenue",Giguere said "you have a point there"

how long before Giguere issues a statement saying that Hogan didn't have a point at all??