I WILL WATCH REPLACEMENT PLAYERS.
I have carefully looked at every issue in the lockout. We all want the NHLPA to get back to playing hockey. Over the years we ALL KNOW
that the players were using the "highest bidder tactic" to drive all player contract up and up. It is a FACT the players were advantaged in the bidding wars and no one every asked then to give back some of the money because the league was losing money. When the league begged to have the cba re-opened in order to plug the leeking on the sinking ship, the answer for Goodenow " tough bananas" and at that point the NHLPA was NOT careing If clubs would go bankrupt.
Goodenow and the group thought the Owners would cave, they did not and the NHLPA is still playing chicken. So where are we now ?
The last cards to play in this poker game is the replacement players. I have read posters state that the replacement players are talentless, bush league, goons, old men and construction workers and on one will pay to see them.
Lies, and more lies. If fact it's a continuation of the NHPLA's "we don't believe your numbers, we don't believe you or your Levit report. It's all the owners fault for overpaying us all and it's up to the owners to Fix any problem. But don't touch our bidding war and you cant colude to get the contracts down.
Little wonder that the fans are 80% against the NHLPA on this.
Continuation of this one sided hardheaded stance is hurting the game badly and to continue to hold this tactic after an entire year has been cancelled is just plain stupid.
I believe that the NHPLA has been hijacked by a small group of senior players, that have already made their millions, they know that they are about to retire to thier 3 cars and boats.
The NHL WILL WIN THIS dispute. The people that will pay for all this debacule is the young players, rookies, draft picks.
The NHL will make back all this MONEY, perhaps over the next 5 years and play hard ball again on future CBA's due to the NHLPA current stance.
The NHLPA pushed for bigger and bigger contracts, got them and want to continue to hold on to their bargaining advantage they have had. Which part of "greed" does anyone not understand.
As time goes on, the 24% rollback becomes more and more a non issue. Contracts are expireing and the upcomming HARD CAP will make the rollback void.
So the last chance the NHLPA has is now to continue to gamble and hope the replacement players are booed out of exsistance.
So what happens if the gamble does not pay off?
I would like pro-player posters to explain to me what they think happens if the replacement players ARE accepted and the NHLPA losses this last tactic.