"Rival Leagues"....yeah right

[kremlin]

The following quote talks about the fact that Rival Leagues could start up, if an impasse is declared. My response to that: yeah right! Why don't I believe in rival leagues? Well, I do believe that new leagues will be founded; WHA could be one of them. However, all these leagues will operate under a CAP and not the kind of cap that the NHL has suggested. These rival leagues will operate under cap of 10-20 million MAX. In fact, I would support these rival leagues as they would put things in perspective. The NHL salaries are inflated. No way an average talent should get near 1 million dollar; at least not in a semi-big sport, which hockey has officially become. In all honesty, I hope the NHL folds. I hope new leagues will start up. I'd even support an NHL2 or NNHL (New&improved NHL). The current NHL is damaged goods and no sane sponsor or TV network will want to be affiliated with it whenever this lockout is resolved; at least not for a few years at least. Hockey will always be there, but the NHL will never ever be the same (even if lockout is resolved today).

Knight says the NHL's future would be at great risk once talks leave hotel boardrooms and head for the courts, resulting in tarnished relations with players for years to come. Rival leagues could start up and some bitter players may never return, putting into question whether fans would do the same. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=113552&hubName=nhl

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[BengtGustafsson]

Stanley Cup

The league that awards the Stanley Cup will always be the prefered league. But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

 

[Jocus]

Why do you only consider a Rival league one that would be in North America?

I think Russian and European leagues will attract a lot of local players. I'd ask a lot less money to play in my home country.

This will lower the total talent in the NHL and will make it harder to operate.

Also, the WHA, and any other league will provide a great league for a 4th line player. Would you rather play on the 4th line in the NHL or the top line in another great league.

 

[kremlin]

The league that awards the Stanley Cup will always be the prefered league. But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

If the entire season is cancelled, the Stanley Cup is damaged goods as well

 

[kremlin]

Why do you only consider a Rival league one that would be in North America?

I think Russian and European leagues will attract a lot of local players. I'd ask a lot less money to play in my home country.

This will lower the total talent in the NHL and will make it harder to operate.

Also, the WHA, and any other league will provide a great league for a 4th line player. Would you rather play on the 4th line in the NHL or the top line in another great league.

Russia is interesting, as TOP players can earn a lot of money there, but still nowhere near the insane amounts of what players CAN get in the current NHL or even in an NHL with cap. Other leagues such as in Sweden, Czech Republic, Finland, Slovakia, Swiss can't pay players nowhere near the insane amounts of the NHL. Furthermore, most of these leagues have a CAP on the salary they can spend on one player.

 

[chiavsfan]

Also, the WHA, and any other league will provide a great league for a 4th line player. Would you rather play on the 4th line in the NHL or the top line in another great league.

Because there is still room under a bigger NHL style cap for you to make money, than under a 10-15 million dollar cap that the WHA would play under

 

[Jocus]

Russia pays a bit less, but I don't think there's any income tax on their income. Plus, the fact that they are playing in their home country will make up for the difference. I would stay in Canada for a million or so less. Just look at Forsberg, he wanted to return home to play for his dad. There are probably a lot of players who would love to do similar things(either play with family or friends or just keep their kids in local schools).

And, for a player on a 4th line, he would make 500 000$ in the NHL. He could be a 1st or 2nd line player in the WHA and earn roughly the same thing, but play more. Most of those players will accept a bit less to play more often and feel more aprpeciated.

There is no one league that will replace the NHL, but this lock out will give the opportunity to the other leagues to prove themselves.

 

[BengtGustafsson]

If the entire season is cancelled, the Stanley Cup is damaged goods as well

Agreed

 

[kremlin]

Russia pays a bit less, but I don't think there's any income tax on their income. Plus, the fact that they are playing in their home country will make up for the difference. I would stay in Canada for a million or so less. Just look at Forsberg, he wanted to return home to play for his dad. There are probably a lot of players who would love to do similar things(either play with family or friends or just keep their kids in local schools).

And, for a player on a 4th line, he would make 500 000$ in the NHL. He could be a 1st or 2nd line player in the WHA and earn roughly the same thing, but play more. Most of those players will accept a bit less to play more often and feel more aprpeciated.

There is no one league that will replace the NHL, but this lock out will give the opportunity to the other leagues to prove themselves.

Well yeah, but there's only room for so many players in RSL. Furthermore, I understand that Forsberg wants to play for his dad, earning 10 million per year on a regular basis creates a buffer. He doesn't need to play for the money anymore. He has milked the NHL enough already. Furthermore, Forsberg is pretty much done in my opinion (at least for NHL). He just can't stay healthy. Even in Sweden, Forsberg is injured right now. He has become brittle over the years by getting banged up by D-men a lot.

 

[Jocus]

Well yeah, but there's only room for so many players in RSL. Furthermore, I understand that Forsberg wants to play for his dad, earning 10 million per year on a regular basis creates a buffer. He doesn't need to play for the money anymore. He has milked the NHL enough already. Furthermore, Forsberg is pretty much done in my opinion (at least for NHL). He just can't stay healthy. Even in Sweden, Forsberg is injured right now. He has become brittle over the years by getting banged up by D-men a lot.

But, the problem is that there are probably between 30 and 60 players that truly sell the game. There is usually just one player per team that attracts large numbers of fans. Forsberg is one, Yzerman, Kariya, Kovalchuk and Lemieux. The ones who give a show, that are charismatic, the ones you want to see play.

Peca(just as an example) is a great player, and is worth a lot to a team, but his style of play doesn't sell many tickets. He's more a defensive player.

So, if you lose 5 to 10 great players to Russia, 1 to sweden, 1 to Finland, and so on, you end up with a lot less superstars in the NHL and it will make it that much harder to sell tickets.

 

[Greschner4]

The following quote talks about the fact that Rival Leagues could start up, if an impasse is declared. My response to that: yeah right! Why don't I believe in rival leagues? Well, I do believe that new leagues will be founded; WHA could be one of them. However, all these leagues will operate under a CAP and not the kind of cap that the NHL has suggested. These rival leagues will operate under cap of 10-20 million MAX. In fact, I would support these rival leagues as they would put things in perspective. The NHL salaries are inflated. No way an average talent should get near 1 million dollar; at least not in a semi-big sport, which hockey has officially become. In all honesty, I hope the NHL folds. I hope new leagues will start up. I'd even support an NHL2 or NNHL (New&improved NHL). The current NHL is damaged goods and no sane sponsor or TV network will want to be affiliated with it whenever this lockout is resolved; at least not for a few years at least. Hockey will always be there, but the NHL will never ever be the same (even if lockout is resolved today).

So let a rival league start ... the NHL was great in the 70s even with the WHA there.

Not to mention the WHA gave the NHL teams in Edmonton, Quebec, Hartford, and Winnipeg which were great franchises and the last three should never have been moved. A big reason they moved was because the last CBA did nothing to help them.

 

[Greschner4]

Why do you only consider a Rival league one that would be in North America?

I think Russian and European leagues will attract a lot of local players. I'd ask a lot less money to play in my home country.

This will lower the total talent in the NHL and will make it harder to operate.

Also, the WHA, and any other league will provide a great league for a 4th line player. Would you rather play on the 4th line in the NHL or the top line in another great league.

So what ... there were only a handful of Eastern Europeans and Russians in the NHL before 1989 and the league's product was a better one.

 

[buce]

Why do you only consider a Rival league one that would be in North America?

I think Russian and European leagues will attract a lot of local players. I'd ask a lot less money to play in my home country.

This will lower the total talent in the NHL and will make it harder to operate.

Also, the WHA, and any other league will provide a great league for a 4th line player. Would you rather play on the 4th line in the NHL or the top line in another great league.

Who the hell wants to play in Russia. Believe me, if the players think this is anything more than a temporary situation, there is no way they go to Russia.

 

[buce]

Russia pays a bit less, but I don't think there's any income tax on their income. Plus, the fact that they are playing in their home country will make up for the difference. I would stay in Canada for a million or so less. Just look at Forsberg, he wanted to return home to play for his dad. There are probably a lot of players who would love to do similar things(either play with family or friends or just keep their kids in local schools).
QUOTE]

Hey Forsberg's dad has been coaching for a long time, yet Forsberg never felt compelled to go home and play. Yeah, he picks the hear of the lockout to do it. What a saint. I still remember Lidstrom's talk of going home for the good of his kids. Hmmmm that went down the toilet when he realized that he would only make a tenth of his NHL salary. The players will go wherever they make the most money. It's always about the money. Do you think their agents, who get a percentage of their salary, is going to steer a player to place where he makes less money despite a home connection or anything else. Yeah good luck with that.

 

[TruGr1t]

The largest hockey market in the world is in Canada. No matter what some sort of person is going to want to capitalize on the largest market with the highest demand. If the NHL crumbles or something really out there (that probably won't happen) the gap will be filled quite quickly. If the impasse is long enough I could maybe see someone else playing their hand as well.