Some glimmer of hope

[RangerBoy]

From Larry Brooks

Yesterday was not quiet. We've learned of flurries of phone calls placed to the leaders from party members on both sides of the aisle. As well, we've been told of conversations between individual team management personnel and players. For the first time, there appears to be a level of concern that is commensurate with the gravity of the situation, evidenced every bit as much on the league side as the players' side, if not more so.

http://www.nypost.com/sports/40367.htm

Larry feels the PA should request another session with the NHL

From Mario Lemieux

"I think they'll figure out a way to make a deal," he said. "It would be devastating not to play this season, for everybody involved. The fans and the game in general. The business, especially. A lot of people are going to get hurt.

"A lot of people are talking. A lot of the players are starting to get together. Hopefully, they can come to a solution before it's too late. ... It's a long shot, but, if you look at the future of the game and how much it's going to affect the business, I don't see the future being any brighter for everybody involved six months from now or a year from now. It's only going to get worse."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05043/456684.stm

Mario still feels a deal will be struck and both sides can not afford to cancel the season

Bill Daly made the rounds yesterday on the media circuit.I heard him on Leafs Lunch and saw him on both ESPN and ESPNEWS.Daly made interesting comments on ESPNEWS and the Score about not having to link revenue to a cap.The owners just want to know what their costs will be.

There was one ray of hope yesterday when the NHL's executive vice-president and chief legal officer, Bill Daly, said a salary cap not tied to league revenue may eventually offer a solution to the lockout.

"I would say it's not a non-starter," Daly told The Score when asked about a cap without linkage. "It is a subject we could have discussion on.

"It's an interesting question and it's one that has become a hot topic over the last couple of weeks, and I don't know where it's coming from, because it's certainly not coming from the players' association."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050211.wlock12/BNStory/Sports

If the PA won't accept a cap without linkage,the NHLPA members need to step up and remove Goodenow and Saskin.The next CBA will have a salary cap.Everyone seems to realize it except Goodenow,Saskin and some players such as Ken Flee

Click to read more...

 

[Pepper]

And, because Gary Bettman and Bill Daly initiated the meeting in Toronto on Wednesday, the obligation rests with Bob Goodenow to make the call on behalf of the union

Larry Brooks of all people thinks it's PA's job to make the next move! I mean the biggest propaganda machine of the whole CBA argument is starting to waver, huge news for all parties involved.

This puts pressure squarely on Goodenow's shoulders, he HAS to make a move or he's gonna face even more pointing fingers.

 

[Greschner4]

And, because Gary Bettman and Bill Daly initiated the meeting in Toronto on Wednesday, the obligation rests with Bob Goodenow to make the call on behalf of the union

Larry Brooks of all people thinks it's PA's job to make the next move! I mean the biggest propaganda machine of the whole CBA argument is starting to waver, huge news for all parties involved.

This puts pressure squarely on Goodenow's shoulders, he HAS to make a move or he's gonna face even more pointing fingers.

Brooks is Goodenow's mouthpiece. This is Goodenow generating "media pressure" to cover for going back to the table. Note that Brooks also signalled that if Goodenow does, he and not the league will deserve the credit for "saving" the league.

 

[BLONG7]

Both Gary and Bob should be making their own funeral arrangements, because even if they get a deal, I would hope that both are fired moments after the deal starts...

 

[RangerBoy]

From Sherry Ross of the New York Daily News

The next round of talks between the National Hockey League and the Players Association will happen under hush-hush circumstances, if they haven't already started.

Despite a deepening gloom that is settling over the league and a memo reportedly sent to all 30 teams by commissioner Gary Bettman announcing a conference call next week - ostensibly to cover all of the ramifications of canceling the season - the NHL continues to leave the door open just a crack after talks publicly and heatedly broke off Thursday in Toronto.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/280085p-240016c.html

 

[RangerBoy]

From Alan Hahn on Newsday

Publicly, NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow has had rock-solid support from the players throughout this process, but it also has been said that Goodenow is getting an earful behind the scenes. Perhaps more than the public has been led to believe, there is increased pressure on him from players to do all he can to save the season.

With Goodenow's well-known history of being a shrewd and gutsy deal-maker, there remains a sliver of hope that he still has one last trick up his sleeve. The league often has suggested Goodenow was simply waiting for a deadline to be set so he could push the NHL to the 11th hour (which is what happened in 1995).

http://www.newsday.com/sports/print...643feb12,0,1618983.story?coll=ny-sports-print

 

[dolfanar]

Both Gary and Bob should be making their own funeral arrangements, because even if they get a deal, I would hope that both are fired moments after the deal starts...

Amen. Of all the things that might make me forget the disgusting events of the past year, seing those two get the boot might be just what the doctor ordered.

 

[Phil333]

This is way too much optimism considering the circumstances. If a deal happened, I would jump up and down and be giddy for days. But I can't see it happening. The deadline is this weekend. I feel that we would at least get something from the major outlets about something if a deal was being worked on.

 

[ResidentAlien*]

Amen. Of all the things that might make me forget the disgusting events of the past year, seing those two get the boot might be just what the doctor ordered.

File this under "Good for a Laugh" but,
I'm pretty sure that all the photographers got together, maybe on their secret webiste or via secret decoder rings, and decided to try and make Gary look as stupid as possible in all photographs taken of him. I know he is not the prettiest of elves out there, but every single pic you see of him he looks like he either has his mouth open ready for ******** or lips puckered like his got sphincter spasms going on

 

[SENSible1*]

How exactly was Bettman supposed to get the best deal for his clients when dealing with an opponent who wouldn't even start negotiating until the last second?

He could have set the date earlier, but the delay was designed to create uncertainty and it did. Sure Bettman could have sweetened the pot earlier and probably have a deal in hand months ago, but the criteria is THE BEST DEAL POSSIBLE FOR THE OWNERS and he has handled the situation masterfully.

So much so, that the "movement off linkage to an unlinked hard cap" is now seen as a concession by ownership and will be the likely outcome if a deal is reached this week.

Ask yourself this question; Considering both sides starting postitions, if Bettman can get the PA to agree to a cap and still have it spun as a minor victory for the PA, allowing them to save face, how can this negotiation be seen as anything but a complete whitewash for Gary over Bob?

 

[The Maltais Falcon]

File this under "Good for a Laugh" but,
I'm pretty sure that all the photographers got together, maybe on their secret webiste or via secret decoder rings, and decided to try and make Gary look as stupid as possible in all photographs taken of him. I know he is not the prettiest of elves out there, but every single pic you see of him he looks like he either has his mouth open ready for ******** or lips puckered like his got sphincter spasms going on

Bill Daly gets the worst treatment in my opinion. I don't think I've seen a photo of him where he's not doing the frown thing that he does. Shame, because of the four main guys in this affair, he seems like the most likable.

 

[Birdman]

Props to Rangerboy. Of all the threads I've read here during this mess, this one has been the most informative, hasn't broken down into a teenage flame war, and actually quotes multiple sources.

 

[NYIsles1*]

Hard to call any of this optimistic

The Pittsburgh-Post Gazette did it's usual solid job yesterday covering the Pens perspective on the lockout, even getting Sawyer's comments. Unfortunately they had nothing inside the NHL or NHLPA besides Mario's opinion that he has maintained for a while now. I guess that's the good news.

Brooks and Ross were as usual all speculation and their own personal political agandas which they cannot get away from to give the fans the facts of what's really happening. Shoddy work from papers too busy over-covering Giambi to put in the time pick up the phones and get some new quotes from the people on the inside.

Ross has Frank Brown (a former News writer) in the NHL offices and last week was the only one who claimed a new NHL offer would happen Tuesday, she was wrong.

Hahn only reprinted quotes from Thusday with his own comments but hard to argue with them because they do give the NHLPA's perspective:

Just don't expect the union to make the first move. "Absolutely no new offer coming," Saskin said.

With Goodenow's well-known history of being a shrewd and gutsy deal-maker, there remains a sliver of hope that he still has one last trick up his sleeve. The league often has suggested Goodenow was simply waiting for a deadline to be set so he could push the NHL to the 11th hour (which is what happened in 1995).

But Saskin on Thursday shot down any idea that Goodenow is holding out. "Those who have been saying that will be proven wrong as events unfold here," Saskin said.

The Globe and Mail article had the most important content. The NHLPA is not accepting any kind of cap.
NHLPA senior director Ted Saskin reiterated the players' opposition to any type of salary cap, even without linkage.

"They've always presented it as one concept, not two concepts," Saskin told The Score. "We're not interested in negotiating any arbitrary cap. If [Daly] has other ideas he would like to present, he should present them to us."