Sunday 9:45PM: still negotiating, meeting ongoing.

[BobMckenzie]

just "2 more weeks"...

Unfortunately, the process is the process. Collective bargaining was never meant to be covered like a game or an event. You get a 600 page document and a room full of lawyers and it's going to drag out like you wouldn't believe. It's taken as long as it's taken because unlike 1995, the league isn't agreeing to anything or announcing anything until it's fully executed as a legally binding document. That's why we're all sitting here on July 10th. This is how long it takes to complete complicated, complex 600-page legal agreements that re-write how an entire industry goes about its business. There would be some people in the legal or business world who would actually say this process is, relatively speaking, rolling right along at breakneck speed, believe it or not. But our sensibilities are as fans and we think a long wait for something is if the cars are backed up onto the road at a Tim Horton's drive-thru. Having said all that, get it done, dammit, this is seriously eating into my vacation time.

 

[Beauty eh?]

In which case you just quoted god.

 

[Sixty Six]

Unfortunately, the process is the process. Collective bargaining was never meant to be covered like a game or an event. You get a 600 page document and a room full of lawyers and it's going to drag out like you wouldn't believe. It's taken as long as it's taken because unlike 1995, the league isn't agreeing to anything or announcing anything until it's fully executed as a legally binding document. That's why we're all sitting here on July 10th. This is how long it takes to complete complicated, complex 600-page legal agreements that re-write how an entire industry goes about its business. There would be some people in the legal or business world who would actually say this process is, relatively speaking, rolling right along at breakneck speed, believe it or not. But our sensibilities are as fans and we think a long wait for something is if the cars are backed up onto the road at a Tim Horton's drive-thru. Having said all that, get it done, dammit, this is seriously eating into my vacation time.

no vacation for you, you need to comeback here and report what is going on with the free agents and such.

 

[not quite yoda]

Unfortunately, the process is the process. Collective bargaining was never meant to be covered like a game or an event. You get a 600 page document and a room full of lawyers and it's going to drag out like you wouldn't believe. It's taken as long as it's taken because unlike 1995, the league isn't agreeing to anything or announcing anything until it's fully executed as a legally binding document. That's why we're all sitting here on July 10th. This is how long it takes to complete complicated, complex 600-page legal agreements that re-write how an entire industry goes about its business. There would be some people in the legal or business world who would actually say this process is, relatively speaking, rolling right along at breakneck speed, believe it or not. But our sensibilities are as fans and we think a long wait for something is if the cars are backed up onto the road at a Tim Horton's drive-thru. Having said all that, get it done, dammit, this is seriously eating into my vacation time.

what i'd like to understand is:

if the NHL was never going to un-lock the players until the legal document was signed sealed and delivered... how in the world were we suppose to have a season in time even if the NHLPA had agreed to 42.5 back in earlY february? this think would have dragged through the spring back then too. The season was just never meant to be.

 

[Scoogs]

what i'd like to understand is:

if the NHL was never going to un-lock the players until the legal document was signed sealed and delivered... how in the world were we suppose to have a season in time even if the NHLPA had agreed to 42.5 back in earlY february? this think would have dragged through the spring back then too. The season was just never meant to be.

You didn't follow the 1994 lockout did you?

 

[Traitor8]

Unfortunately, the process is the process. Collective bargaining was never meant to be covered like a game or an event. You get a 600 page document and a room full of lawyers and it's going to drag out like you wouldn't believe. It's taken as long as it's taken because unlike 1995, the league isn't agreeing to anything or announcing anything until it's fully executed as a legally binding document. That's why we're all sitting here on July 10th. This is how long it takes to complete complicated, complex 600-page legal agreements that re-write how an entire industry goes about its business. There would be some people in the legal or business world who would actually say this process is, relatively speaking, rolling right along at breakneck speed, believe it or not. But our sensibilities are as fans and we think a long wait for something is if the cars are backed up onto the road at a Tim Horton's drive-thru. Having said all that, get it done, dammit, this is seriously eating into my vacation time.

Your not going anywhere...we want to know which free agents are going where and which team stole the show at the draft.

Also, I want to know is there any possible advantage for Mike Richards and Jeff Carter to re-enter this draft if they don't sign with Philly?

 

[SENSational]

lol i get mad every time i log on to this site and it works
i keep hoping it crashed because of an announcement

I cant wait either

This thing better be done by tommorow or Ill throw an icecube at someone.

 

[Traitor8]

Isn't it time Bob McKenzie gets an Avatar?

 

[sharkyz15]

Eklund is saying that ratification will only take about 2 days and not the 5-6 we all thoguht

pretty much the players kno the way they are voting and it will pass 85-15%

 

[not quite yoda]

You didn't follow the 1994 lockout did you?

yes i did. bettman and co. messed up by agreeing to a 10 page memo back then to have the games played right away. the CBA was written up afterwards and we know how that turned out for the clubs.

this time, as we can all take note of, no one will play 1 game until the whole 600 pages are typed up and to everyone's liking. and that would have been impossible to do fast enough back in feb.

 

[GirardIsStupid]

Bob, do you know what the actual cap figure will be? We hear its between 37-39 M. But does that include benefits? Will this thing also be ratified by the NHLPA? Got any Avalanche rumors as well?

 

[BobMckenzie]

Isn't it time Bob McKenzie gets an Avatar?

Nope, never gonna happen. Don't see myself as an avatar kind of guy.

 

[rwilson99]

I cant wait either

This thing better be done by tommorow or Ill throw an icecube at someone.

Eklund's chat room has the following...

Best case scenario...

Monday Press Release regarding ratification process beginning
Tuesday Ratification
Wed: Press Conference

Can shift to end of the week too...

Players still trying to get 04-05 contracts honored... but it's a deal breaker.

NHL sources still trying to control enthusaism.

 

[not quite yoda]

Eklund is saying that ratification will only take about 2 days and not the 5-6 we all thoguht

pretty much the players kno the way they are voting and it will pass 85-15%

1. eklund only talks RUMOURS.
2. some of eklund's statement have been 100% incorrect before.
3. you can't gather 700+ players into a room in 24 hours. and their get together will last plenty of time considering they have plenty to argue about. and they will need plenty of education about the CBA (as they haven't seen it yet) from their buddies the agents.

 

[Traitor8]

that's why you have internet. There is no way all the players are going to show up to a meeting

 

[Traitor8]

BOB, is there an advantage or a reason Mike Richards and/or Jeff Carter re-enter the NHL draft?

 

[sharkyz15]

Here is the exact question

and i quote

sharkyz15> Ek how exactly can a 700 member union vote on a 600 page cba in 24-48 hours??? isnt there some educating about the cba to go around???

answer

Eklund> most the guys don't much care to be honest..they just want the keypoint sheet

Honestly i think this is possible

most guys are gonna vote fro it no matter wut so y bother going through every detail

 

[KOVALEV10*]

Nope, never gonna happen. Don't see myself as an avatar kind of guy.

Hey Bob...I was just wondering when do you think the deal will be reached and when will it be announced?

By the way its such an honour talking to someone like you and I think I speak for everyone hear when I say I really thank you for actually being apart of this forum and talking to regular hockey fans like us

 

[Captain Ron]

I'll bet that the players will get a condensed version of what the main points of the new CBA will be. I doubt they will each read the unabridged version.

 

[Scoogs]

Don't taint the thread with Eklund talk.

Darren Pang on CKNW just said he expects this to be complete this week. And he made an excellent point on this FA Offseason.

Not one player is going to hit a "homerun" with their contract. Since there is so much on the market, there are so many options, that if someone says "I want 3 million", teams can look elsewhere because there are alot more cheaper options out there.

You won't have GM's saying "We absolutely need this... Give him a 9million dollar contract!"

It's going to be fun!

 

[GSC2k2*]

There would be some people in the legal or business world who would actually say this process is, relatively speaking, rolling right along at breakneck speed, believe it or not.

I would be among those people. I negotiated one deal that took 2 years to complete (involving a consortium to build a $2 billion project), with a staggering number of hours put in (unfortunately not billed, since I work inhouse ). Even now, I am working on one that has taken six months.

Certainly I have not been among those complaining about the duration of time to get this finalized. They are doing fine, although I would have thought they could have stolen some of the NBA CBA verbiage from time to time. I do doubt that the old CBA was of much assistance in serving as a precedent document. I am sure they have a team of Skadden lawyers on the league side working on this day and night.

 

[bcrt2000]

they theoretically *could* ratify it within 24 hours, but I think the PA wants to go over the whole CBA with their constituents so they know what they will be getting

 

[The Joker*]

Let me be the first to say it today.

"I'm feeling overly optimistic, I bet they sign on the dotted line today, brah"

 

[not quite yoda]

Honestly i think this is possible

most guys are gonna vote fro it no matter wut so y bother going through every detail

You fail to realize that 700+players lost over a billion$ worth of salary. They are not happy about that. They will want answers as to why the current CBA is so good that they couldn't have saved the season with an equivalent deal.

Goodenow will be under fire. the exec. committee will be under fire. many many players (though not all 700 of them) will come. haven't you heard roenick, brisebois, domi, esche, legace, avery and company in the media? they are all angry. heads will roll. they want to be informed now.

 

[BobMckenzie]

BOB, is there an advantage or a reason Mike Richards and/or Jeff Carter re-enter the NHL draft?

No real advantage to re-entering the draft for those guys unless they really don't want to play in Philadelphia, which is not the case as near as I can tell. Both guys want to be Flyers. My understanding, and there are no confirmed details yet to back this up, is that the unsigned 03 draftees like Richards and Carter and O'Sullivan etc., will not be able to get as much money in their deals post lockout as they would if they signed pre-lockout (like Phaneuf etc.), but they will be entitled to get a little more money than they would if they re-enter the draft and become 05 draftees and subject to the new ELS.

There is no financial incentive, in fact it's the opposite, to re-enter the draft, so unless they do it to spite Philadelphia or want to roll the dice on playing elsewhere, and they can't control where, then it's pretty obvious to me that Carter and Richards will sign with Philly in the specified period. Threatening to re-enter the draft is the only leverage they have with Philly, but the question is what are they trying to leverage. If the maximum amount they can get as part of the transition rules is spelled out, and it's less than what Philly would have paid to sign them pre-lockout, the Flyers won't need to be leveraged. The Flyers just write the cheque. Could be the easiest negotiation ever, unless, like I said, one of them decides to spite the Flyers, but if they do that, it'll cost them a little money to do it.

At least that's how I see it.