YOUR counter proposal to the NHLPA....

[Crosbyfan]

I would accept the luxury tax system, but I would lower the first threshold to $35 million. The tax from $35-40 mil would be 50%, from $40-50 mil would be 75%, $50-60 mil would be 100% and anything above $60 mil would be a 150% tax. These would be for the first offense with the tax levels increasing 5% across the board for each repeated offense.

The revenues from the taxes would be distributed among teams who have a salary at or below the $35 million threshold. However, there would be a payroll minimum for those teams of $25 million, so that they don't just look to pocket all the revenues given to them.

The rookie maximum is fine in the PA proposal, but I would lower the bonus maximum to $300,000.

Arbitration would be two-way as proposed by the PA.

As concessions towards the PA to make up for the higher tax demands stated above, I would make the payroll cut 18% instead of the proposed 24% and the UFA age would be lowered to 28 or 8 years in the NHL. A year in the NHL would be considered a minimum of 50 NHL games played in the season, unless the games were missed due to injury.

My last concession would be Gary Bettman's resignation and the hiring of Scotty Bowman as commissioner.

I agree with 35 million but at 25%
40 at 50%, 45 at 75%, 50 at 100%, 55 at 125%, 60 at 150%, 65 at 175% etc.

Funds to go towards all teams prorated by their attendance records to encourage cheaper seats and/or giveaways (charity-underpriveleged kids etc) and no repeat offence penalties.

Half empty stands do nothing to promote the game.

Also draft picks could be slightly improved by attendance records as well, maybe better lottery odds for the teams with the fewest empty seats. Fans would come to support "next years" team even after playoff hopes are dashed. (they might cheer for the road team to get better picks but so be it)

 

[Robert Paulson*]

you're talking about something different. If you spend too much and then loose money, that's bad management. I'm talking about a team that can spend up to 80-millions (it's a fictive case). Everything is possible in buisness, you need luck, vision and money to start with.

Ok, so the team spends $80 million total (including tax). That comes to about $46 million before tax. The team pays $34 million dollars in luxury tax. That $34 million is put into a collective pool with the other teams' taxes and that collective money is distributed among smaller-market teams.. making profitable business possible with smaller market teams, because it gives them more money to start with.

EDIT: I can't do mental math.. I need sleep

 

[jratelle19]

I, would be owner, want Brian Burke !

Not a bad choice at all. Actually I would be happy with practically anyone who has devoted practically their entire lives to hockey. This choice of a diminutive lawyer who never touched a hockey stick in his life was an obvious mistake.

Who was it that said "I gave Gary Bettman a hockey puck once and he tried to open it" ? Thought that was hilarious.