The NHL 2004-2005 Season (LOCKOUT! now over) (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

Last night would have been the opening for the new NHL season. Anyone miss it yet?

 

[Philip_T]

Suprisingly, no. And Im a pretty big fan of the game. Im sure that after the football season ends, I may miss it a little, but then again, maybe not. The whole ugliness of the whole thing is turning me off as a fan.

 

[Kwang Suh]

Just make all the players free agents. That'll drop salaries so rapidly the NHLPA won't know what happened.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Fortunately I have been too busy working to worry much about the hockey I could be missing.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I usually do not get into the NHL season until football season is over anyway, so I'm not missing it at all yet. If they are still on strike then, I'll just pay more attention to the NBA Champion Detroit Pistons.

I still haven't watched a major league baseball game since their last strike a decade ago, and life has gone on quite nicely for me.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

I don't miss it yet.

I was thinking about this the other day. Does the lockout still get any kind of press up in Canada? Down here, from what I can tell, nobody cares at least in the media. Part of it has to do with the fact that nothing is happening, but if it were baseball or football the coverage would still be there.

I won't care that its gone after football season is over, in fact for me it won't really hit until the start of the playoffs, as that is when most of my hockey watching is done, but by then baseball will have started again, and the NBA playoffs will begin their slow and methotical attempt to rob me of my sanity.

 

[Quentin]

I just keep playing NHL 2k5. That at least softens the blow...

 

[Bob-N]

Football in the SF Bay Area really sucks right now and I do miss hockey. As a hard core fan, I'll be back. It's too good of a game to miss out on.

There was an article in the SJ Merc News that had the Thrasher's owner stating that if it does go until 2006, the owners have discussed the possibility of using replacement players. If that happens, that is the only thing that will prevent me from going to an NHL game. That's just uncool.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Your statment made me think of something. Hockey is too good of a game to miss out on, and for the people that are in a lot of these colder weather cities, they're not really going to miss out on much besides the NHL. You still have college hockey, or minor league hockey, or High School Hockey. In cities where the NHL isn't the only game in town...the sport of hockey IMO should still do ok.

Oh, and getting back to something from up in the thread. It is my understanding from something that I read, that there are some players getting paid this year even during the lock out, but it is only players that suffered injuries last season...which meant that teams had to determine who was really injured, and who was just hurt. I think I read that on ESPN.com but it was a couple of weeks ago, so my memory is fading a bit.

 

[Todd Henry]

Casey,

Your memory is right some players are still being paid, but it is a small number.

1. Need to be injured playing in the NHL last season
2. Still unable to play right now, based on the team doctor's.

Todd

 

[Bob-N]

Us in SJ only get SJU college games, no other pro hockey available here. Unfortunately, the caliber of play leaves something to be desired. One cool thing the Sharks are doing is having their AHL affiliate, the Barons play in SJ (Nov 9) and that the season ticket holders get free tickets. Those not holding season tickets can attend for $5, good deal.

We'll be able to see some of the young guys we saw up and down last year (Ehroff, Goc) play. Hopefully they'll have a few of these over the (lost) season.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Agreed, very cool thing to do.

Todd, thanks for explaining what I had missed as far as requirements.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

I heard Betman the other day say that contraction was not an option. I've got to wonder, and I haven't really heard if the players union is opposed to contraction or not, you'd think they would be since its eliminating jobs...I know the baseball union was none too happy with the idea a few years ago.

Its kind of ashame, because I think the idea should be on the table. We can debate which teams should stay and which should go, but I think the NHL having as many stragglers as it does ultimately hurts the league.

I wonder though, perhaps contraction is not an option but if this thing goes real long, is it likely that a team or 2 might have to fold?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Bettman can say anything he wants right now, but if this lockout lasts the entire season, economic reality will set in with several of the sunbelt franchises that do not have the fan base to sustain interest through a prolonged period of inactivity. Hell, I doubt that very many people in Raleigh, Phoenix, Nashville, etc. will even notice if there is no NHL season.

If the lockout lasts the entire season, contraction will not be necessary -- teams will go bankrupt.

 

[Kwang Suh]

I highly suspect the NHLPA would let contraction happen. Based on what I've heard in interviews with NHLPA reps, they're not opposed to this. They would rather have the big stars highly paid, and let go of some fringe players.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

I bring up this thread because ESPN News reports that the 2 sides will meet in early november.

After thinking about it there isn't a whole lot of difference between the NHL union and the MLB union in terms of contraction. The MLBPA was not necessarily against the idea, but they did not think ownership could do it without their agreeing to it, but they also would've insisted that each of the remaining teams roster be expanded by 2.

 

[NiklasKarlsson]

Well, if we put the financial discussions aside all ypu fans of Sheldon Souray, Zdeno Chara, Mike Comrie and Martin gerber can follow their new team (during the lock out) here: Farjestads BK.

I especially recommend Sheldons saturday postcards with his own reflections on the Swedish Elite League and his new hometown and teammates.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I have read the latest counteroffer to the NHLPA's proposal, and listened to Bettman's news conference, and have to say that I am siding with the league 100%. I think the NHL's offer is constructive, fair, and balanced, and would lead to a sustainable league and more exciting hockey.

I can't see the objection to a team salary cap, or the equal distribution of league revenue. When looking through the exhibits, which outline the salary cuts for the top earning players, while I can see someone like Jagr not being happy about a 4M salary reduction, it also seems silly that a team like Colorado has 10 players in the 8M range, while others barely hit a couple of mil for their star player.

I think a better distribution of talent would make for a better game, with far more competition. Under the NHL's proposed system, the players aren't being penalized, the teams would still be able to dole out huge salaries to star players, but they would be forced to balance their books and become better at managing their talent pool.

I agree with Bettman's read on the NHLPA proposal, it basically claws back 24% across the board, which is unfair to the lower paid players, and leaves the door open for the exact same kind of salary inflation that has put the league where it is today. It doesn't address the need to help sustain smaller market teams, or make those teams more viable, both economically and performance wise.

Since the overall dollars are not that far off, I hope the NHLPA will concede and agree with the NHL's position. There is still room in this proposal for players to make one hell of a lot of money.

Thoughts?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Of all the players in hockey who have no right to comlain about a $4M cut, it is Jaromir Jagr. He hasn't played a real game of hockey since he left Pittsburgh. Truly the poster boy for "uninspired europeans", a title that 99% of the european players don't deserve, yet have to live with because of players like him. I would not take him on my team for 1M a year.

 

[Daryl Furkalo]

Don't forget the 9 mill Holik gets. The owners need to win this war.