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NHL Set to Cancel Season Tuesday
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 6:18 pm
by Jake
League planning news conference
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- With no miracle save in sight and a weekend deadline long gone, the NHL made plans for a news conference Tuesday to cancel what little remained of a season already decimated by a lockout.
A public relations executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that planning was under way Monday for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to make the announcement at a news conference in New York.
The Canadian Press, citing an unidentified source, said Bettman will cancel the season at the news conference.
The NHL would become the first major professional league in North America to cancel an entire season because of a labor dispute. This would mark the first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded since a flu epidemic canceled the finals in 1919.
Asked about The Canadian Press report, NHL spokesman Frank Brown said the league had no immediate comment.
After vowing not to reach out to each other after two days of talks broke off Thursday, the sides met Sunday at the request of a high-ranking federal mediator. Neither Bettman nor players' association executive director Bob Goodenow attended.
But that round of talks in Washington was also unsuccessful, with both sides saying that no progress was made.
Neither side has been willing to budge on the salary-cap issue -- the NHL has said it is necessary in any new deal, and the players' association has rejected it as a solution.
NHL chief legal officer Bill Daly was joined Sunday at the five-hour meeting by outside counsel Bob Batterman, with players' association senior director Ted Saskin and outside counsel John McCambridge on the other side.
The sides were assisted by mediators twice before, as recently as a Feb. 2 negotiating session in Newark, N.J. Sunday's meeting was requested by Scot B. Beckenbaugh, the acting director of the U.S. Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service.
Neither side thought mediation would help end the stalemate that has lasted five months.
The lockout reached its 152nd day Monday, a day after the NHL was to hold its All-Star game in Atlanta.
Bettman said the sides needed to start putting a deal on paper by the weekend if the NHL was going to hold a 28-game season and a 16-team playoff.
The NHL said its 30 clubs need to know what their costs would be, and the only way that could be achieved is with a salary cap that linked league revenues to player costs.
A cap was an automatic deal-breaker for the union even though it agreed that the financial landscape had to change. The players' association contended that there are many other ways to fix it.
The sides have traded proposals throughout the lockout that started Sept. 16. But the salary cap has always been the sticking point. Other issues such as arbitration, revenue-sharing, and rookie caps, never reached the true negotiating stage because the sides couldn't agree on the big issue.
On Friday, the NHL sent a memo to its 30 clubs, allowing them to contact players -- something that was previously forbidden. The memo also allowed team executives to speak publicly about the lockout.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1991361
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 7:35 pm
by REDEEMEDSKIN
What's the NHL? 
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 7:43 pm
by Jake
REDEEMEDSKIN wrote:What's the NHL?
The "Nobody Home League."
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 7:44 pm
by welch
Grumble, bad, ugh...
Last night, I checked the Portland Pirates website to to get a small dose of hockey-ism. And the Pirates are floundering, of course. Brian Sutherby is NOT setting fire to the AHL.
Gloom and more gloom.
From the NY Times artcile on Sunday, I can't see a way to break the deadlock.
Boss had several suggestions. It might be time to run through them again...we last talked about this during football season.
- Cut the league to 24 teams: 4 divisions of six, with the top four in each division going to the playoffs.
- Maintain some tradition. There were six teams for the longest time, then two conferences of six, etc.
- Bring back the names of the divisions and conferences. I know, the Prince of Wales Conference sounds a bit like a discussion between or about Charles and Camilla, but, big deal. I've heard of Lester Patrick, but the "South East Division" doesn't mean much.
- Enlarge the ice surface to "olympic" size, both because it harder to play the trap, and because it allows smaller, faster, more skilled players. I remember watching the '88 Olympics, where the US had a line of Corey Millen and Tony Granato. Millen hardly played in the NHL because he small...small and fast.
- Use the rules to send the goons back to skating school, rather than ice-wrestling school. I know the argument that fighting allows players to let off steam, to punish an opponent who breaks some un-written rule, all before somebody uses his stick like a club or a spear. But, how do they manage international competitiions without gooning? Who wants to pay $40 (cheapest ticket at the Devils, last I looked) to see Tie Domie punch somebody? Make goo-work the equivalent of a red card, and see things change.
- Share the revenue, so the NY Rangers can't bankrupt themselves, and so the game can return to Canada and the northern US where people appreciate it.
- Admit that hockey is a regional sport, and will not become the next NBA. (And is the NBA such a good thing?). Get rid of all those teams in southern minor-league baseball towns.
OK, that's a start. Boss had several interesting suggestions last month, but I haven't gone to look them up.
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Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:02 pm
by Redskins4Life
The NHL sucks ass I'm glad its gone. I remember in year's past I'd always go straight to my TV before school and turn on SportsCenter to see how my Chicago Bulls would do.... What would I See? NHL Scores on the bottom of the screen for-frickin-ever and I'd have to hurry and get out the house without knowing if we won or lost. If I could have it my way I'd cancel the entire damn NHL no ones gonna miss it either besides some fools in Ottawa or Moscow LOL
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:44 pm
by Jake
Redskins4Life wrote:no ones gonna miss it either besides some fools in Ottawa or Moscow LOL
... or London, Ontario.... calling BossHog, calling BossHog....
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:46 pm
by Brandon777
I really don't care about hockey. After a couple of beers, I have a hard time following the puck. The only thing I like that is associated with hockey is that old nintendo game "Blades of Steel".
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 12:32 am
by BringThePain!
"Blades of Steel"
I'll really only miss playoff hockey... that's really when the game is at it's best.... other wise it's like watching baseball in May...
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 1:02 am
by Chris Luva Luva
I could careless if the NHL never came back. MLB can go the same route too. There is only one true sport and its called football. Ping pong is 2nd.
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 9:55 am
by Irn-Bru
This is sad news, but perhaps it's necessary. I sure do miss watchin' the Caps, though.
Very interesting analysis, Welch. I'm not sure what the NHL was thinking by advertising the "big hit" part of the game to try and reach audiences. The real impressive skill comes generally in the Olympic sized playing fields, where speed and puck-handling become a bit more important.
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:57 am
by BossHog
Jake wrote:Redskins4Life wrote:no ones gonna miss it either besides some fools in Ottawa or Moscow LOL
... or London, Ontario.... calling BossHog, calling BossHog....
Should I dignify such an assanine comment with an answer? ... it comes from the same guy that whined about his widdle sports ticker taking too wong to go acwoss the scween.
Twy pwessing the channel up and down button.
... as for whether or not anyone cares about hockey... I guess it would be pertinent to point out that this guy would say the same thing about soccer... and still act like he had a clue what he was talking about. There is a whole planet outside of the US of A... with people that don't share the same feelings, ideas, and passions.
I guess every one of THEM is wrong.
... the Hockey strike is the same to a Canadian as the baseball strike was to Americans... EXACTLY the same. Take that for what it's worth. It may require thinking outside of the 'American Box' to understand though.
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:28 pm
by welch
I was unimpressed with hockey until I saw the game live. TV doesn't do justice to the speed and sweep and downright elegance of the game.
To see players hit a pass while skating at that speed...to hear a puck shot against the boards, and feel how hard and heavy a shot is...
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 11:37 pm
by redskincity
These guys are serious about not making any money for making money.
Go Habs!
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 12:43 am
by Redskin in Canada
Few will understand Hockey and its real teams until they bother to watch the Montreal Canadiens: the best Hockey team (and knowledgeable fans) of all time.
GO HABS!
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 12:47 am
by redskincity
Dont forget who invented the sport.
Now Im wondering who destroyed it?
Re: Go Habs!
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 6:36 am
by BossHog
Redskin in Canada wrote:Few will understand Hockey and its real teams until they bother to watch the Montreal Canadiens: the best Hockey team (and knowledgeable fans) of all time.
GO HABS!
Don't EVER post a link to anything Canadiens related on my board again... ever.
I knew there was something wrong with you...
My leafs shirt has the name HABZERSCHITT on the back. :-"
Re: Go Habs!
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 9:58 am
by tazlah
Redskin in Canada wrote:Few will understand Hockey and its real teams until they bother to watch the Montreal Canadiens: the best Hockey team (and knowledgeable fans) of all time.
GO HABS!
BH, apparently we need to type s-l-o-w-e-r... There's a HABS fan on the board.
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 10:13 am
by BossHog
The latest on the hockey situation for those that care...
The players came back with an offer that FINALLY conceded a salary cap, but of $49 Million. The owners went to $42.5M... so while they are closer to a deal in principle as a cap has NEVER been agreed to before... they're still $6.5M apart... and neither is budging at the moment:
Bettman: If every team spent to the $49-million level you have proposed, total player compensation would exceed what we spent last season and, assuming for discussion purposes, there was no damage to the game, our player compensation costs would exceed 75 per cent of revenues. We cannot afford your proposal."
Goodenow: "Your claim that the clubs cannot afford our proposal is based on your hypothetical fear of what would happen "if every team spent to the $49-million level" the players have proposed, the notion that every club will spend at the $49-million level is contradicted by years of actual payroll experience under the old CBA system...You will receive nothing further from us."
Re: Go Habs!
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 12:32 pm
by Redskin in Canada
BossHog wrote:I knew there was something wrong with you...
Yeah! Some of us seem to have some happy dates and numbers fixed in our minds: For example, 1958-59 4-1, 1959-60 4-0.
BossHog wrote:My leafs shirt has the name HABZERSCHITT on the back. :-"
Nobody is perfect. I understand. The problem with that wardrobe is that you rarely get to use it with a smile.
How long ago was it that The Leafs went to play for the Stanley Cup?
How often? Alright not as bad as the Philadelphia Eagles for the Super Bowl but mighty close...
tazlah wrote:BH, apparently we need to type s-l-o-w-e-r... There's a HABS fan on the board.
Now, let us count very S-L-O-W-L-Y from 1 to 24...
...Championships.
And now from 1 to 58...
...Hall of Famers.
Most of the great players the sport has produced never played for the Leafs. People like Gretzky, Howe, Orr, Hull, Lemieux, or Béliveau, Lafleur, Richard, Robinson, Roy, among others have never been associated with the Leafs. Why would they?
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 12:49 pm
by redskindave
Im with alot of you guys on this, I couldnt care less if there was ever another hockey game
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:14 pm
by BossHog
RIC... what does that have to do with the thread? Come on... you could have just took a retalitory stab at the leafs and left it at that instead of going on your rant. You wanna talk about the leafs vs the Candiens... start a new thread please. Thanks.
As I tried to do before... back to the hockey WALKOUT...
True
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 2:21 pm
by Redskin in Canada
You are right Boss. I know you and Tazlah are as passionate about your Leafs as I am about my Habs, and both are to our Redskins. We got side-tracked.
The walkout is the result of growing pains. Hockey must organise itself to accommodate small and big markets. I am a firm believer of the salary cap. In fact, Canadian teams have almost no chance to compete because they can not match the payroll of the big-market US teams.
I am in favour of the salary cap. It will be approved by the NHLPA. Hopefully not too late to kill the chicken of the Golden eggs. They appear to be discussing the size of the cap and not whether there should be one in the last couple of days. I heard $49 million from the NHL...
Too many people everywhere will wish to retaliate against the league -and- the players. People are moving to support junior league games. Others are with the AHL. Others have promised not to comeback to the games for a long while. Commercial establishments from big TV networks to small bars down the corner are loosing tons of money because MONEY made everyone GREEDY.
This season has been seriously over for a while. Even if they organise a mini-micro-season, What is it worth it to anybody?
As far as those who have told us that they do not care, I wonder what made them join this thread in the first place.
Two stories came to mind:
A friend told me once that -some- US fans do not have glass covering their windows. They have mirrors. They must see themselves all the time. It is too difficult to look at the real WORLD really if it is outside of the US.
But I am more optimistic. Soccer has made great progress in the US and so has Hockey. In fact, too much progress too quickly perhaps. Maybe some fans here do not appreciate soccer and hockey but their children or grandchildren will.
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 2:33 pm
by tazlah
It's official... No resolution, therefore no season.
Game over: NHL cancels season
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 2:48 pm
by Redskin in Canada
tazlah wrote:It's official... No resolution, therefore no season.
Game over: NHL cancels season
http://www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national ... 50216.html
Everybody loses! I hope the lessons are learned by all.
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 3:02 pm
by REDEEMEDSKIN
Alright!!!! Discounted Caps gear is probably on the way!!!!