Thread: The Official CBA Negotiations/Lockout Super Thread

Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
Based on what I heard today, unless there's dramatic reversal by one side or the other or both, the lockout goes Saturday night at midnight. You can get bogged down with the #s, but all you need to know is NHLPA says won't take an actual decrease to $ spent on salaries and the NHL is asking for an immediate and significant reduction in the $ spent on player salaries. Not even in the same universe.

Bettman is using the same tactics like last time. Take this deal or we "pull it off the table."

The owners won't be moving an inch further, and with Fehr on the other side, nobody will budge.

It's going to be another long, cold, winter...

What it really boils down to: you can't just blame one person, you blame them all.

Originally Posted by LOSTcauseZERO

Huh? How is accepting a salary cap and giving back 24% (or whatever the percentage was) of their current salary not conceding?

I thought you meant last offer, not last lockout

Originally Posted by beedee

if the median league salary is $1.1 million, that means that under the league's initial proposal at least half (and probably a little more) than the league's players would make under $1 million dollars.

not a bad gig for 8 months of work (not including playoffs)

Another perspective... if you figure 18 minutes a game, and they play all 82 games... they make that mil in about 25 hours of play.

My guess is that Fehr thinks the league will give in right before the Winter Classic. If not, the players are screwed.

Originally Posted by NastiMarvasti

My guess is that Fehr thinks the league will give in right before the Winter Classic. If not, the players are screwed.

That's a pretty good guess really.

Unfortunately neither side realizes they are going to lose a whole lot even by missing one month. There will be whole organizations that will not survive to see next season. The Coyotes and Panthers being the obvious one's, but the Stars and a couple others could be right behind them. It's amazing to me how the NHL, and the NHLPA to some extent, think they are as popular as they are. The NHL is behind the NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, and PGA in revenue and popularity in the United States. The NHL is quickly becoming the laughing stock of the professional leagues in North America and an example of how not to run a league. The sole blame for this belongs to Bettman and the owners. Bettman for having absolutely zero leadership abilities and the owners for continuing to make the same financial mistakes over and over and over again. But I guess all sides, including the NHLPA, are thinking "F the fans right? They don't mean anything anyways."

Has the Winter Classic really helped grow the game that much? I didn't know anyone outside of hockey fans gave a **** about it.

If this is Fehr's master plan... he might be disappointed.

I wonder how many owners are anti-lockout?

For all of the anti-Bettman sentiment around here, I wonder how much of it is him and how much of it is the owners. He is their mouthpiece after all.

Originally Posted by USCKingsFan31

I wonder how many owners are anti-lockout?

For all of the anti-Bettman sentiment around here, I wonder how much of it is him and how much of it is the owners. He is their mouthpiece after all.

My belief it's all owners. Sure Bettman has some influence, but he gets paid $8m to do what the owners want. If the owners told him to settle, do you think he'd tell them no? I don't think he would. I'm sure this negotiating plan was well scripted in advance, and signed off by every owner months ago.

Bettman gets paid to be hated, to be that guy who looks bad, while the owners can sit back and let it happen. Bettman is still and has been the commissioner for a very long time because he always gets what the owners want, and does a very good job in their eyes.

I think the owners know that the league can continue to sustain lockouts and cancelled seasons because ultimately, they aren't going anywhere and neither are the fans. The NHL is really the only game in town when it comes to hockey, and with its rich tradition and legend, it will never fail.