rrasco

Keep in mind hockey players already travel a lot and have been a lot of different places. They spend most of the year away from their families as they don't have a normal life as we know it. I think a lot of them would want to stay close to their family. We've seen that with a lot of Europeans going overseas. Dats went to Russia. Fil went to Finland. Ericsson went to Sweden. Z went kind of to Sweden. Quincy went to Denver.

I will also just be glad to have my money back. I posted in another thread, and mostly out of spite, but that I will be expecting interest back on the money I loaned the league for these so called 'tickets'. I don't really expect this, but it does kind of ruffle my feathers that the amount of money spent on WC tickets is astronomical, they made a ton of money on interest alone by holding onto our ticket money. I bought the cheap tickets, with an average price of $127 for one WC ticket and one GLI ticket. Most tickets were double that price, but $127 x 90,000 = $11,430,000. I used 90,000 for tickets sold since I heard that as a number of tickets sold right about the time the lockout started. So you can see the potential profit for this game on gate numbers alone. What ticks me off is they sold us these tickets pretending there was going to be a game on Jan 1, or a season much less, and still took our money knowing damn well there wasn't going to be anything. And to top it off, at $20~ in service fees per ticket, I guarantee I'm assed out $100~ even if I get 'refunded'. If 90,000 tickets were sold, and they keep $20 per ticket, that's $1,800,000. Don't they only have to pay $100,000 to UM if they cancel? Gee, seems like even cancelling the WC is profitable for the NHL. They lied, they deceived, they stole.

Good. Now the NHL can give me back my $600 f*cking dollars that they have had for several months. When I get it, I'll be filing a civil suit for interest on my loan that the NHL stole from me by misleading me on to think there was going to be a season and eventually a Winter Classic.

They're also tied for last.

I wish that NHL announcement had a comments section. You know, they used to have comments on NHL.com articles...

Just waiting for the announcement about more cancelled games....

That's dumb. Especially since NHL 13 sucks.

Actually, yeah, management is not allowed to talk to the players, that's why they were 'granted permission' last week. I thought it was some sort of CBA bylaw, but apparently it's league sanctioned; if that post is even true. There was an article I was reading about how Howard (I think it was Howie) was having a hard time not being able to talk to his buddy Osgood. They can't even go to birthday parties for each others' kids, the wives have to do all that.

That confuses me. I wasn't aware it was a league-sanctioned gag order that the owners couldn't talk to the players.

Z's contract is almost up? I don't think so.

Barons will be here next weekend (right after the Griffs) so I'm planning to go check out some NHL talent. They are going to RAAAAPE our AHL team.

What about RFA/UFA? What about arbitration? What is the definition of HRR? Is the 50/50 immediate or phased in? How are cap hits calculated?

I don't think anyone is taking away from what Nik brings, we're all just pretty certain Z has the gig already.

It won't necessarily be. Sometimes they don't black out those lower tier games. Like, I have seen lots of college stuff on FSD. Of course, I cancelled the sports pack for DirecTV since I get FSD with Center Ice. I WOULD ANYWAYS IF THERE WEREf****** GAMES TO WATCH. Sorry about that.

My point was, you at least share in the opinion that they are responsible for fixing the problem financially by giving up some of their paycheck. That is why you support the owners more than the players. You just seem to have a grudge out against Fehr for some reason. I never agreed with all of his tactics either way, I just honestly believe it's asinine for the owners to demand salary roll backs, percentage drops, escrow withholdings, redefinition of HRR, whatever you want to call it....all or any of the above crying poor while they have no real plan to 'fix' the system. It's a pure cash grab and is not going to do anybody any good. Well, except those who stand to profit from it; the owners. The players don't stand to make one more cent from the next CBA than they did under the last one. So why do it? I didn't say he was bargaining in good faith this whole time. You just made that up. ;P It's apparent which side is asking for more money here. Will you agree? Both sides are playing the PR card. If you go back a few pages you'll see where I posted the email Fehr wrote and suggested I thought it was made public on purpose as part of a PR move by the PA. I don't think you can really suggest that the PA has played the PR card *more* than the League. I was under the impression the league were the ones who hired Luntz Global. In the end, I just think the owners are wrong for asking for this restructuring of a deal that will benefit them financially on the grounds that the league is financially unstable while they have no real intention of fixing the instability.

It will be Z. Bet on it.

I don't have a side. I'm on my own selfish side in wanting hockey to start so I have something to entertain me. Having said that, I do believe the owners are at fault here. Reason being is that while they are on a cash grab they are doing little to address the real issues of a "cash-strapped-league" and the bigger picture. If the players agree to salary rollbacks now, so we can have a season, is that going to suddenly fix the problems in Phoenix? Absolutely not. The players are willing to take a pay cut of some sort, but what justification do they have in doing so if it doesn't fix anything but make the owners wallet a little fatter and not to address the problem at hand? They're willing to give for the game, but only if it benefits the game. The only reason you listed the PA is to blame is the "the league was willing to negotiate in January" and "Fehr sure does drag his feet doesn't he?". Even IF Bettman really was willing to negotiate in January, how long would it have taken him to shoot down the PA's offers? 15 minutes? It's hard to negotiate when you have one side saying it's my way or the highway. You claim that's the PA's stance as well, unwilling to budge, but damn them for wanting to not take a pay cut. They're so greedy. Would you take a pay cut today if your company was failing, but your owner just intended to pocket the money instead of actually help save the business? You're right, Fehr wasn't planning a lockout. If anything, the players would have gone on strike, but now we're just getting into semantics. While this is our first go with Fehr and the NHL, his history shows he has used a strike as leverage before, right before the playoffs. However, if history is going to be used as any indicator, Bettman's negotiating tactic of choice appears to be locking the players out. So now I'll go back to an old point I brought up a few pages ago: why exactly should the players be willing to take ANY kind of pay cut to contracts that were signed by the very same owners crying poor? I really don't have any clue how you can realistically place blame of the financial state of the NHL on the players and state that they are equally to blame for the lockout as the owners are because they are not willing to have their salaries rolled back at the demand of the owners who are doing little to address the reasoning behind why the league 'is failing'.

Here is the problem I have reading your posts: You start off by claiming you can find fault on both sides, then you list several reasons why the PA is to blame while speaking rather objectively about it, then you conclude by saying both sides piss you off. That doesn't make sense. If the League was so ready to negotiate in January, why was Bettman telling the media there was plenty of time and there was no reason to ruin a good season? He knew he was going to lock them out.

LOL @ This just in: Pavel Datsyuk is really good at hockey. Just ask this guy. Zetterberg is all like: this s*** is easy.

Wow. What the freak.

That's awesome. Is there anywhere these games are available online? I can only find KHL games.

I'll be there! Well, at the secret meeting place anyways.

Well s***...

http://www.sportsnet..._fehr_to_nhlpa/ If you really want some insight into what the PA is thinking, read the letter Fehr wrote. I also don't think it was accidental this was made public. Moar PR.

Check out this, I'm just glad it wasnt Pavs. http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=sv&to=en&a=http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/hockey/internationellt/khl/article15575078.ab