Barrie

Right, Fehr is the reason why they'll probably get the CBA right this time, and there will be no more lockouts. This will take a while, because the last CBA was so screwed up! If they went with the quick fix a month ago, there would have been a lockout in another 6 years, with the owners trying to get the players down to 45%.

I wouldn't play, I'd hang out in California and stay in shape there. After being in the NHL, traveling city to city in one of the lower level leagues wouldn't be fun. I wouldn't go to Europe either, you never know how safe it is to fly there.

Nov 30, 2012 @ 11:58pm EST I'll add, the next lockout will happen September 16, 2018 @ 12:00am EST, when the owners try and get the players down to 45%

Yeah a 7% change won't do anything. In 6 years they'll just lock the player out again and try and get them down to 45%. Unless the players take the Owners down, and get them to revenue share better, things won't change.

Right, and you know there will be another Lockout in 6 years anyway, so what's the point in trying to throw a CBA together? With this current bunch of morons, nothing get's fixed. 50/50 isn't going to fix anything. The Owners need to share revenues better, instead of letting teams like the Leafs sit on massive profits while Phoenix rots, and the city of Glendale pays Millions and Millions to keep the team. The current system is insane!

I think he has time to heal

Bettman sucks!

The Winter Classic would be the perfect way for the fans to protest. This lockout isn't owners vs. players, it's between the owners, players, and fans vs. Bettman's self inflated ego. Gary Bettman's decision to have a lockout now will go down as the worst decision made in professional sports, and Bettman will go down as the worst commissioner in the history of sports. The NHL isn't going to recover.

Yeah I'm done spending money on the NHL too. The last of my favorite Red Wings, Holmstrom, has retired, so I can spend money and time elsewhere... Bettman has pissed me off so much, that I don't want to financially support the league anymore, and I'm not just saying that. Each year since the 05-06 lockout I've slowly lost interest, and this is the last straw. Despite the reports of record revenues, I think the league has turned into a big joke (bankrupt franchises, head shots, concussions, lack of proper suspensions, an 8th seed winning the Cup). I've almost been looking for a reason to not watch anymore, and this lockout is the reason... Add to that, as a fan of a big market team, I despise the Hard Cap and Floor, and I don't think what they've been talking about in a new deal will address what's actually wrong. Unless they have a Luxury Tax and proper Revenue Sharing there will be another lockout in 6 years. But, I continue to post my opinions because owners and players read forums, twitter, and facebook, so I want them to read what I think.

I think it would be in the best interest to cancel the Winter Classic, even if they got a new deal in time. That would be a perfect game for the fans to protest. If only 50,000 fans showed up, out of 110,000, that would be a huge embarrassment!

What a mess!

Yea I was going to say that, Brooklyn and where the Islanders play now, are both on Long Island. I think moving to Brooklyn will be good for the team, because it'll bring a Brooklyn vs. Manhattan rivarly thing into it. Also, I think they should drop New York, and call themselves the Brooklyn Islanders. Yea that's really out of the loop, the Dodgers moved to LA in 1958!

I really think they have to get rid of the Floor, bring in a Luxury Tax, and have proper Revenue Sharing, or we'll have another Lockout in 6 years. Baseball has it right. Let your best markets spend and share revenue, or else they have to just sit on their profits, while teams like Phoenix, Nashville, Florida, and Columbus drag everyone down with them. Big markets should be leading the way, not the bankrupt ones. The players aren't to blame for these bankrupt teams, it's Bettman's inability to split the pot better, and allow the small markets to spend what they bring in and collect in Revenue Sharing, instead of spending based on what the Maple Leafs bring in. This is all just patch work, which will lead to more problems in 6 years. Since Bettman doesn't seem to get it, I guess 10 teams need to go under, and cease to exist, before proper changes are made.

One thing Fehr said really stood out to me, about how Bettman and Daley only take 10-15 minutes to shoot stuff down, and don't even talk to the other owners. Obviously Bettman isn't speaking for all the owners, has put himself in a position (only needing 8 owners backing him) where he can do whatever he wants, and can't lose his job. There's NO DOUBT Bettman's the problem!

I saw Bettman's presser, he didn't look good. I think he knows he met his match, or worse. Fehr's been brought in for a reason. The players are getting sick of being pushed around!

I don't think this really solves anything, other than Bettman/Phoenix and the 7 owners trying to look good to the media and fans. 1/3 of the teams are still almost bankrupt and without proper revenue sharing we'll have another lockout in 6 years. The system needs to be properly fixed.

I'm soooo in for losing another season to get rid of Bettman! Honestly I don't care how long it goes, just as long as he's gone, because I don't know how much longer I can watch hockey with him as commish anyway. As mentioned in another discussion, I think the main goal, players and even some of the owners, is to get rid of the guy. With only 8 owners (well 7 now, since the league owns Phoenix) needing to agree with Bettman to get what he wants, the guy has way to much control. It's time to move on. That's why I think Fehr has been brought in by the players and some of the owners, is to take him down.

Don Cherry would like it if the Russians stayed home, more jobs for his, "Good Canadian Boys". As mentioned, I think the players are just saying this to help bargain against Bettman and the 7 owners that back him. In the future I'm going to refrain from bunching the owners together. From the sounds of it, this lockout is only Bettman, Phoenix, and 7 other teams... Take 'em down Fehr, NHLPA, and 22 owners! Let's get our game back! Z can say whatever he wants, that little runt is going to take away two years and 150 points to his career totals!

As I said yesterday, I think Fehr's been brought in by the PA and 22 owners to take Bettman out... That little turd has gotten to powerful! I don't care how long this lockout lasts, I want Bettman gone!! With the amount of money 1/3 of the teams are losing, there's no way all 30 owners wanted a lockout!

(I listen to a lot of sports talk radio, and I've read my fair share of sports books) I heard Fehr in an interview with the Toronto Star say he wants to get rid of the Cap. There must be something going on if he's said something that extreme... I think what's going on is only 8 teams agree with what Bettman is doing, while 22 don't. I've heard all Bettman needs is 8 owners to agree with him to tell the rest what to do. I would highly doubt all the owners are happy with Bettman's economics, because there's way to many teams losing money. Only reducing the % the players make won't fix the problems for teams like Phoenix, Nashville, and Dallas, there needs to be proper revenue sharing. I hear the two biggest supporters of Bettman and Philly and Boston. I think what else is going on, the PA and 22 owners are trying to kick Bettman out, which is the reason why Fehr has been brought in. I said it in the Zetterberg discussion, Fehr has taken on and beat MLB, Bettman and the NHL is only half the size of MLB. Currently MLB has a Luxury Tax and Revenue Sharing which almost every team is happy with (I've read the only teams not happy with the current system is Toronto and Baltimore because they're in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox). Fehr had a big hand in bringing labor peace to MLB. Maybe the majority of Players and Owners want the same type of system in the NHL, but only 8 owners are keeping Bettman employeed?

I'll join in. The only thing I won't do is unlike the Red Wings on facebook (but I will unfollow them on Twitter) out of respect to Mr. I and Holland, or unlike and unfollow past players. For example I follow DMac on Twitter, and like Yzerman, Ozzie, and Holmstrom on Facebook. I won't unfollow or unlike them, because this has nothing to do with them. But consider everything else NHL related, unliked and unfollowed.

I'm really starting to think that Bettman is in way over his head. I think the PA brought Fehr in to take Bettman out and save hockey from this dictator. Fehr has taken on MLB many times and won every time. Bettman and the NHL are small compared to MLB, so Fehr can win this without breaking to much of a sweat or losing to much sleep. The owners have allowed Bettman's to get to powerful, and his self inflated ego is way to big to think straight. Along with being at a disadvantage against Fehr, Bettman is also facing this: 1) Most fans and media are on the side of the players, the longer this goes, the more pressure the owners face. 2) NBC signed a 10 year deal to show games on TV. NBC will pressure Bettman to get a deal done, or they'll do what ESPN didn't and not cover them anyone. 3) The outdoor game and HBO 24/7 is Wings-Leafs. If there's no outdoor game, that's a huge amount of revenue the League will miss out on. 4) 1/3 of the teams are bankrupt. I wouldn't be surprised the longer this goes, teams like Phoenix and Florida may not exists anymore. The owners of those teams may say, "forget it, I don't want to lose anymore money, I'm out" I'd seriously be surprised if Bettman keeps his job after this lockout. I'd put money on it that this will be his undoing. Seriously how can he ever present the Cup again without his life being threatened? I know I'd be throwing stuff at him.

Just wait until playoffs, Thornton will suck.

Of course they aren't prepared to do that in January, they're in the middle of the season! They're playing games! Typical Bettman and Daly, trying to pass the blame to the players even more. Nothing's ever their fault, it's always someone else.