Cap May Go Up

[Konnan511 1,736]

Link

Years of a serious drop in league revenues that would end up lowering the cap for the 2010-11 season so far have not materialized. In fact, Daly said, revenues are projected to increase between 2 and 3 percent.

"We 're very early on and obviously the projections can change as the season goes on, but I think at this early stage we are projecting some growth in revenue, " he said. "We 're very pleased with the season-ticket renewals we 've seen this season on a league-wide basis, though that changes from market to market. We 're roughly equivalent to where we were last year and we 're coming off four consecutive seasons of record attendance. "

And for all the Bettman haters out there that dislike him about the myth of the TV deal that is out there to the ignorant hockey fan:

Tonight 's Sharks game is a Versus-only telecast, which means, of course, that fans who subscribe to DirecTV won 't be able to watch from the comfort of their living rooms. Bettman has been on record before, urging fans to write both the network and the carrier to reach a new contractual agreement. Essentially, the league is a business partner with each, but doesn 't have the legal wherewithal to force a settlement and can only lobby from the outside, not sit at the table.

"Unfortunately, we 're still at status quo, " Daly said when asked about where things stand. "The league office has made significant efforts both with Versus and DirecTV to try to break the logjam and try to move towards sensible ground. The good news is, the parties continue to talk, they 're exchanging drafts, but in terms of forecasting a resolution, at this point there 's no good news to report. "

"We have tried to intervene in a productive way to try to see if there 's a way to bring the sides together, but there 's only so much we can do, " he added. "Ultimately, it 's their negotiation, it 's their relationship that they 're negotiating about. It 's not something that we can force "†for lack of a better term "†one party to accept a resolution that they don 't believe to be in their business interests. "

Edited October 20, 2009 by Konnan511

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

Bettman doesn't need our help with TV.

I'm sure any good internet advertising company has a good idea how many people likely watch hockey online.

I refuse to pay for NHL via TV, via multiple networks. I would be happy to pay for center ice online if roughly half the games and most of the playoffs weren't blacked out. You'd think the NHL would have the right to broadcast NHL games..... What a wonderful contract maker you are Bettman!

[rage 24]

Thank goodness you included the link! That text is rough!

[Konnan511 1,736]

Thank goodness you included the link! That text is rough!

Yah, I don't really know why my post hated apostrophes.

[Guest Shoreline]

Yah, I don't really know why my post hated apostrophes.

It has to do with the quick edit feature and it hating certain characters. Blame the forum.

Nice article though, and quite surprising how the cap would go up.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

No surprises on the cap figure. The economic estimates in terms of season ticket and pre-sold advertising has never spelled gloom and doom, only national sports writers

[rage 24]

No surprises on the cap figure. The economic estimates in terms of season ticket and pre-sold advertising has never spelled gloom and doom, only national sports writers

And Mackattack (Leafs fan on here).

[Drake_Marcus 890]

And Mackattack (Leafs fan on here).

That's because he lives in the meca of hockey writing-- Toronto. The Globe and Mail was the biggest trumpeter of the shrinking cap scenario. Not that that scenario was impossible, it just didn't seem very likely given incoming $ figures at the time(s).

[AD2044 0]

canadian dollar almost par helps a lot.

[rick zombo 3,739]

Clearly a conspiracy against the Wings. This will help Chicago sign their UFAs and RFAs this summer.

[Konnan511 1,736]

Clearly a conspiracy against the Wings. This will help Chicago sign their UFAs and RFAs this summer.

As long as they have Huet I'm ok.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

It'll be interesting to see what kind of number we're looking at next season given the NHLPA exercised the 5% inflator for this season. It sounds unrealistic given everything that's been projected but it would help leaps-and-bounds if the cap rose to somewhere around $58-$59 million giving the Wings $18 million in desperately needed cap space.

[Konnan511 1,736]

It'll be interesting to see what kind of number we're looking at next season given the NHLPA exercised the 5% inflator for this season. It sounds unrealistic given everything that's been projected but it would help leaps-and-bounds the cap rose to somehere around $58-$59 million giving the Wings $18 million in desperately needed cap space.

That's the word on the street, though. It may even rise as high as 59.5-60Mil if the New Yorks, the Detroits, basically any of the original six teams and big market teams have a good playoffs run. The league is seeing another year of record breaking attendence numbers, so as it seems now, the cap has all the implications of going up with the increased revenue.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Hockey is doing fine on Canadian television, thank you very much. "The Inspector" has to admit that he mad lousy deals with lousy networks. For example, NBC still thinks that the season begins on January the First.

[InKennyWeTrust 126]

Hockey is doing fine on Canadian television, thank you very much. "The Inspector" has to admit that he mad lousy deals with lousy networks. For example, NBC still thinks that the season begins on January the First.

Maybe Datz and Z own General Electric stock?

[Snazzy 0]

I hope the cap doesn't go up next year... I hope it stays the same or goes down a couple hundred thousand.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I hope the cap doesn't go up next year... I hope it stays the same or goes down a couple hundred thousand.

Unless my sarcasm detector is broken today, I'll bite. Why?

[Snazzy 0]

Unless my sarcasm detector is broken today, I'll bite. Why?

First- We get to see the young kids play sooner. Matt Duchene on the Avs for example.

Second- Wings are in good shape with the cap next year.

Third- It will be entertaining to watch Chicago and Pittsburgh try work around the contract with their current circumstances and re-signings.

Fourth- It makes trade deadline, off season and the drafts all more entertaining.

Edited October 20, 2009 by Snazzy

[Opie 308]

First- We get to see the young kids play sooner. Matt Duchene on the Avs for example.

Second- Wings are in good shape with the cap next year.

Third- It will be entertaining to watch Chicago and Pittsburgh try work around the contract with their current circumstances and re-signings.

Fourth- It makes trade deadline, off season and the drafts all more entertaining.

Never thought of it in that light.

Very compelling argument!

[StormJH1 231]

God Bettman's a failure. I love his plea to NHL fans (the ones that are left): "Hey! We need YOU to help bail us out of crappy TV contracts with stations that almost half of the country doesn't get!"

You don't suppose more cable providers offer ESPN, as opposed to Versus, do you?

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

First- We get to see the young kids play sooner. Matt Duchene on the Avs for example.

Second- Wings are in good shape with the cap next year.

Third- It will be entertaining to watch Chicago and Pittsburgh try work around the contract with their current circumstances and re-signings.

Fourth- It makes trade deadline, off season and the drafts all more entertaining.

While there are some guys I'd like to see brought up, there's still something to be said for leaving the kids down until they are "Red Wings" ready. Look at how effective guys like Ericsson and Helm are. Duchene may be playing well for the Avs, but he was the 3rd overall pick in the draft. The Wings don't have anyone drafted that early in GR.

First- We get to see the young kids play sooner. Matt Duchene on the Avs for example.

Second- Wings are in good shape with the cap next year.

Third- It will be entertaining to watch Chicago and Pittsburgh try work around the contract with their current circumstances and re-signings.

Fourth- It makes trade deadline, off season and the drafts all more entertaining.

I've heard this before, but the Wings really aren't in that good of shape with the cap next year. They only have 7 forwards and 4 defensemen signed. If Lidstrom comes back, he'll also use up atleast $4.5 million of that cap space. Obviously we can't say for sure whether or not the cap will go up and by how much, but for arguments sake if it stays the same, and Lids signs for a modest $4.5, that only leaves the Wings with $11.6 million to spread amongst 8 forwards and 2 other defensemen (given that the Wings will likely need 13 Offensemen and 7 D-men).

First- We get to see the young kids play sooner. Matt Duchene on the Avs for example.

Second- Wings are in good shape with the cap next year.

Third- It will be entertaining to watch Chicago and Pittsburgh try work around the contract with their current circumstances and re-signings.

Fourth- It makes trade deadline, off season and the drafts all more entertaining.

Can't argue with you there. Yeah...that will be fun.

First- We get to see the young kids play sooner. Matt Duchene on the Avs for example.

Second- Wings are in good shape with the cap next year.

Third- It will be entertaining to watch Chicago and Pittsburgh try work around the contract with their current circumstances and re-signings.

Fourth- It makes trade deadline, off season and the drafts all more entertaining.

For some teams, but not necessarily the Wings. The Trade deadline will be uneventful for the Wings, but you're right in saying Free Agency will be interesting. However, it'll be a larger scale version of this past off-season with 5-6 Bertuzzi/Williams/Eaves-type signings.

[auxlepli 17]

God Bettman's a failure. I love his plea to NHL fans (the ones that are left): "Hey! We need YOU to help bail us out of crappy TV contracts with stations that almost half of the country doesn't get!"

You don't suppose more cable providers offer ESPN, as opposed to Versus, do you?

Yeah don't do anything to see more games or to help the sport you presumably love. That makes lots of sense, just like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Versus was the network fronting the most money. It's either that deal, or paying more at the gate?

[Cern 0]

Yeah don't do anything to see more games or to help the sport you presumably love. That makes lots of sense, just like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Versus was the network fronting the most money. It's either that deal, or paying more at the gate?

The way the NHL is set up for TV in the states, you likely CAN'T see more games in the first place without spending a ridiculous amount of cash for specialty coverage. I don't care how much I love the sport if I'm going to be broke just for the godly privilege of being allowed to watch the team I support, particularly when up here there's TONS of hockey coverage freely avaliable on basic. If it was just about whoever was throwing the most money at the league the NHL would have probably given Basillie his team. Besides, the emphasis on physical arena attendance is overrated: you can only fit so many people into an arena, TV ratings are potentially limitless. If ensuring coverage on a network that people could actually HAVE ACCESS TO meant jacking up gate tickets a bit, so be it; most teams get great attendance night after night with inflated ticket prices as-is anyway, a few extra bucks isn't going to do much to change that.

Edited October 20, 2009 by Cern

[Drake_Marcus 890]

First- We get to see the young kids play sooner. Matt Duchene on the Avs for example.

Second- Wings are in good shape with the cap next year.

Third- It will be entertaining to watch Chicago and Pittsburgh try work around the contract with their current circumstances and re-signings.

Fourth- It makes trade deadline, off season and the drafts all more entertaining.

If the Wings had a player that could step in and play like Duchene right now he'd be on the roster.

The only guy I think will be here early is Tatar-- he's already the youngest player in the AHL at 18 years old, and he's playing pretty damn well so far ("so far" being one game ).

[eva unit zero 271]

The NHL is better off on Versus and NBC than ESPN/ABC.

Hockey is #1 on Versus, and would be like #6 on ESPN/ABC. The big problem is the DirecTV deal, and honestly once that is settled we're golden. ESPN might provide at little more exposure (by putting the Winter Classic on ESPN Ocho) but Versus is going to provide more revenue year-in and year-out. The NHL won't get much time on ABC or the flagship ESPN station, so ratings won't be much better than the Versus/NBC deals if at all. ESPN wants flat revenue sharing with the NHL, and is offering much less than Versus is willing to pay out.

Versus is growing, and the NHL is its primary sport. We'll see what happens in a few years, but revenues are increasing and the cap is going up. ESPN laughed at the NHL and now are trying to get it back, again for much less than Versus... because "they're ESPN and the NHL should want to be there for their own good."