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Guest irishock

Report: NHL may cancel Winter Classic by November if no CBA deal

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this is like telling somebody you would rather pie yourself in the face than let them do it. We will cancel it before they use it against us? first off, I cannot see how 30 owners would support this, also consider that 28 teams won't participate. i think the league anticipates the players waiting until the winter classic is close to make a deal and they want it to happen sooner so they are moving up the date. they are un-cleverly disguising it as "taking away leverage."

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Someone create a new league, please. For all the storied history of the National Hockey League, the luster has really worn off. Using a lockout as a negotiating strategy every time the CBA comes up for renewal is a terrible business tactic. They can't keep jerking people around like this. Unfortunately, there isn't any sort of organized movement to force the owner's hand so we're stuck with whatever they choose to do to us.

We can rant all we want, and I'm certainly angry, but I'm not going to say I'm done with the league. If the Wings come back, I'll watch because I'm a die-hard hockey and Wings fan.

But I wouldn't mind if the players started their own league and I'd probably give that a chance.

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Who cares? Two times I had a chance to get Winter Classic tickets, and I declined both times. My main reason was not wanting to deal with trying to get a refund if the game get cancelled. Also I figured instead of a refund they'd only give me tickets toward future games, and I'd rather get my money back.

Do people even care about the lockout? Most of my friends think the entire thing is a big joke, point out that the league grew $1 billion since the last lockout, and the owners still want more. Bettman better take this serious, because this is going to do some real big damage to the League.

The longer this goes, the more pressure it is on the owners, and the players know it. Fehr isn't is a rush to get something done and I support him 100%.

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The longer this goes, the more pressure it is on the owners, and the players know it.

The players want to believe it does but in reality, the owners will win once again, just like every time we see a lockout in professional sports. Fehr has done a good job on convincing players that sitting out for a year or more will make the owners cave (Cleary's recent quotes are a good example of that) but it will not happen.

The owners have the upper hand because:

-majority of them have money coming in on other things besides hockey. they can afford to sit out longer than the players because the players income comes solely from playing hockey.

- the owners know that the fans will come back, just like last time. I remember in the last lockout, everyone said they were done with hockey for good. Guess what? the nhl had record attendance the year after the lockout. the same thing will happen this time. Hockey fans are by far the most diehard and loyal fans in professional sports and the owners know it. you guys can huff and puff all you want about abandoning the nhl if an entire season is lost but i gurantee all of you will be back.

I think the players are banking on the winter classic being the reason that the owners give in, but they will be in for a rude awakening when bettman pulls the plug in november. that's when the real negotiations will begin.

just my 2 cents

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The real pressure on both sides will start once the fans are pissed off and stop caring about the NHL.

Go on midget cancel the Winter Classic and have Illitch and Tannenbaum against ya even more.

Cleary does have a point tough if the lockout goes over a year fans are going to stay away and at that point both sides better get a deal done.

The owners might have more money but premium prices require a premium product. Teams like LA need to use the Stanley Cup to build a fanbase there..

So the owners are going to feel some pressure too, this time the players are well prepared.

Sent from my BlackBerry

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I haven't gotten mine yet, apparently I'm still invited to the game!

Either that or they plan on keeping my money.

Hilariously enough, as I was typing this post my phone buzzed and I got an email from...the Detroit Red Wings. Winter Classic FAQ. LOL!

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I really don't see this happening in November for two key reasons.

First, the Winter Classic is one of the few things Bettman has done right; it is his baby and takes great pride in it. This is huge exposure AND money for the league. I'm not surprised the Red Wings are one of the teams pushing for an end to the lockout; they'll be hurt the most (financially) with no Winter Classic. November is too early to pull the plug.

Second, and this is pure speculation; nothing would make Bettman tingle in all the right places more than working out a deal in early December so he is able to kick off the season with the Winter Classic. I can't be the only one who is picturing gary on the mic in front of 113,000 people saying "we wanted to bring back hockey to the world's greatest fans in one of the greatest money making hockey markets city's in the world."

Edited by mmorland

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I really don't see this happening in November for two key reasons.

First, the Winter Classic is one of the few things Bettman has done right; it is his baby and takes great pride in it. This is huge exposure AND money for the league. I'm not surprised the Red Wings are one of the teams pushing for an end to the lockout; they'll be hurt the most (financially) with no Winter Classic. November is too early to pull the plug.

Second, and this is pure speculation; nothing would make Bettman tingle in all the right places more than working out a deal in early December so he is able to kick off the season with the Winter Classic. I can't be the only one who is picturing gary on the mic in front of 113,000 people saying "we wanted to bring back hockey to the world's greatest fans in one of the greatest money making hockey markets city's in the world."

I can't agree with this more, I can picture the smile on his face right before getting pelted with tomatoes...

Edited by Euro_Twins

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From Detroit Free Press:

In what seems to be a dire sign for the Winter Classic, the NHL Operations Department does not have plans to visit Ann Arbor this month.

Officials from league headquarters went to Michigan Stadium in September to do logistics scouting, part of the massive preparation to hold the scheduled outdoor game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 1. But with the NHL already having canceled two weeks of the regular season -- and with no progress made on tangible issues between the NHL and the NHL Players Association on a new collective bargaining agreement -- no follow-up trips are on the horizon, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press today.

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In what seems to be a dire sign for the Winter Classic, the NHL Operations Department does not have plans to visit Ann Arbor this month.

Officials from league headquarters went to Michigan Stadium in September to do logistics scouting, part of the massive preparation to hold the scheduled outdoor game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 1. But with the NHL already having canceled two weeks of the regular season -- and with no progress made on tangible issues between the NHL and the NHL Players Association on a new collective bargaining agreement -- no follow-up trips are on the horizon, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press today.

Don't post stuff on here that makes me want to cry lol

Edited by Euro_Twins

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