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

[chances14 227]

From Detroit Free Press:

that could also be a pr move by the NHL. The players think that the winter classic gives them leverage against the owners. the owners are trying to show the players as much as possible that they couldn't care less about scraping the winter classic

Edited October 11, 2012 by chances14

[StormJH1 231]

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

This. The first time I read the article about the early cancellation of the Winter Classic (to avoid its use as leverage), I thought: "that's so Bettman". I don't think the league perceives fan pressure to be a real "thing" they have to worry about in terms of that event, but the longer it's being held over their head...it can only be a bad thing.

Detroit and Toronto will REALLY feel the pain of seeing this thing cancelled, but the sad truth is that the bulk of NHL fans are going to gradually forget about hockey, just like they did in 04-05. The people who care enough to actually be looking forward to this event, and setting their DVR's for 4 episodes of HBO's 24/7 production (which I'm equally bummed about losing as I am the actual game) - say what you want, but they'll be back. The beauty of the Winter Classic is that non-hockey fans seemed to stumble across it and become interested, and this year, that's not likely to happen.

But all these wannabe tough guys and people who try to guilt fans into not coming back after the lockout so they can "punish" Bettman, please. How in the world does that make any sense? You really expect the people hurt MOST by a lockout to artificially prolong the lockout for themselves by not watching games, attending games, or buying NHL stuff when it's back?

The Gary Bettman era is a blip in the history of hockey, much the Black Sox Scandal or the height of steroids in baseball. It's ugly, it's unfair, and it sucks. But Gary is not the effin' game. One day, he will gone, and I will still be a hockey fan. In the meantime, none of this politics or business BS gets to destroy my fandom. If the Wings are playing, I'm watching.

[rrasco 1,312]

What's going to really grind my gears is when they cancel the game, refund everyone, reschedule it for next year (or the next) and I am unable to get tickets again. And if I do, they probably won't be as good as my current tickets are.

I will hurt somebody. Maybe two.

[Crashnburnluder 385]

I read on HFBoards that if the game gets canceled that Detroit will still get it the following season. Anybody have any linkage or proof. I don't believe anything with this league until I get proof...

[chances14 227]

What's going to really grind my gears is when they cancel the game, refund everyone, reschedule it for next year (or the next) and I am unable to get tickets again. And if I do, they probably won't be as good as my current tickets are.

I will hurt somebody. Maybe two.

It would have been nice if one of the refund policies was for tickets to next years winter classic because I do think that it will be in Ann Arbor again. Who knows they still might offer that though I doubt it.

Another route they could take if it does get canceled is to allow people who purchased tickets this year to have first dibs on tickets next year.

[MabusIncarnate 5,344]

Completely unrealistic, but what they should do is after determining the date of next seasons Winter Classic give an opportunity to the people who already have tickets for this year to trade them in for the same exact seats for the 2013 game. Leave it open for a couple weeks and once all submissions have been received, then put the rest of the tickets back up for sale. That way anyone who already bought them for this year won't lose their seats if it is cancelled and anger levels can be kept to a minimum.

It won't happen that way, but at least it's fair.

[ACallToArms 270]

The league will lose all that money. I'm having a very hard time supporting NHL hockey at the moment. Love my Wings and always will, but if the NHL has to take a major hit then they deserve the fall out.

Yup, I agree. I admit I don't know the full details of the dispute, but it seems really silly that an agreement can't be made. It just seems like bad management from the top... 3 lockouts under Bettman's watch. After they started cancelling games I just lost all of that excitement I usually feel for hockey this time of year. It's really a shame.

[amato 3,210]

But.. But.. But.. I was gunna go to the classic :'(

Really though, I completely agree with Bettman using the classic as a start to the season and a reason for him to give a speech about how he was "all about the fans" when "trying his best" to bring the NHL back "as soon as possible".... Sorry Gary, we'll see right through your lies.