58 replies to this topic

[chances14]

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

[frankgrimes]

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

[Esquire]

Just got an email from the Wings with links to the Winter Classic refund policy. Promising! lolz

[rrasco]

Me too. Fun.

[BottleOfSmoke]

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!

[juiceman]

It should be noted too that if the Winter Classic does not take place, then all of the other games/events at Comerica Park do not take place as well.

[mmorland]

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, 10 October 2012 - 10:58 PM.

[Euro_Twins]

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, 10 October 2012 - 11:46 PM.

[VM1138]

They better get to do the Winter Classic next season if this one gets canceled. But I bet it'll just revert to Pittsburgh.

[cusimano_brothers]

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.

[Euro_Twins]

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.

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

Edited by Euro_Twins, 11 October 2012 - 01:09 PM.

[chances14]

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 by chances14, 11 October 2012 - 02:10 PM.

[StormJH1]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.