75 replies to this topic

[rrasco]

Updated with official announcement: http://www.nhl.com/i...vid=DL|NHL|home



For ticket holders: http://www.nhl.com/i...vid=DL|NHL|home

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Original Post:

No idea if there is any truth to this. TSN is reporting the WC is expected to be 86'd today, but we all knew that already.

Many hockey fans were bracing for the National Hockey League to cancel the Winter Classic today. However, sources have told the Globe and Mail a decision on whether to cancel it is not expected until at least Nov. 15th.

http://www.news1130....y-nov-15-report

Edited by Matt, 02 November 2012 - 02:34 PM.
Updated info -- Matt

[StormJH1]

It's going to be today, I would think. The tough part of this is as that as much as a win the "trap" 50/50 proposal was for the owners from a P.R. standpoint, somebody with the NHL now has to stand up and explain that they're cancelling this game. While people understand that this is a negotiation and both sides are at fault, there's still the mental association that the league decides its lockout is more important than this extremely popular and ridiculously anticipated event. And it's not just the event, it's like the cancellation of a TV mini-series with the HBO 24/7 angle, as well.

This sucks. I've talked to casual sports fans who didn't even know there was a lockout two weeks into the season. I don't think you can even measure the damage of taking this event off of TV on January 1st, just when it was getting to the point where it was an annual event people might have looked for.

[Nightfall]

All I know is that if they cancel the WC, they need to keep the teams for the next season. I'd hate to see the Wings and Leafs get screwed out of this.

They will.

They will use it to make sure they keep all the tickets sold. Mark my words, the Winter Classic will be rescheduled for next year at the same venue. They will honor all tickets and use that as a way to keep the money in their coffers for another year.

[StevieY is the captain]

Perhaps I am jumping the gun here, but I think that if the cancellation of the WC is postponed we could actually salvage this season.
I've thought all along that this would be a long lockout, but perhaps the NHL is bluffing hard up to this point. This WC in particular is very important, 2 of the largest fan bases in Hockey filling a huge arena during a game that is nationally televised may be enough for the NHL to crack and get a deal done. The hit from canceling this game "MAY" be too much for the NHL to risk.

If the WC is called off then in my humble opinion this season and part of next is lost. The Players will have more power going into next season still locked out. They know it to.

[vladdy16]

Perhaps I am jumping the gun here, but I think that if the cancellation of the WC is postponed we could actually salvage this season.
I've thought all along that this would be a long lockout, but perhaps the NHL is bluffing hard up to this point. This WC in particular is very important, 2 of the largest fan bases in Hockey filling a huge arena during a game that is nationally televised may be enough for the NHL to crack and get a deal done. The hit from canceling this game "MAY" be too much for the NHL to risk.

If the WC is called off then in my humble opinion this season and part of next is lost. The Players will have more power going into next season still locked out. They know it to.

I think they're MORE interested in cancelling this season and having it next. If they continue with it this year, they run the risk of unhappy fans boycotting and not making as much money. If they wait until next season, most will be forgiven and forgotten by then.

[StevieY is the captain]

I think they're MORE interested in cancelling this season and having it next.  If they continue with it this year, they run the risk of unhappy fans boycotting and not making as much money.  If they wait until next season, most will be forgiven and forgotten by then.

Perhaps. But then you give the players all the bargaining power. The longer this drags out the more the players can gain.
Plus the NHL is going to lose casual fans the longer this plays out.. This isnt Football or Baseball, casual fans will dump this sport quickly. All will be forgiven by those of us here on forums and that play and love the game... but Bettmen wants Hockey to compete on a level above "nitch sport". In order to do that you need the casual fans to grow in numbers. And a whole season lost plus a major WC game cancelled is going to turn many casual fans attention back to other things.

You're probably right tho because the NHL is run by incompetence.

[sleepwalker]

I don't think you can even measure the damage of taking this event off of TV on January 1st, just when it was getting to the point where it was an annual event people might have looked for.

The NHL already f***ed up the whole new "New Years Day Tradition" thing when they decided to bump it to the 2nd last year. Rolling out of bed hungover on the 1st and watching the Winter Classic was great the first few years, since everybody has that day off and its just the day to chill and hang around the house, etc. Last year I didn't even bother to watch it, as I had other things to do on the 2nd.

Obviously, I was still going to watch this years, with the Wings, but any "new tradition" the league had going with the new years winter classic, they messed up last year by bumping it to the 2nd.

Edited by sleepwalker, 02 November 2012 - 11:27 AM.

[rrasco]

Half the people I told I had tickets to the WC were like, "What's that?" Then again, I am in Texas.

[brandon27]

It better get cancelled today. I've got tickets, which of course I haven't received yet, and the Wings/NHL have my 800 bucks that it cost me for 4, and those aren't very good seats either. So, really what it comes down to now for me, is im disgusted with the NHL, its owners, and its players at this point. I don't want any part of any of those three groups to get a damn dollar from me at this point. They can shove it. It's ridiculous that for the second time, we're missing part of the regular season. It's a damn joke what all of these fools have done to the league. At this point, whether the game goes on or not, I just want my money back. Which of course, won't happen unless they cancel the damn game. So, cancel away Bettman. You, and the owners, and the players have already ruined this great event, and this great game for everyone... so just scrap this too, it just won't be the same anyways even if you started playing games again next week. If the game does go on, my tickets will be on StubHub so fast anyways. I can't even thinkin about contributing a dollar any more to the HRR that these greedy owners and players are fighting over.

[chances14]

Perhaps. But then you give the players all the bargaining power. The longer this drags out the more the players can gain.
Plus the NHL is going to lose casual fans the longer this plays out.. This isnt Football or Baseball, casual fans will dump this sport quickly. All will be forgiven by those of us here on forums and that play and love the game... but Bettmen wants Hockey to compete on a level above "nitch sport". In order to do that you need the casual fans to grow in numbers. And a whole season lost plus a major WC game cancelled is going to turn many casual fans attention back to other things.

You're probably right tho because the NHL is run by incompetence.

i disagree. the longer this plays out the less each side is going to gain due to loss revenue. the players need those casual fans just as much as the owners do. if owners don't make money, the players aren't getting paid either.

Edited by chances14, 02 November 2012 - 11:36 AM.

[StevieY is the captain]

i disagree. the longer this plays out the less each side is going to gain due to loss revenue. the players need those casual fans just as much as the owners do. if owners don't make money, the players aren't getting paid either.

The sentiment behind that statement is that the more time elapsing without games being played, the more the owners lose in revenue.
The Owners have to pay the bills ( overhead from owning a team ) while the players just need to show up and play. While the players do lose money by being locked out, the longer it goes on the more money the Owners will lose. The players stand to lose Millions with an extended lockout, but the Owners... 100's of millions... so as time progresses further and further I think the Owners stand to lose more money thus making them susceptible to caving to players demands.

The players are on the hard road as we speak, but half way into next season it will be the Owners turn.

[drwscc]

Aaaand done.

http://espn.go.com/n...ngs-source-says

[chances14]

The sentiment behind that statement is that the more time elapsing without games being played, the more the owners lose in revenue.
The Owners have to pay the bills ( overhead from owning a team ) while the players just need to show up and play. While the players do lose money by being locked out, the longer it goes on the more money the Owners will lose. The players stand to lose Millions with an extended lockout, but the Owners... 100's of millions... so as time progresses further and further I think the Owners stand to lose more money thus making them susceptible to caving to players demands.

The players are on the hard road as we speak, but half way into next season it will be the Owners turn.

in that case i think a better way to put it is, the players have less to lose than the owners.

the problem is that i don't think the owners are going to cave. not with those hardline owners in there.

[BottleOfSmoke]

Knew it was coming, wasn't prepared for how livid it would make me. NHL--go F$CK yourselves.

[Electrophile]

Saying the NHL can go fornicate with itself is putting it mildly. I'm sick of the league, I'm sick of the people running the league, I'm sick of the people running the Players' Association.....sick of them all. Fire them all, hire new people, start from scratch. Or in more direct terms, scorch the earth and then salt it.

[rrasco]

Per TSN:

One of the NHL's cornerstone events over the last few years is off the regular season schedule, as the league will announce the cancellation of this season's Winter Classic this afternoon.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=408664

[cusimano_brothers]

A "cornerstone", sponsored by Bridgestone.

[Nightfall]

Well, now I am really glad that I didn't buy tickets to this event. They will just reschedule this for next season and keep all the money that people spent. There is no way people will get refunds for their tickets. I just know how this is going to play out.

Then you have the comerica park rink that won't be built either. Which means all those tickets will need to be refunded.

[rrasco]

From the same TSN article I posted above:

A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press that the NHL plans to hold the 2014 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium should the league finalize a new collective bargaining agreement with the NHL Players' Association.

[Nightfall]

From the same TSN article I posted above:

Yup, which is why they will not refund the difference. At least we will see 24/7 on HBO next season.