NHL Officially Cancels 2013 Winter Classic

[rrasco 1,312]

Updated with official announcement: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=644824&navid=DL|NHL|home

For ticket holders: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=632586&navid=DL|NHL|home

___________

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 November 2, 2012 by Matt
Updated info -- Matt

[StormJH1 231]

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 871]

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 1]

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 2,154]

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 1]

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 512]

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 November 2, 2012 by sleepwalker

[rrasco 1,312]

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

[brandon27 111]

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 227]

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 November 2, 2012 by chances14

[StevieY is the captain 1]

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 212]

Aaaand done.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8583243/nhl-cancels-winter-classic-toronto-maple-leafs-detroit-red-wings-source-says

[chances14 227]

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 5,965]

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

[Electrophile 3,554]

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 1,312]

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 1,655]

A "cornerstone", sponsored by Bridgestone.

[Nightfall 871]

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 1,312]

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 871]

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.

[rrasco 1,312]

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

I don't have HBO :/

Maybe I'll take my center ice funds and save them up for next winter so I can have HBO.

[brandon27 111]

Aaaand done.

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

Then I guess I better get on the phone and get working on the NHL/Wings/Ticketmaster at getting my money back.

[sleepwalker 512]

Then I guess I better get on the phone and get working on the NHL/Wings/Ticketmaster at getting my money back.

You'd probably be better off just contacting your credit card company and having them do a chargeback, since the WC has now been officially canceled.

[rrasco 1,312]

You'd probably be better off just contacting your credit card company and having them do a chargeback, since the WC has now been officially canceled.

Technically, it's not official yet. The NHL has not issued a statement or cancellation to the press. Therefore, this is currently just a rumor. However, enough sources and reporting this it is hard not to believe.

[chances14 227]

there hasn't been

Then I guess I better get on the phone and get working on the NHL/Wings/Ticketmaster at getting my money back.

according to the winter classic site, processing and service fees will be refunded

http://www.nhl.com/i...s.htm?id=632586

Technically, it's not official yet. The NHL has not issued a statement or cancellation to the press. Therefore, this is currently just a rumor. However, enough sources and reporting this it is hard not to believe.

it already says it's been cancelled on the refund policy page

here's the official announcement from the nhl. you can either get a refund or keep the tickets for next years winter classic

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

here's the press release on the wings site

The National Hockey League today announced the cancellation of the 2013 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and 2012 SiriusXM Hockeytown Winter Festival. The NHL has confirmed that the next Winter Classic will be played at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor featuring the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs and will include the Hockeytown Winter Festival at Comerica Park in Detroit.

The Red Wings will communicate with each of their original ticket purchasers via email by Tuesday, November 6 and provide the option of a.) receiving a full refund on tickets and associated fees or b.) maintaining their tickets for future Winter Classic and Winter Festival events.

The cancellation was necessary because, given the absence of a Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL Players’ Association and the NHL, the League was not in a position to do all that is necessary to adequately stage events of this magnitude. This year’s Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and the companion SiriusXM Hockeytown Winter Festival called for the construction of major outdoor rink facilities at both Comerica Park and 'The Big House'. Multiple games involving teams from the NHL, NCAA, American Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, high school and local minor hockey leagues were scheduled, requiring travel and hotel commitments. Beyond the construction of two major outdoor rink facilities, the combined events were preparing to welcome nearly 400,000 guests to Detroit and Ann Arbor over the holiday period.

Edited November 6, 2012 by Jedi