The Canadian Press reported on Monday afternoon that the NHL and NHL Players’ Association are turning to mediation in an effort to solve their labour dispute.
With negotiations stalled, the sides have agreed to allow U.S. federal mediators into the process. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service says the negotiations “will now be conducted under our auspices.”
Deputy director Scot L. Beckenbaugh, director of mediation services John Sweeney and commissioner Guy Serota have been assigned to the case.
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in an email to The Canadian Press that he hopes they’ll be able to sit in on a session as soon as this week. The NHL and NHLPA haven’t met since last week.
The lockout, now in its 11th week, has forced the NHL to cancel all games through Dec. 15.
Read more by clicking here.
In other off-ice hockey news, Eric Lindros got married on the weekend. And get this: his wife is a Quebecer. Read more by clicking here.
(Photo by Chris Young/Canadian Press)
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http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/27/stars-jackets-among-major-league-teams-with-worst-attendance-drops/
Ok amigos, 29 days till WJC. Seeing ads that games are at 4:30am! Fiigured it all out with the help of the Lads at the Saloon. Coffee, Cognac,Smokes and Painkillers. Worldclass breakfast of Champions…… Any other ideas?
I’m with you all the way my Kingstonian friend. The only sporting events on the calendar at this point are the WJHC, the conclusion of the NFL season and the playoffs and most importantly, the Blue Jays spring training in March.
Bulldog week in review;
http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=2946
Got my tix for the Sting game Saturday. 3rd row behind the Sarnia bench. So there’s that to look forward to.
OK we Montrealers can’t really feel superior to Toronto for hockey, and we certainly can’t do it for football right now.
But your mayor.
You call that corruption?
We’ll show you corruption my friends.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
at least Temblay can claim superior physique over Ford……
what kind of montrealer are you? we absolutely can and should feel superior to toronto for hockey. because we are. this is supported completely by fact and not just hearsay or opinion. the score is currently 24-13. leafs suck. suck it, leafs
I think the point of his humorous post, was the Toronto mayor coup d’état.
I’m sure he agrees that the Habs are better then the Loafs.
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Go Habs Go!
Brad Richards of New York Rangers ‘scared for game’ as lockout lingers http://t.co/yqJEPCaT
(https://twitter.com/ESPN_NHL/status/273554361362292737)
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I read on TSN that Richards gets an $8M bonus this season regardless of the lockout. On the Habs, Price and Cole are getting a $2M bonus each this season, regardless of the lockout. As Hamrlik said, good agent.
Elsewhere, Nashville has to pay Weber a $13M bonus while Minny has to pay $10M bonuses to Parise and Suter. Tyler Myers is getting a $10M bonus from Buffalo.
ok, so it seems like there are a lot of “power forwards” in the upcoming draft. “power forward” is a pretty broad term, i always divided it into two categories: Cole-type power forwards and Lucic-type power forwards.
Does anyone know if there are any Lucic-type players in the upcoming draft????
All the Lucic type players are either incarcerated or institutionalized.
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
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that was literally the funniest thing I have ever seen posted on this site by someone not named JohnBellyfull
Speaking of which, has anyone seen JB lately?
What about Gomez type power forwards? Those who have the power of $$$.
They are all on Fantasy Island.
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Re the posts below about NBC not doing the charity game … remember there is a contract with the NHL plus ties thru Comcast with Ed Snider.
Oh sorry, I forgot! Snider is against Bettman now… or not?
Hey! I thought you were tired of all this.
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Go Habs Go!
I am but was pointing out the contract and ties of Snider with NBC plus Comcast… and then my sarcastic nature took over
Big shout out and congrats to Frontenac Falcons 37-30 win in National Capitol High School Football Bowl today at Rogers Centre.
Hockey Canada announces 2013 WJC selection camp – NHL.com – News
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=646445&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
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hey commandant, whats your personal opinion on one William Carrier and would he be a fit with the new Habs????
I put Carrier at 22 in my latest rankings, which you can read here. (for those who saw the post a few days ago, there is nothing new here, just answering this question)
http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/11/23/2013-nhl-draft-november-rankings-21-30/
Yeah, I do think he would fit with the Habs. There are a lot of “potential power forwards” in this draft class who would fit in well with the Habs going forward (big strong guys who get to the front of the net) and I hope to see us grab a couple of them.
If there is a criticism of Carrier, he’s a strong and powerful skater, tough to knock off the puck, etc… but he could work on being faster.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
ok, second question: if you were MB, and you could get either Carrier or Erne, who would you personally prefer??
I’d take Erne, I find him to be a little bit better in winning battles on the boards (Erne is great at this) and a little bit better defensively, and most importantly, a better shot (goal scoring).
Its not a huge difference though.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Armstrong’s a killer
perhaps meditation would be a better course of action for all parties involved….fans included
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It’ll always be Habs Inside/Out to me
In some cases medication would be better suited!
Can’t we do both?
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Agree hammer, just typed that down below. Best served with cold beer though.
Why don’t we do the whole gamut,
From beer to harder…
Meds to better…
Cigarettes to stronger…
Get intoxicated at the ultimate level (without ODing, of course).
At least this way, it’s easy to forget that there’s nothing exciting on TV.
Contraction is not happening, I know alot of people want it, but that’s not the case for the NHL or the NHLPA.
We’ll see more teams before we see contraction…
OK. Is relocation an option for you?
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I like the idea of contraction, but from what I read everything suggests it’s not happening, so why keep on bringing it up?
Relocation is fine sure.
So… how about contraction then?
I worry this talk of contraction will have JB showing us more of his videos from recent times.
It happens when the waters too cold.
Only to George Costanza!
Dave Stubbs on TSN690 as we speak.
He’s keeping us up to date on the Habs…..right now!
Thanks for the heads up Bri. Found his take on Markov a bit worrisome. For those who missed it:
“He’s been out since late October with what was called sore ribs. At the time it was said he’d miss a game or so. We are now at the end of November. He’s not answering phone calls. Don’t think its his knees but it might be more then sore ribs.”
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Here’s hoping he’s just tired of answering questions about his health…
Man of glass now. well he only has one year left on the deal after this season
“Keep your stick on the Ice”
I have held out hope against all hope regarding Markov. I still have a sliver left, but when a guy like Stubbs starts to wonder also, well one must wonder.
If it is over, a truly sad way for it to end, a great player and always was classy i felt.
Markov is done. Even if him and his knee are able to play at the NHL again he will not withstand a full 82 grueling NHL schedule. Him and his knee should try skiing, ala Malakhov.
Some of the reasons I want Markov to come back and have a Norris caliber season include the fact that he is such a great athlete and the way he told his agent (when he first could have become a free agent) that he wasn’t interested in playing anywhere but Montreal as well as the way the Habs power play has always been deadly when he quarterbacked it.
But the main reason I want him to shine is because I’m so sick of “fans” who seem to hold him personally responsible for the injuries he’s suffered. The man has done everything within his power to make it back but you’d think he was Scott Gomez part 2 if you listen to some of the people on this site.
Very true. He’s done nothing by his on or off ice actions to warrant anything but our respect.
Just to clarify, Stubbs was pretty strong on his feelings that Markov’s issues were NOT his knees. He implied it could have been a fractured rib or something. Again, just speculation on his part.
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He also talked about poor Eller, who almost sounds like he leaves his wife at the North Pole every time he takes a 3-hour bus ride to go play.
Newlywed,he”ll get over it…..sorry Chris. Ignore post amigo.
Shhhhhhh!
The continuing saga of the NHL flagship franchise. Insert sarcasm icon.
NHL Coyotes’ future in Phoenix in doubt – ESPN
http://m.espn.go.com/nhl/story?storyId=8683098
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Will it ever end Jim?
Ian, if you need more ammunition to show the fiasco that Bettman has created, here you go! The southern belt mess continues!
Great minds….
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Indeed!
At least we’ll piss off a certain troll.
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Hmm, you have to love the wonderful world of free enterprise. I guess things have changed since I learned what a lease agreement meant.
Can you imagine if I walked into a car dealership and said I’d like to lease one of their cars, and I expect them to pay me $5000 a year to drive their car around.
Man they’d be falling over each other reaching for the lease papers.
Myron! This is a very upside down bunch of greedy people.
Explain?
This is a very unside down bunch of greedy people. You lost me. Could you translate for the more simple minded.
wjc
Get rid of at least 10 teams and 200 players.
Highest paid player on every team gets no more than 4 million a year. Entree level $400,000. Free agent once in a career only. Never mind hopping around the league like a rabbit.
Suppose getting a more detailed explanation of how you would make this happen, Ian?
Not expecting an answer, of course.
wjc
10 teams would mean 500 players since I believe a NHL team can have up to 50 players under contract or negotiaton rights……
But that includes the AHL and other minor leagues where player play under a contract from an NHL team.
Kinda like Galchenyuk playing the OHL, but he has a signed contact with the Habs.
An NHL team can have up to 23 players on their active roster with the balance injured or in the minors & juniors under contract but if 10 teams are dropped it could mean a loss of up to 500 players’ jobs or contracts……
Man,I knew Bettman was a Smarmy little Gunsel, but what kind of Evil Bast#rd would ask NBC to not televise a Charity game to support Hurricane Sandy victims?
The Grinch, Jeffery Loria, and do I dare say…..Darth Vader…
A special person indeed.
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No wonder we could not find it. A charity game being controlled by a little SCROUGE plick!!
Better watch out what you say about the Grinch named Bettman.
Seems some people here consider him a victim.
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Ka is a wheel.
Fans Theme: “You’re Breaking my heart, You’re tearin’ it apart” – Harry Nilsson
You’re breaking my heart
Since many are apparently confused… the difference between mediation and arbitration.
http://bcicac.com/about/what-is-mediationarbitration/difference-between-arbitration-and-mediation/
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Perhaps if we all did meditation it would help more than either of those.
I’m in on that. Kind of like the holistic remedies.
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Imagine…you spend millions of $ on a new venture…and before you open up the door, someone shuts you down for the foreseeable future…not unlike marrying the woman of your dream (plug in whoever you want my choice is Halle Berry). And after the reception. She goes on an extended vacation with her girlfriends….I truly feel sorry for Mr. Molson.
I feel sorry for Mr. Molson, too.
I have been asked to help out with the mediation and I have agreed to do so, as long as I get to make the final ruling once all have been heard from. So I would like to go and be very professional, with as much input as I can carry to the table.
Before I get on the plane, I need as much ammunition from this HIO community as you can give to me please. Just put your next 8 year plan for the new looking NHL agreement below please.
Do not forget to mention, how many teams, how many players per team, top salary per player, entree level salary, increase per year of seniority, travel, meals and hotels on the road, injury and medical insurance, skate sharpening, jock strap and equipment, repair, uniforms and shaving cream and anything else that you HIO members need to remind me to mention at the negotiations before I go, will be appreciated please.
Ian
Beer prices.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
For what it cost to go and watch these millionaires it should be free beer. Anyway it is mostly water and we own the water!
cheap shot at Molsen and hey they are not millionaires they are multi-millionaires.
wjc
You guys are in a bar somewhere, having a few and getting a little/lot drunk. Tell me this is beer talk.
Nobody could be this bored.
You lads could throw in some “doe ray me” (money) on to the table and see about starting your own “Canadian” league. Find some backers and sponsers and some arena’s an make it happen….hick
“Waiter, waiter….another round, we got a league to start”
wjc
Did you say “mediation” or “medication”
I want the original 6 and that is all.
I want them to play for the love of the game.
I want the organ back…dund, dund, dund….dunadundun.
I want Howie Morenz back and Jake the snake.
I want Ward Cornell and Howie Meeker
I want hankerchiefs instead of annoying whistles.
I want fedora’s and proper dress for all games.
I want the season to end March 20th
Trains instead of scarey planes.
I want the games to come on Television at 9 oclock
I want Murry Westgate to tell me about the fine Esso products.
And I want my 12 inches black and white T.V. back.
wjc
You just don’t get it amigo. Fedoras are cool and Danny Gallivan was the real deal ,not Hewiitt. Jeesh, may God have mercy on you.
I am giving a shut-out to the city of Toronto and its citizens. Just for today I am forgetting the LEAFS and their fans.
From all I have seen they celebrated and partied without major incidents on winning the GREY CUP!
Good for them!
Cannot understand the logic behind riots when celebrating a teams victory. Defies logic. Good on Toronto.
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Does anyone believe the results of this new CBA negotiations could lead to Bettman being canned, I’ve seen it posted a few times here, and it’s popping up elsewhere on the interwebs.
Somehow I doubt Bettman gets the boot, unless something alot more catastrophic than just losing a season happens.
Jeremy Jacobs is the ring-leader of the owners.
Jacobs gave Bettman his big salary.
Bettman failed to suspend Chara for almost killing a player.
BFFs.
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Seems that way, huh 72? Jacobs was rewarded with an embarrassing Stanley Cup Champion. He pays Bettman back by his loyalty. Protection for both
Cartel like.
EDIT- I’m sure we’ll hear from our trolls as they love it when we pick on their beloved Boons.
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No. All this is on the wish list of people who believe he is to blame for all the NHL’s woes. He has been the commish during the greatest growth period the NHL has ever had. And people want him canned? Incredulous!
You are incredulous or it is incredible?
Inexplicable!
Pot stirrer!
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Who smokes pot?
Guilty as charged amigo.
Chateauguay boy, eh?
The growth Cal has a lot to do with currency not from Bettman’s grand master leadership.
he is also responsible for 3 lockouts putting teams where they have no business being and are BLEEDING money.
What do you think they are arguing over? If you eliminate a lot of the teams he added there would be no lockouts. If Phoenix was aloud to move instead of bleeding money there wouldn’t be so much loss.
Bettman isn’t innocent. Great he got a TV deal that pays teams 6.66 mill….great how much do the big teams lose in revenue sharing? How much money have they lost in not played games?
There should be absolutely no reason why this league should be locked out after a growth period.
When and if the CDN dollar drops you will see the so called growth take a nice dip
I was simply stating it from an owner’s PoV. Bettman is not innocent at all. However, just because he is easy for fans to dislike doesn’t mean the owners feel that way.
I would bet Cal he isn’t loved by all owners either. He is their leader though and I don’t see it changing anytime soon
“Keep your stick on the Ice”
I’m dying to know who the militant owners are (besides the three mentioned by Burly below)
I know he only needs 8 to keep his job. Does he have 8 now?
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I think it is more people hoping Bettman gets the axe. I personally don’t think he is going anywhere. He has ruined the relationship and trust though between the players and the league.
“Keep your stick on the Ice”
You’re probably right Kooch but isn’t it possible that his list of supporters falls under 8?
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fingers crossed!
“Keep your stick on the Ice”
I have been posting for many weeks now that Bettman’s stature/authority will be diminished when this all ends.
And I have given detailed reasons why.
However this wont be a total condemnation. The STALEMATE has gone TOO far for te NHL to now back down re retooling the entire compensation framework… with an aim to emulate NHL and NBA as much as possible.
This will happen and the ‘sun belt’ owners and teams not in real hockey markets will appreciate that Bettman led them trough this. But owners like Molson would also want to prevent being ‘coerced’ to fall in line (and lose fan passion) with all the periodical hang wringing scenarios that weak market or mis-placed market teams will want to hoist on them in the future.
Bettman or future commissioners wont be given as free reign to operate to meet the exigencies of ‘money losers’. I suspect Canadian teams will gain in power and terms for expansion and yes contraction will be reviewed.
I think you’re right trin. No way this guy survives two seasons. Lame duck status could be dangerous for us real hockey fans.
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Sorry, trin, but contraction will NEVER happen. The NHL and the NHLPA will never allow it.
Commissioners are given the power to run the league precisely because 30 owners can’t be on the same page about every part of the CBA.
The only team moving right now is the Islanders, and they’re going to Brooklyn. Aside from New Jersey and Phoenix, there aren’t any more candidates for relocation.
Timo November 27, 2012 at 1:38 am
“I know no one here probably cares but damn. Calgary Center riding byelection… close but no cigar. No sex for me tonight since wife is really disappointed… ”
That’s a change. Usually she’s disappointed after sex, right?
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Derek Wills reports from Dog’s practice.
Tweet from Derek Wills (@dogsplaybyplay)
#HamOnt @BulldogsAHL practice @CoppsColiseum. @commie22 skates really well in first full practice with the team! http://t.co/8r1Ewdny
06176)
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The financial strains of building an arena and having the Coyotes in Glendale are cutting down library hours.
French piece : http://www.lapresse.ca/sports/hockey/201211/27/01-4598012-glendale-est-ruinee.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B25_A-decouvrir_219_article_ECRAN1POS3
That’s why they should move to Canada. Given a choice between hockey and libraries, we would not hesitate.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Re: the cap, one could argue that it actually benefits most players. Once you agree on players getting a certain % of revenue, the cap means higher salaries for journeymen and relatively lower salaries for the superstars.
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
From blogger Adam French (Yotes blogger) a preview of the possible Swedish forwards at WJC, Collberg on 1st line.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Adam-French/Making-the-Swedish-World-Junior-Squad-Forwards/155/47690
Same blogger has U.S. forwards predictions, includes Gally on 2nd line and Vail on 4th.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=47660&blogger_id=155
I see very little chance the US breaks up Gaudreau and Galchenyuk who showed very good chemistry at the summer camp.
I think Miller probably plays RW on that line, and Riley Barber can find another line, if he makes the team at all.
Add to that the Blogger doesn’t even mention (not even an honorable mention) to Sean Kuraly who was the USA’s best player in the summer camp, and I think he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Sure the summer doesn’t guarantee him a spot on the final team, but it does pretty much guarantee him a spot at the US Tryout Camp.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
He’s also done a complete hack job on the Swedish forward lines from the recent 4 nations tournament, a tourney Sweden won gold in.
Why Sweden would break up every combination of that winning team, I don’t know.
Collberg played on a line centred by Elias Lindholm in that tourney.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
You know the fans are getting antsy when the posts about Bettman not getting into heaven come out.
I’ll add my 2 cents, for what it’s worth, he won’t be welcome to any of my 77 virgins, either.
Be careful what you wish for. After the first 2 of 77, you would probably be begging for a pro.
I will absolutely share them with HIO members if they agree to forsake the false religions of Abraham and Moses, and come to worship the one true God, inshallah.
No. 2 draft pick Ryan Murray out six months after shoulder surgery. Another tough one for the Blue Jackets.
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Former MLBPA Leader Marvin Miller has passed away.
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Wow, I also discovered the other day that the current MLBPA leader Michael Weiner is battling cancer. Sad news.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8657402/mlbpa-leader-michael-weiner-good-fight-inoperable-brain-cancer
I read this morning that with the exception of Burke, no team executives are involved with the hard line owners in any talks. Does anyone know the identity of these hard line owners? My guess would be not Molson or Dolan but probably Jacobs.
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I thought it was reported that Jacobs, Leonsis, Leopold, were 3 of them.
Edit: I think Calgary’s owner is also involved, can’t remember the rest.
The owners are not a united front that is for sure. Same as the players.
“Keep your stick on the Ice”
No matter what you think of “the Players” in this lock-out, you have to respect Crosby’s comments here (I think Ovechkins comments are good ones too). Crosby basically says the frustrating thing is not talking. This is a guy who, like most NHL players trains hard 330-350 days a year so they can be ready to get things done at the drop of the puck. They have to be looking at these lawyers and saying WTF??? Can’t you guys just DO YOUR JOBS!!! If a hockey player can’t get things done, he loses his job. End of career. (Or he gets traded to the Habs for McDonagh and Higgins!) If a lawyer drags things on, he just bills for more time. The culture of NHL player is to work hard. Not so of these lawyer a-holes. That hasta suck.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=410354
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
Would be good if the negotiations were televised, expose all the rats involved!
Yeah but I imagine that the SOB’s would do “Pay for View” so they could squeeze every last nickle out of folks.
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haha so true
“Keep your stick on the Ice”
The poll on this site should be read instead to:
Do you blame Donal Fehr personally for the NHL’s strong stance during the lockout or the players in general?
When will everyone realize that the NHL is not like the NBA, NFL, or NBA when it comes to revenue?
There will be no NHL hockey this season, the league will never be the same, and with a mediator in the picture, there will be no agreement whatsoever.
Greed is a common work in today’s sporting world and I have to agree with Bettman, the players want too much in today’s unstable economy.
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
How about (A) Bettman, (B) the owners, or (C) BOTH.
I bet that the majority would vote (C).
Got that right. Many here hate Bettman for some reason, though. I really (nudge nudge wink wink) can’t think as to why!
“When will everyone realize that the NHL is not like the NBA, NFL, or NBA when it comes to revenue?”
But they are talking about % of the revenue.
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Bettman and the NHL owners asked NBC not to cover the players hurricane Sandy relief game.
http://www.nyrangersblog.com/2012-articles/november/nhl-asked-nbc-to-not-broadcast-operation-hat-trick.html
A charity game doesn’t get covered (and thus would have earned more money) because the NHL owners are that vindictive in this thing?
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Hey commandant. Someone is trolling TheStar.com purporting to be you and speaking for this site, calls himself HabsandLaffs. He just posted today in fact.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/article/1293361–nhl-lockout-mediators-called-in-for-meetings-this-week
He doesn’t mention your name in this one but if you check his profile you’ll see he has in the past.
Could this be the infamous Poughkeepsie Pundit?
As for asking NBC not to broadcast the charity game; I have run out of words to describe my dislike and disgust for Gary Bettman.
I’m guessing it is him.
A little insignificant boil on the internet. What a waste of space he is.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
meh, it’s The Star. If a tree falls in the forest…
besides, you know what they say about imitation…
I still haven’t “made it” til someone does a regularly updated parody twitter account.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
What? Who’s this guy? I don’t remember this name at all. Looks like he’s trying to stir up trouble but that seems like such a strange thing to do… Musta really pissed him off.
He’s a troll who puts troll comments on a lot of the bloggers sites who post on this site. He even made nasty anti-semitic remarks to Sholi about it. He does so by changing his name to mine, or habinburlington, or timo, or some other members of the site.
We’ve figured out his IP and I’ve blocked him from commenting on my site. Once i did that, he started impersonating me at other sites.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Seems odd to me. Given the role of Snider (the Flyers owner) at NBC, why would Bettman or anyone else have to get involved? That said, perhaps this is why Snider went slightly off-message last month.
If nothing else, it would seem that once this clusterpuck is over, Bettman is clearly done.
Of all the insensitive issues which have unfolded since this sorry mess started, I don’t think any snippet of news has disgusted me more than this.
I have a message for Butthead and his trolls. If any of you think you’re going to heaven, regarding greed (one of the seven deadly sins):
II Peter 2:3 – (false prophets) “in their greed they will exploit you with false words”
Bettman is our own version of Rockefeller:
“How much is enough Gary?”
“More than I presently have!”
If true as reported (it is a blogger with an anonymous source) it certainly continues does nothing to help Bettman and his image. Was the game played at MSG?
Caesar’s in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Caesar’s has an exclusive deal with NBC where any event on their property must be televised by NBC or an NBC affiliated entity, so they couldn’t even try to get another broadcaster to come in.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
How many of the “Gang of Eight” owners have actually strapped on a pair of blades and played the game at any level? Geoff and Mario have but they are on the outside looking in?
here is what Eller said about playing center – so let’s be clear about what this young, big, hard working, talented player has in his mind’s eye when he sees himself being successful on the ice.
“I’ll say what I’ve said the last two seasons: if I could choose, I’d play centre. It’s where I’m most comfortable and where I think I can help the team most.
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Eller+hockey+still+rises+Finland/7611943/story.html#ixzz2DQrnz4hs
For people who don’t understand this, Eller is a center. He thinks like a center. He plays like a center, He has been hugely successful as a center.
These are the key moves that winning teams make that make them better, and losing teams don’t make that lead to their downfall.
Just because the Habs have a short term hole on the left side of their second line doesn’t mean you take a big time prospect like Eller and push him to the wing – against his instincts that he can help the team more as a center.
I would rather the Habs build a young, aggressive 3rd line around Eller at center. It would give us 3 scoring lines.
I have repeated this about 5 times now on HIO. I really hope the new management can correct some of the stupidity we lived through with the past management.
Good Morning Ed, hope you are well. I made a comment yesterday about Eller on the wing, I hope you realize, my comment was made in response to the part of the article where it sounds like Therrien is thinking of trying him at the wing. Eller does go on to say he will always do what the team prefers even if he prefers center (I am paraphrasing).
I like Eller period, and I think long term he will be our 2nd line centreman. Not sure what to make of how Therrien is looking at things, but do know I like Therrien as coach more than RC so I will trust him for now.
I agree with you 100%, Eller is a centre and should remain a centre, plug the hole on the wing with someone else. Remember this night against Boston?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-y4TdBOngs
He’s playing centre flanked by two big guys, Kostitsyn and Moen, they were good all night hitting the Bruins and keeping them pinned in their own zone.
Eller got two that night, no?
A big amen to that Ed. He really looks lost whenever they move him to the wing, his effectiveness there was pretty much zero. He also plays excellent defence as a center – usually the first one back.
It made me nuts how little faith Martin had in Eller. Whenever he started putting something together (he and AK had a very nice run), Martin either moved him to the wing, took away the winger he was developing chemistry with or simply reduced his ice time to nothing. I don’t care how dismal the rest of the season turned out, I was ecstatic to see the back of JM.
I will be very interested to see how Eller plays under someone who may have a little faith in him.
My take on this mediation process is that it’s yet another time waster. There appears to be no motivation on either side to make a deal. Fehr is intent on ridding the NHL of its cap and not moving on guaranteed money and Bettman is not moving from his last proposal.
By this Friday or next (likely) more games will be cancelled, lowering the season to maybe 50 games per team.
The players have reaped the benefits of a stronger Canadian dollar, bringing revenues up to unprecedented levels. Stars are winning insanely long and high-priced contracts. Regular 3rd and 4th liners are making never before seen money for their role on the team.
The weak team owners have reaped the benefits of 6 seasons of growth and revenue sharing.
There is no excuse for a deal not to get done. However, the players, despite their insane contracts, actually believe they lost in the last deal. They suspend reality and turn it on its head.
Let these greedy kids lose the season. It serves them right for not having any common sense.
If the goal was to get rid of the salary cap, why didn’t they decertify long ago?
Why has removing the cap never once been proposed?
The players may be stubborn, but the salary cap is not the issue that is holding up this negotiation.
The big holdups seems to be the make whole, and the contract rights.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Comm, while you certainly know much more about this than I do, from what I understand, the players union wants to be able to hold the decertification card while not being totally ready to play it because of the down side. No one knows exactly where the decertification process will lead and/or how it would play out.
I cannot stop thinking of the fairy tale about killing the goose that has been laying the golden eggs.
Of course.
But the Owners will never agree to get rid of the salary cap. Will never happen. You could be locked out for 20 years and they won’t agree to it.
Thats why, if this is your end game, you should have de-certified and started the process on September 16th, the day after the lockout started. If the whole goal was “get rid of the salary cap” there was only one possible route to take.
The reality is that the salary cap fight already took place in 2005, the owners won’t lose that aspect of things. Its done, and there isn’t much the players can do (unless they want to risk it all and go to court).
Since this doesn’t seem to be the plan. I think its the other issues that are holding things up. Its not some grand scheme to remove the cap.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Just as the owners will never go without 50/50 so the players need to make the best deal they can. Reality is Reality, whether I (or we) like it or not, this is the owners sandbox, they bucked up the money to buy teams and run the league. It is the way it is and always will be.
Thanks Comm. I realize that the owners will never back down on the salary cap. The decertification process certainly would mean getting into uncharted waters. Who knows what would be the result.
The players are as worried about decertification as the owners would be. Fehr has been demonstrating to the players that the owner will not move on any of the NHLPA’s proposals. Fehr will present it as nothing but stone-walling, setting the stage for the next step in the process: decertification.
The goal of decertification will be to eliminate the cap and have all players declared free agents. In other words, anarchy.
I dont’ even know if that is the goal of decertification.
While it is one potential result of decertification, it would take at least 2, and possibly 3-4 years before we get that far.
The goal of decertification is to use that risk as a threat to force a real settlement IMO.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
I can’t see it any other way. Both sides unwilling to bend, reminding me very much of the “no compromise” idiots in the US. Bettman has already told them the deal is not going to improve and Fehr does not seem to accept it.
Frankly, I don’t care about the players “losing” some legal point or other when they earn so much money. Get back on the ice. Make millions. If they don’t like it, go to Europe and see how much they can make there. I get the feeling they won’t like working for 1/3 the salary they get in the NHL.
The idea is that there is nothing forcing Bettman to move. Without decertification he has no risk, nothing to lose in this negotiation. With decertification and anti-trust there might be more pressure.
At least thats what I’m seeing as the strategy here.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
The PA has not been trying to get rid of the cap, they have been trying to get rid of it being linked to revenues. They prefer guaranteed salary amounts which prevent them from being exposed to any of the downside risks of the business. Who wouldn’t want benefits without the risk. Unfortunately, linking salaries to revenues was and still is hugely important to the league and they don’t want to give any of it up. Surely Fehr knows that any proposal which tries to remove any linkage to revenues will not fly with the league, yet I don’t think the PA has made an offer yet that doesn’t try to slip in some kind of a guarantee.
And yet the owners keep the rhetoric of “we take all the financial risk”
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Do they really? I have heard / read lots of rhetoric (from both sides), but not that one from the owners or Bettman. I have read something similar in the context of if the players get guarantees then the owners will be assuming all the risk, but not what you are quoting.
It’s not a really a big deal, but you made me curious so I googled:
NHL “we take all the financial risk”
All I got back was comments on HFBoards. I tried using Bettman instead of NHL in the above search and still only got back comments from HFBoards. I tried a few other variations like removing the word financial in the search string and I still all I found was bloggers, posters and the occasional journalist saying it, not once where the actual owners or Bettman said it. Now I didn’t spend hours searching, but from what you posted, I thought it would be easy to google up an example. It was not.
Dan Oldfield on how the mediation process is likely to proceed:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/story/2012/11/26/sp-nhl-lockout-mediation-guide-questions-oldfield.html
From what Oldfield says, there seems to be a chance that mediation could remove some of the toxicity that has pervaded this negotiation right from the owners’ initial offer.
We’re at the point in this standoff between the players and Bettman where I hope heads begin to roll and franchises start to crumble. I don’t know the ins and outs of everything but all I’m hoping for is for Bettman to get the boot and teams like the ones in Florida, Phoenix, Anaheim and Carolina to implode.
I’m not saying that all the southern teams have to go. For whatever reason hockey seems to be working in Nashville, Dallas and most of California so leave those teams. But don’t gamble in those types of areas anymore. Stick to places that at least get some frost or a dusting of snow.
Quebec, Seattle and Cleveland would make the most sense to me. And to contradict myself a bit, Vegas would probably work because there are currently no professional teams playing there. Gamblers would like the option of placing a wager on a game and watching it live. And heck, it gets chilly in Vegas during the winter.
A piece on the damage to the business side.
http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2012/11/26/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/NHL-sponsors.aspx?
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Larry Brooks with his take on the mediator.
http://m.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/mediators_enter_nhl_labor_fray_JxEyXbz15khp6TXVBhxUhP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More+Sports
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And the Poster Child of cheap shots chimes in.
Red Wings’ Todd Bertuzzi: ‘I see us losing a year’ | Detroit Red Wings | Detroit
http://www.freep.com/article/20121126/SPORTS05/121126044/1053/sports05
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Why do I not care when Bertuzzi or Chara speaks? Why oh why do I want to see them run over by locomotives?
As the cold realization of a winter with no NHL hockey dawns in our heads, we have every right to be moody. And to be blue. Oh, and it’s Tuesday.
http://calsnhllockout2012songparodies.weebly.com/
You wrote that at 6 am? Really?
I’m still in la la land at that time.
You’re better than me, Cal!
Psssst! I prepare them the night before….don’t tell anyone though!
I know no one here probably cares but damn. Calgary Center riding byelection… close but no cigar. No sex for me tonight since wife is really disappointed… they worked so hard on the Green’s campaign.
Sorry Timo. Flowers and chocolate might help bud.
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Will you send me some?
So in reading Stubbs article on Eller (Thanks Dave, great to read about Lars in Finland, much appreciated), sure sounds like Lars will be playing wing for Therrien. So gotta ask, Gomez 3rd line Center then?
http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/montreal-canadiens/Canadiens+Lars+Eller+hockey+still/7611943/story.html
Gerry
Haven’t been around as much due to the depressing effect of he Lockout but wanted to make a delivery of Happy Birthday greetings from your Seinfeldian pal.
PS. Love Lars Eller and his team first attitude but he must play Center.
“Et le but!”
Hello Newman, thanks bud
Happy B-day
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Hey Hab, I just saw your reply from the other day.you know I was just playing around right? Brother’s gotta rib the trolls every now and then. Know what i mean?
Yah i Knew exactly, and I love Gally. Just thought I would add what I did, didn’t mean to take away from your gist.
Happy Bday btw… and many more to come!
Cheers
I like Lars at Center too, but with that added bulk he seems to have put on, he has both the size and the skill to play left wing with Plekanec and Gionta. Therrien will probably experiment with that trio until Bourque gets back from injury. And like you say Burl, this scenario also opens up a center slot for Gomez on the 3rd line until he’s dumped.
Happy Burl’-day, birthday boy.
You certainly don’t look your age. Or your species. (Avatars can be deceiving).
I see they screwed up your birthday wish: kicked Ford out of office and let Bettman keep his job. Well, there’s always Santa.
Happy Birthday from Dublin Airport, Burly!
I’d be thrilled if Eller moved to the wing.
I’ve been banging on about his more natural inclination to snipe shots than set up plays for ages now.
He always struck me as not a natural fit for centre, in that he always had that moment of indecision skating into the zone. He got better, but I think that sort of thing needs to be more instinctual than what he’s got going on.
Put him on the wing, and he’ll start to put pucks in the net on a regular basis, I say.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Bettman and the NHL have no interest in mediation. It’s just a smoke screen. I can’t think of one major thing (or concession) they could gain through mediation.
Why Commissioner Serota was removed from the Mediation process.
P.K. Subban:
“The only loyalty in sports really is that between fans and their team.”
Subban for commissioner!
Suban, didn’t say players have loyalty to the team, only fans.
So Suban is not loyal to Montreal.
wjc
Source?
Source….Subban
wjc
You better check your sources, along with every other comment you offer without foundation, and they are a plenty.
See the funny thing here is that PK Subban is a well known Habs fan.
Bazinga!
—
Go Habs Go!
As ‘was’ Crosby :/
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“I need players who hate to lose!”
Yes, but with respect to the topic of this conversation … Not the same thing were talking about.
—
Go Habs Go!
Happy birthday Burly! all the best, sir!
_____________________________
“Access Forbidden” gettin’ ya down?
Hold down Shift while clicking refresh.
Thanks Prop! Starting to believe your catchphrase these days, our season appears Dooooooooooooomed!
This is for our friend Burly. I really have no idea how old you are now, but I just put 41 in the song ’cause it worked. Cheers!
Hockey Frustration Song no. 25
Cue the music!
2 AM and he calls me ’cause I’m still awake,
“Can you help me ‘cause I got such a bad headache?,
We don’t want them. They’ve totally ruined our season”
Yeah they’ve locked all the doors, so accusing their pride
Like they have any right at all to criticize,
Hypocrites. They’re all there for the very same reason
‘Cause they can’t start the game, liars with cards on the table
Fans’ lives like an hourglass, glued to the cable
No one can stand these Bettman and Fehr.
But take my advice my dear friends
And breathe… just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe
Today he turned 41 on our site all for which
“Just a day” he said down to the keys at his fists,
“Ain’t been sober, since Habs lost it all back in April.”
Here in town you can tell he’s a fan all the while,
But, my God, it’s so beautiful when our friend smiles,
Gotta tell him. Maybe I’ll just sing about it.
‘Cause they can’t start the game, liars with CBA tabled
Fans’ lives like an hourglass, glued to the cable
No one can stand these Bettman and Fehr.
So cheer up now Gerry, my friend
And breathe… just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe
There’s a fight every night of this scuffle,
You shout ’cause they’re just as far in as they’ll ever be out
And these mistakes they’ve made, they’ll just make them again
If they’d really try turning around.
Now again I’m still awake, here re-writing a song
If I manage a smile on old Burl, he’ll still wonder “where’s hockey?”
Threatening the lifestyle we’re used to
Butthead should be naked in front of the crowd
As for Fehr we can lynch him, screaming out loud
Still Bettman will abuse them, and Fehr sure will want to
‘Cause they can’t start the game, liars with cards on the table
Fans’ lives like an hourglass, glued to the cable
No one can stand these Bettman and Fehr.
In time, fans will take a stand.
Now breathe, just breathe
woah breathe, just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe
Haha, how did you know I hadn’t been sober since April, I guess my posts were a dead giveaway! CHeers bud
Nice job Bri! Certainly a stronger tribute then the customary Happy Birthday song. CHeers.
———————————–
Beautifully done Bri!
Magnifico, Bri!
Cheers everybody! Have a good one!
hmmmm, Tom Wilson looks like a hell of a prospect, tough as nails, nasty, and putting up good numbers in the OHL this year….
I wonder what it would take to pry him away from the Capitals…..
I doubt he’d be available. Washington desperately wants some grit to go with their offensively gifted forwards in the NHL (Ovechkin, Backstrom, Johansson, Perreault) and in their system (Kuznetsov, Forsberg).
Well if it was not apparent before that the USA has taken over our Canadian game, it sure is now.
Mediation through the US system is just ducky! They will bankrupt the league like their country, and we will be playing with palm tree sticks and coconut pucks shortly!
All on Bettman. The USA expansion that has all but crippled the league as a whole, is his legacy.
—
Go Habs Go!
The Sunbelt expansion was so stupid.
Get rid of ten teams and 200 players that are only here to fill holes anyway! Get back some quality, club loyalty by players that know where their hearts are as well as their wallets.
It’s OK Ian.
We’ll go back to Sherwood and Victoriaville wood hockey sticks and CCM equipment, all made in Canada, and we’ll take back our game.
To Lucifer’s dungeon with Butthead and his trolls!
100% Amigo! Trade Gally to Fronts or Bulls! Hola!
Which 10 do you want to see go. Not sure what you mean by filling holes.
Back to the 70′s….not bloody likely.
Some you people are soooooooooo funny.
wjc
While I can see the players vehemently opposing contraction, I believe if the players choose to decertify, then the fair thing for the league to do would be to contract (and/or move to Canada) 4 doomed US franchises.
—
Go Habs Go!
The National Hockey League is based out of New York City, so it sort of makes sense that they would use mediation through the U.S. system.
I’m sure this is A-OK as far as the players are concerned. If they tried to mediate here in Canada, the players would probably have to worry about the Conservatives passing back-to-work legislations citing the crucial nature of professional hockey to the Canadian economy. In fact, I’m rather surprised that Lisa Raitt hasn’t been showing up in the media on this very front!
Keep waiting for the lol. Too many drama queens on here. What’s a troll to do?
wjc
Stu Cowan: A Season In Time looks at ’92-’93
By Stu Cowan, GAZETTE SPORTS EDITOR October 22, 2012
HIO Member, Todd Denault will be at the Belleville library signing his new book, A Season In Time, and visiting with fans. Thursday Nov. 29. at 6pm until 7:30pm. See ya there!!
Ian
Stu Cowan: A Season In Time looks at ’92-’93
MONTREAL — Montreal fans have fond memories of the 1992-93 National Hockey League season because it was the last time the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.
But there were plenty of other good storylines during that season 20 years ago … enough for someone to write a good book.
And that’s exactly what Todd Denault has done with A Season In Time: Super Mario, Killer, St. Patrick, the Great One, and the Unforgettable 1992-93 NHL Season.
Denault, an admitted Canadiens fan from Cobourg, Ont., was in his final year of high school when the Habs won the Cup.
If anyone has been following tweeter or the blogs, they are having a field day with the Serota fellow the Feds were sending in for mediation. Not sure what gives with this guy but he has some strange stuff on YouTube and twitter. He now claims his account hacked. News types don’t believe him. No wonder the Feds hauled him off the case.
He apparently was involved in the last lockout mediation sessions as well.
Good Call to remove him I’m thinking.
—
Go Habs Go!
Some crazy stuff for sure. Cohen was also another one involved with the NHLPA last time and he was put aside on that account before names were announced. Serota seems to have some bizarre tweets if they were his own. Media says they are his, he claims hacked. The media is now calling the hacked excuse the new misquoted one.
Serious has his latest prospect report out and Stubbs his Eller story.
You too cheap to post the links? Howzabout mentioning a Hickey article in the same breath as an RR one… you know… just for irony’s sake.
what does this mean? Will a decision have to be made?
No. Just an outside party trying to find common grounds for talks to continue on. Keep knitting them baby booties.
No, sadly… They only recommend a solution. The two parties must still agree. So ultimately, not optimistic is the way to go with a fans thinking.
—
Go Habs Go!
Rob Ford is the new Governor of the Bank Of Canada? How the hell did that happen?
Any one know who asked for the mediators to join in the meetings? I know that mediators will only get involved if asked, and that both sides have to agree. It seems curious to me that the NHL would be the one’s to announce this, given that it has been the NHLPA’s stance that the PA is ready to meet every day and that the NHL has been stonewalling discussions. If it had been the PA’s move to ask for a mediator, you think the PA would have announce it.
Both have to agree, so it really doesn’t matter whose move it was.
Regardless though, the PR game is meaningless. We’ve gone past that, even if both sides still seem to want to play for the rhetoric.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
@GrimJim Nick Kypreos had tweeted 3 hours ago that the NHL said yes to the NHLPA request for Federal mediation. According to him its the players after the help.
Cool, thanks.
Happy Birthday to HabinBurlington!
I am trying to get my head around the latest news re the labour dispute. Last lockout, the FMCS entered the scene at a much later date.
Anyone knows the protocol for FMCS to become involved. It seems that they ‘offered’ their services and both sides ‘agreed’ to have the negotiations conducted under their auspices.
Since this is not a ‘vital’ industry or one with behemoth impact on the overall economy, I wonder what backroom overtures were made by disgruntled owners or players to get the FMCS to enter at this early stage.
Also my impression is that FMCS enters into the picture when prospects of a settlement are very bleak and it is often a sign that the ‘draft’ of any agreement is months away.
I am not sure how to react to this news. I suspect an owner made the overture to the FMCS.
Cheers Trin! I posted earlier some tweets from Pierre LeBrun, apparantly last time the mediators got involved less than 2 weeks later Bettman cancelled the season. I think you are bang on that these guys come in, when things are indeed bleak.
I’m right even when I’m wrong…what a guy!!!!!!!
http://www.fmcs.gov/internet/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=39&itemID=23889
Under the category of bittersweet, our Habs players are doing fairly well overseas, and a few seem to be having career years.
Tomas Plekanec leads the entire overseas standings
18 GP, 14G, 14A, +18
And Diaz leads all defencemen
17 GP, 3 G, 13A, +12
Would be curious to know what percentage of league revenues the players were making going into the prior two CBA negotiations. I have no idea what they were, but I suspect or rather am gussing that at no time prior were overall league salaries at 57% of overall league revenue.
My reason for saying this is simple, Bettman made a colossal mistake in the last CBA, where he was so desperate for Salary Caps that he didn’t see the loopholes, nor recognize how revenues were going to escalate. This then led to the huge increases in players salaries.
So if there could be in fact such an increase during the course of one CBA up to 57%, why is now 57% the benchmark upon which all arguments must be starting with. I recognize the owners agreed to that formula, but that CBA has also expired.
I think a number that gets closer to 50 or at 50% should still be a good chunk of change for the players. Also the sooner resolved, the sooner overall revenues grow again, thus making the real dollar amount increase.
If the owners then try rejig the numbers again at the next CBA, be ready with decertification sooner and use the Weapon of Mass Destruction.
Plus selfishly this gets hockey playing again now.
almost all of the increased revenue came from the rise of the canadian dollar from mid 60′s cents in 2004, 2005 to the level of today, which is virtually at Par, 100 canadian cents vs the U.S dollar.
I remember economists saying that around 80 cents was a good level for the Canadian economy.
But very few people expected the collapse of the U.S dollar to continue for so long.
In short, Bettman underestimated this currency issue, but so did many people.
Happy Birthday Gerald!
Ed rise in revenue in the billions did not come from Canadian dollar with the 7 teams that represent it.
The rise in revenue’s were the result of Television, sponsors, Merchandising (remember all the vintage sweaters) licensing video games, and pay per view….remember center ice etc.
Bettman has been leading this push and increasing revenues.
Canadian dollar didn’t hurt but it was a small help and it helped the Canadian teams prosper.
wjc
Actually that increase in value of the Canadian dollar amounts to around 5% of that $3.3 bl. The 7 Canadian teams account for a third of league revenue.
If you calculate 82 games times 30 teams, then take average of 18,000 fans per game (a little high) and multiply it by average $100.00 per ticket, the calculate for playoffs you will realize that a lot of revenue’s came from other sources.
Well over a billion dollars, so factor in Merchandise, licensing (video games) Television rights, and pay per views (center ice packages. You can quickly realize where the future of the game lies.
Televisions are getting bigger and bigger and well bigger. Ideal for viewing sports, High Definition is getting sharper (4x sharper on a 60 inch television. They are becoming more affordable.
3 demention and surround sound with players wired up sound and mics near boards upgrades the experience.
Camera angles and super color make you feel you are at the game.
UFC live off of pay-per-view and spectators at the event just give it atmosphere.
You can see where the revenue streams will come from and tickets will always be a part of it, but less then say the 70′s,80′s and 90′s.
The internet plays a huge part as well, with instant up dates and fan participation.
Can you at least imagine where all this will be in 5 years.
wjc
HiB – it was 74% prior to Salary Cap. The original Cap was 54% but a provision was there that if growth exceeded a certain percentage then it would increase to 57%…that happened real fast.
It was 74% according to the Levitt report.
The Results of the 2005-06 season showed us that Levitt had greatly underestimated and/or had under reported the Revenues.
The reality was probably somewhere in the range of 65%
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Can’t you Lev itt alone??
Probably a little higher, the revenue figure jumped around 10% after year one with the PA gaining access to teams books. So take away a couple % points for natural growth and you are looking at high 68-69%. BUT considering the 74% is also loved by the PA to show their sacrifices…tough timbits.
Frank, looks like Levitt and Forbers can’t put out a financial report with any clarity. Surprised they stay in business.
Damn lawyers
If it ain’t a legal brief, they can’t read it
Although why they have that fascination with briefs escapes me
Hey thanks for that information guys, wow, good thing my opinion or guesses don’t mean much cuz I was way off again as usual.
Appreciate all the knowledgeable posters we have here.
A couple of years ago I started posting on this site. I’ve had the honour of fostering many new friendships here. None have given me more pleasure then meeting Gerald. It is a great privilege to imclude him as a good and trusted friend. Happy Birthday Gerald. Let’s hope mediation can bring an end to this lockout. A Birthday present we all can share. CHeers buddy!
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You are kind man Chief, pleasure has been mine. Thanks for the kind wishes. Off to a big bbq, Steak for my B’day.
CHeers Jim!
Happy Birthday, Burly!!! Happy 100th and some…
Are you saying he is as old as the Grey Cup?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BURLY !!!!
He is significantly off my actual age, but close to how I feel. Thanks Timo and Psycho!
Suck up! …. just kidding Jim.
wow, just watched the highlights of the Sarnia vs Pete’s route. Wow, the Pete’s look terrible. No goal tending or defense.
http://video.canadiens.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=66&id=190153&lang=en
“Keep your stick on the Ice”
Does anyone know if Eller is playing at centre or on the wing in Finland? If Montreal wants him to play on the wing (if / when this mess ever gets settled) then he may be better off working on that while he is in Finland.
The 1994 strike killed the Expos best chance at a World Series.
It didn’t kill the Expos as a franchise.
There were 9 seasons between the end of the strike and the leaving of the Expos.
A World Series Appearance, or even Championship wouldn’t have built them a new stadium. An appearance or championship wouldn’t have boosted attendance for a decade (ask the 1997 or 1998 Blue Jays how that worked). A single WS appearance or championship wouldn’t have solved the Jeffrey Lauria problem, or the lack of an owner after him.
It is just one issue on the road to the Expos demise. One that started when the team was sold in the 80s and attendance had already started to diminish.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
I respectfully disagree. A playoff performance would have gone a long way towards building that downtown park. If that downtown park was built the expos would still be here. That magical 94 season saw a rejuvenated fan base and the crowds just kept getting bigger as the season went along.
That strike just killed baseball here and it died a slow death. It set in motion the demise of the expos, if there were no strike there would have been playoffs here and possibly a pennant. If there were playoffs there might not have been a fire sale at the end of that season that blew the team up. If the players weren’t sold off a downtown ballpark might have built. It was the domino effect pure and simple.
You still had Loria owning the team. Tell it to Marlins fans how you would have kept those star players after winning the World Series.
Also, I still don’t see the government ponying up the cash for the stadium. The “never won the world series” was an excuse. A reason for government officials to reject the stadium, but the real reason was money and funds. It never would have gotten approval even if they did win the world series.
Go Habs Go!
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Sorry Ben, but as much as I agree with you on almost all aspects of the NHL, on the Expos (IMO) you’re dead wrong.
Donald Fehr killed their chances at winning the World Series, or at least a guaranteed appearance, with a roster loaded with talent.
Had they made it, they could have afforded to keep virtually every player at the end of the year.
Instead? They held a fire sale, and were never the same again.
I put the blame for the Expos’ demise, on three people.
Fehr, Loria and Samson.
We have a winner BINGO!
You forgot to add Claude Brochu.
A few players including Marquis Grissom, Ken Hill Deshields and a couple more players went to Brochu with a “package deal”, Brochu refused and the rest is history…
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Ka is a wheel.
Fans Theme: “You’re Breaking my heart, You’re tearin’ it apart” – Harry Nilsson
You’re breaking my heart
Nice post at the Star, Commandant! Did you check out mine?
At the Star?
I didn’t post at the Star. Not that I know of.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Uh Oh. Somebody’s impersonating you there. I wasn’t sure if it was you at first because the language used there very unlike the type of posts you have here.
100% CORRECT! The 1994 Strike cost us the world series, but it would not have saved the team. IMO Expos management would likely have gutted the roster anyway the same way the Marlins did in 1997 and again in 2003.
The constant threat of having the team taken away probably had as much to do with declining support from the fans as any other factor.
If they had won the WS there would not have been a fire sale.
Baseball is dead to me and will always be.
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Ka is a wheel.
Fans Theme: “You’re Breaking my heart, You’re tearin’ it apart” – Harry Nilsson
You’re breaking my heart
A lot of old Expo’s fans lament the loss of the 1994 baseball season by a players strike. Guess who lead the players union. Donald Fehr. 7 months off (longest srtike by all major sports in North America) and no salary cap (baseball is only sport) so if Fehr has his way I hope Mr Molson has very deep pockets to compeate with the Rangers, Hawks, Red Wings with no salary cap. BTW 1994 baseball avg. attendence over 31,000+. Next 10 years never reached that level.
Todd being a good commie allways bitches about the the move of the expos and them getting screwed in 1994. Well it wasn’t Bettman, it was started by Fehr.
Mr. Biter
No Guts No Glory
Yes. Because the offers that Fehr has put on the table all demand the removal of the salary cap.
Oh wait. None of them did.
The offers from Fehr keep trying to decouple the cap from revenues, instead insisting on guaranteed dollar amounts. Of course that will never fly with the owners. Fehr knows that, he may be many things, but stupid isn’t one of them.
uhm… it was clearly the league who started this lockout. it is not a strike, the players were willing to play while negotiating, but the league just went ahead and locked them out. the league started with a position that was never acceptable to the players, and since that time the only side making moves in the others direction has been the players moving to the owners.
this mess shouldnt be blamed on fehr. as far as i can tell, hes the only one trying to negotiate.
Locking them out prevents the players from going on strike on the eve of the playoffs, which is exactly what the NHLPA would have done.
Hate to tell you, but Fehr hasn’t offered anything but s–t and shinola the whole time while always blaming the owners. His players are making a ton of money to play a game. All of them. 50-50 with no financial risk or expenses is pretty fair, right?
Not according to Fehr. Only Fehr knows what’s Fehr.
Seems like the players have been doing all the giving so far and the owners do what they do best and take. It’s about time a mediator stepped in and saved the owners from themselves
Yes, because assumptions is what we should base opinions on, not cold hard facts….
If we’re spinning stories, it could just as easily be said that Because of Fehr MLB and its Players Association have a healthy relationship finally.
If we never witness another Lockout in the NHL, isn’t that success?
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Go Habs Go!
Did the players ever offer to play for 50% while negotiating, or did they simply offer to play under the old 57% that the owners found unacceptable? Hardly a magnanimous or altruistic offer from the PA IMO. The whole “it’s all the league’s fault and doings” sort of rhetoric from Fehr and the PA (and some fans too apparently) is disingenuous and does nothing to help negotiations along. It is purely PR and self serving tripe.
If you think the league has not moved since it’s original opening offer (which was made just to get the ball rolling and the PA negotiating) then you have not been following things very closely.
yeah the league moved, from their demands for 57-43 to 50-50. the 57-43 was always a non starter. that is the only move the league has made. since then, the players have made at least 4 offers and the league has done nothing except reject them.
as for the old 57% being unnacceptable to the owners, they signed that deal last time, and then both sides agreed to extend it twice. now the owners say it’s no good and want to roll back contracts that they just negotiated with players a couple of months ago. in what world is that good faith?
Again you are missing things. The 50/50 offer (made Oct.16 to try and save an 82 game season) was the league’s 4th offer in these negotiations. At that point, the PA had only made 1 offer. The league has moved more than once (and certainly more than never) from it’s initial opening offer.
Look, you are certainly entitled to you opinions (and you don’t need me to tell you that), but you just seem to be trying to re-write the history of these negotiations. Perhaps you are conveniently forgetting stuff on purpose, or perhaps you really are just forgetting how things actually unfolded? I can’t tell. In either case, it takes two sides to make a deal and both sides are culpable in this unfortunate and yet to be resolved mess. It seems folly to me to try and place all of the blame in this on just one side.
They would have played the season with the contracts that the GM’s, who are hired by the owners, offered in good faith.
Since a good businessman signs off on large cash commitments, I’d have to believe these gurus all would have okay’d the deals made in their names. So while negotiating, they would have had to pay out money they agreed to pay out. The horror!
Pottymonster, not so fast.
Facts to consider: 1. Negotiations could have started sooner, like a year sooner…..Fehr could be held accountable here.
2. Of course the players were willing to play, the CBA favored them. So ya play on. Negotiations would have been bogged down even worse then they are now.
The first proposal by NHL could have been counter proposed instead of using the duh! approach.
NHL offered them full 82 games 50/50 and they said no. There would have been no money to make up for missed games.
I am not going to blame anyone, I will leave that to the FACTS!!
wjc
Uhh. the NHL lockout that cost them an entire year was the longest work stoppage in North American sports. The one that cost them half a season (the first time) would be right up there as second longest and this one is about to pass it. Baseball’s was the final month of the season and most of the off-season.
English is not a crime….you have to accept the fact that the last month of the season (world series) was the best part of the season and they shut it down. Would you trust someone for doing that, no matter how long ago it was.
That was ruthless, but, then “all is fair in love and war”
Good strategy by Fehr, but if you know your advasery you take no prisoners. You give no quarter and you expect non.
wjc
I hope they at least hire a Canadian consultant who not only knows the law, but has a passion for hockey.
Can you say Ken Dryden?
With all due respect to Mr. Dryden, do we think he speeds up the process.
Happy Birthday man. I owe you another beer LOL
“Keep your stick on the Ice”
Ken Dryden? This thing won’t be settled for months. I loved Ken as a Habs goalie, but I always found his propensity for verbal diarrhea…answering a question with a novel’s length response rather than a 3 or 4 word rejoinder which would have sufficed..somewhat disquieting.
In other words, somewhat like my posts sometimes!
LOL
All the more reason to hire him. He’ll drive them crazy enough to get it settled quickly.
Dryden should be doing Bettman’s job…He could fix the league
“Keep your stick on the Ice”
What the hell is this “passion for hockey” stuff. This is not about 3 on two’s or who won the last Stanley cup.
Knowledge of business and negotiations are what is needed. Why do you nominate Ken Dryden, does he want this bull. If he ruled in what he thought was a fair way and some disagreed he would be slandered all over the internet.
He would say no thanks, along with Beliveau, Gretzky, and about 1000 others I could mention. Leave this to the unknown experts that do this for a living.
wjc
Hasn’t everybody been begging for this for months???
I was saying they should have done this for a while now.
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So if a mediator says the deal should be this or that, then the two sides do not have to sign the deal, but have the option to?
I know that an arbitrators’ ruling is binding, but I just don’t know if one side or the other will accept the ruling.
I believe a mediator is more there to help get discussions/negotiations going, as opposed to an arbitrator who essentially picks the deal or side and imposes it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediation
All they can do is suggest. The only thing that’ll be binding is the cheese they eat during the meetings.
NO….It is non binding. sorry. Just the side that says no looks like the bad guy and if they both say no….who knows?
It might get them to an agreement with some refinement, worth a try….no?
wjc
first
“Keep your stick on the Ice”
Yes…. you are!
Ooops, I screwed that up for you, didn’t I?
Screwed again LOL
“Keep your stick on the Ice”