The NHL Thread.

[mkreku]

Well, I signed it.. out of frustration.

 

http://youhavetwoweeks.com/

[mkreku]

Woo, the Leafs are at the top of this list!

 

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=404736

 

Hey, wait a minute..

[mkreku]

At least the Swedish Elitserien started on time and my favourite team scored its first victory!

 

Who needs the crappy NHL?!

 

[Kor Qel Droma]

Both sides will have egg on their faces if something doesn't get done. That's three strikes in less than two decades, isn't it? Hellalame.

[mkreku]

It would be sooo cool if Sweden could bag one of the big name stars.. Where is Crosby playing this season?

 

Does he know that we have very safe airlines and very pretty girls?!

[Deraldin]

It would be sooo cool if Sweden could bag one of the big name stars.. Where is Crosby playing this season?

 

Does he know that we have very safe airlines and very pretty girls?!

 

Lidstrom comes out of retirement to play in the SEL!

[mkreku]

And Sundin!

[GhostofAnakin]

Both sides will have egg on their faces if something doesn't get done. That's three strikes in less than two decades, isn't it? Hellalame.

 

It's beyond ridiculous how every time the CBA expires, the two sides can't come to an agreement until after a new work stoppage. At this point, both sides are just being greedy bastards. Meanwhile, the folks who make their living working at the arenas, or whose restaurants/shops around the arenas thrive on the business on game nights, are the ones suffering while the millionaires hop on planes to play in Europe.

[Kor Qel Droma]

I agree both sides are being greedy. And it's rather unfortunate that the people who make a living around the teams are feeling the pinch. What really pisses me off though, is that the owners went to the PA last year and said 'let's get cracking on this', to which they promptly replied, 'thanks, but no'. I can totally see why they're locked out. Cry fairness all you want, PA, but you had ample time to get cracking on this.

 

It's getting ugly for the Oilers, too. On top of the labor strife, the owner has been pushing for a new arena to be built for four years, pretty much since he bought the team. Now it's down to the wire, both sides are getting cheap and threatening, and from the looks of things unless a deal gets pushed through, which will pretty much totally be on taxpayer dollars, it's a real possibility the Oilers will be done in Edmonton. The owner was in Seattle tonight with his upper brass discussing that cities new arena.

 

I have no clue who I'd cheer for if the Oil left Edmonton. It sure as **** won't be Calgary, I can guarantee you that much.

[Krookie]

Does he know that we have very safe airlines and very pretty girls?!

 

I *met* an exchange student from Sweden last weekend. She was SO HOT DO THEY ALL LOOK LIKE THAT CAN I COME LIVE WITH YOU

[C2B]

while the millionaires hop on planes to play in Europe.

 

Having them play over here is just wrong.

 

I mean it's utterly hilarious to watch but our league is basically broken when a lockout happens.

[Volourn]

The players are not being greedy? How can intelligent reasonable person say that? After the last work stoppage, players agreed to many different things that limited their ability to make money - including a hard cap on salary - depsite a player like CVrosby whom makes his team lots and lots of money.

 

The NHL is coming off its most successful season ever financially, and they are making mkoney. despite that, they demand HUGE pay cuts and other thinsg from the players AND the players have agreed to various cutbacks. How in the hell does this make the players greedy when they are willing to take less? WTF?

 

Why do the fans love billionaire owners but hate millionaire players despite the fact its the players we watch? WTF WTF WTF

 

 

Also, of course is the fact, that the players are not striking. They are locked out. This is 100% on the owners.

 

Only dumb, evil, piece of crap peons think otherwise.

 

DEATH TO NHL OWNERS AND BOO TO NHL OWNER SUPPORTERS WHO SHOW THEIR IGNORANCE EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!

[alanschu]

Also, of course is the fact, that the players are not striking. They are locked out. This is 100% on the owners.

 

It's on both.

 

It's not difficult to understand why fans would side with the owners. They see the players as already making a very comfortable living, and with salaries directly tied to revenues, they are guaranteed to make money, even if their owners are losing it by the truckload.

 

If 15 teams aren't making money with the current model, it's not hard to imagine a lockout when owners will actually make more money by not having an NHL season. Seems evident that the growth of the league's revenues were not very evenly distributed.

 

 

The league needs some intense revenue sharing (which the owners of the big teams probably aren't too keen on) or contraction (which the players probably aren't too keen on) to stay with their current model.

 

 

With 15 owners making more money by not having an NHL season though, I suspect it will be the players that lose again.

[Volourn]

Pro billionaire. L0L So pathetic. Owners are evil. Somehow players are the greedy and evil ones BECAUSE THEY AGREED TO PAYCUTS AND RESTRICTIONS TO THEIR FREEDOM. HOLY **** !

 

 

"I suspect it will be the players that lose again"

 

Like the last time when the league whined? Yet, player salaries continued to climb. Players are gonna continue to make money because the owners CHOOSE to pay them it, and why do they do it? Because theyc an afford it.

 

if the system currently is so horrible why were the owners - even realtively lacklustre franchises - paying out millions of dolalrs for 10+ year contracts before the deadline?

 

IT. DOES. NOT. COMPUTE,.

 

Owners bassh a system they gladly used. Retarted.

 

It's maazing how billionaires need to be babysat on how to spend their money. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.

Edited September 30, 2012 by Volourn

[alanschu]

Pro billionaire. L0L So pathetic. Owners are evil. Somehow players are the greedy and evil ones BECAUSE THEY AGREED TO PAYCUTS AND RESTRICTIONS TO THEIR FREEDOM. HOLY **** !

 

They're both greedy. As human beings I expect them to be. Why wouldn't they want what's best for themselves? It's silly that you would think that any party is being benevolent here.

 

 

"I suspect it will be the players that lose again"

 

Like the last time when the league whined? Yet, player salaries continued to climb. Players are gonna continue to make money because the owners CHOOSE to pay them it, and why do they do it? Because theyc an afford it.

 

My statement on whether or not the players lose has nothing to do with whom I think is or is not right. I just feel that the owners are in a stronger position than the players. Especially if clubs are losing money.

 

Note that the big contracts and whatnot are misleading. League salaries are directly tied to league revenues. So the truth of the matter is we don't actually know how much money any of these players make. It basically just amounts to a really complicated dividing up of a pie, and in this case the pie is precisely 57% of the revenues.

 

 

if the system currently is so horrible why were the owners - even realtively lacklustre franchises - paying out millions of dolalrs for 10+ year contracts before the deadline?

 

IT. DOES. NOT. COMPUTE,.

 

Owners bassh a system they gladly used. Retarted.

 

It's maazing how billionaires need to be babysat on how to spend their money. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.

 

It does compute. It's actually very simple and I'm surprised you don't see it. During the season the owners are in direct competition with each other (to not be would actually be collusion) when pursuing free agents. It's known as tragedy of the commons. To not fully utilize the CBA as it stands is to limit your franchise. Ironically this results in a weaker team which may not be as successful financially if the fanbase isn't particularly devout (nevermind that the league is gate driven and going deep in the playoffs makes a team a large amount of money). Couple this with the fact that the league has a mandatory cap floor that requires that a team spend to a certain level, so in some cases an owner cannot even choose to be more frugal.

 

Although the thing is, they could literally sign the entire league to league minimum, and the way the CBA is set up, the players will all get their salaries buffed up (or dropped down) so that they earn 57% of the revenues.

 

Just to illustrate: League revenues were $3.3 billion dollars. 57% of that is $1.881 billion dollars. There are 23 players per team, for 690 active player (including the scratched players on the active roster), and if they all made "league minimum" a fan would *think* that they're only making $525,000 dollars. But with the salaries being tied to revenue (and each player making the same salary), they'd actually each make $2.762 million dollars ($1,881/690). This is 4x the amount of money that they'd make with their contract.

 

It complicates the issue on how much money the players are making. All signing the huge contract does is obligate a team to pay a slightly bigger piece of the pie in total.

 

 

The obvious issue is that while the league revenues increased by 50% since the last lockout, it obviously didn't increase evenly. What likely happened is some of the really rich teams ended up getting much, much, much richer, and while there is some revenue sharing, it's evidently not enough. I think that, personally, the league should go full communist if they want to keep a 30 team league, but obviously the richer teams aren't going to want to subsidize the more struggling franchises. If they want to keep parity in the league though, they either need a MUCH stricter salary cap (that is dependent on the revenues of the lowest earning team... and the players aren't going to want that) with no cap floor, or better revenue sharing.

 

Either that or the league needs to recognize that the struggling franchises just aren't able to cut it and contract the league.

Edited September 30, 2012 by alanschu

[Volourn]

"Either that or the league needs to recognize that the struggling franchises just aren't able to cut it and contract the league. "

 

This is the way it should happen. But stupid owners, players, and fans won't let it. If you can't afford to have a team you should get your butt dumped out of the league.

[alanschu]

This was a good read:

 

http://ca.askmen.com/sports/fanatic/nhl-lockout-2012.html

 

 

Looks like Joffrey and the Union are thinking more of a communist type approach as well. Instead of taking from the players, how about taking from some of the teams that are raking in the dough.

[Hurlshort]

Time for a resurrection, as it looks like we will have a dab of hockey this season!

 

The lockout looks to be ending, and a new CBA is apparently about 10 years long, so hopefully that means no ridiculous stoppages in the near future.

 

It will be interesting how teams adapt to this very short prep time before the short season, and who comes out of the gate ready to compete.

[Kor Qel Droma]

I hate to say it, but I haven't missed hockey as much as I thought I would.

 

Kudos to both sides for removing their collective heads from their asses.

 

Also, fire Bettman!!

[Hurlshort]

I agree, but that has been aided by watching my baseball team win the World Series, having a decent basketball team, my college football team making it to a bowl game, and the NFL. With football wrapping up soon, it will be nice to have some hockey to watch in February and beyond. Plus you still can't beat the Stanley Cup playoffs for entertainment purposes.

[Malcador]

Finally, now Canadians can stop whining about this. And Leafs fans can go back to being dumb sheep.

[Deraldin]

Hurray! Finally I'll have something to watch on saturday nights again!

[Josan]

Ah, Volourn, I haven't had the pleasure of reading your posts for several years. What can I say? This thread finally prompted me to make a post here.

 

Hockey is back. I had no sympathy for either side but at least I'll have something to watch on TV on Saturday that's better than the swill on the History Channel. Now if only Don Cherry would retire...

[Kai]

It's about time, finally something to do whenever I happen to be awake at night. Could be an interesting season with so few games, and a lot of players who haven't played at all during the fall.

 

And yeah, please fire Bettman...

[Kor Qel Droma]

I hope my Oilers are ready to roll. Our top line has been pretty dominant in the AHL this year, and all of the top six have been playing since the lockout started.

 

The bottom six is a whole different story, though. The Mullet played a few games in the Spengler Cup, but aside from that most of the checkers and grinders have been inactive.