Rob Ray will cross the line

[Jim A 4]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1913581

[Dan_The_Man_16 0]

Good for him. I agree with his statement about the '94 lock out. Whoppie, 50 grand, for him big deal, he was making 300. I however support a salary cap and think it would prevent further labour stoppages.

[Eazy_b97 1]

I'm not sure about "real salaries", but isn't a 15% raise pretty good for a strike/ lock-out? This guy is a sideshow in the NHL, he'll be lucky if he has a job once they return. Replacement players would be his best scenario.

[Dan_The_Man_16 0]

Sure, 15% is good, but if your already making great money, what do you need that for? Salaries/Wages increase over time due to inflation, etc. I don't see the need for large spike increases in peoples salaries who are already making good money ($300 000 a year NOW is good money, it was even better 10 years ago)

[Eazy_b97 1]

what kind of a return did he expect though? A free market for a fighter? His claim to fame was getting half naked when fighting so people couldn't hold onto him. The tie down rule is basically because of him, other than that he wasn't much of a player. The last lockout gave him the oppurtunity to make big money, unfortunately nobody saw it fit to pay him. It's not like their was restrictions and his money was paid out elsewhere.

[kosydar 0]

Hey, don't forget his beer belly. Hes proof that you don't need a six pack to play in the show.

[Jim Bob 0]

Ray's point was that the NHLPA sold him on the idea that losing half a season in 94-95 would turn into much higher salaries for everyone.

Well, it worked out for the high end guys, but that didn't always trickle down to guys like himself.

And look at the stats. 30 NHL players make over $6 million per season. A little over 200 make over the league average of $1.8 million. Over 900 players make less than the league average salary.

Ray is saying that the NHLPA's stance is likely to help the minority of NHLPA members and the bottom 200 to 300 guys should push to get their voice heard more than the top 30 guys that are getting the ear of Goodenow right now.

[Jim Bob 0]

And the other issue is that the risk of losing a season will hurt more guys than will likely get helped if the NHLPA "wins" the CBA battle.

The bottom 200 to 300 guys likely don't have a lot of money saved up because they likely haven't been in the NHL that long.

Guys like Rory Fitzpatrick and Brian Pothier were looking at 04-05 being their first pretty big NHL paycheck earning season.

And they don't know if they will even have an NHL job after this is all over with.

So what's in it for them?

That's why I think a secret ballot would be bad for the NHLPA. There are a lot more "Have Nots" than "Haves" in the NHLPA right now. And it has to be hard to sell sacrifice to guys that don't see that sacrifice helping them out a whole heck of a lot.