Will the players accept?

[Jim Bob 0]

And to think that the NHL is offering 54% of revenue to merely a portion of their employees. That doesn't include the salaries for the coaching staff, the front office staff, and all the sales, promotion, and behind the scenes workers as well.

[Smith 0]

Ever look at the way the MLS runs? The league control all the contracts for the players, so there will be no bidding wars between teams., which is most likly the only way that league has lasted so long.(kind of off topic but nobody ever brings it up, and it was in one of the leagues early ideas) Every league has some sort of linkage, it is time for the NHL to have it also. I don't think anymore the NHLPA cares about the cap, its the cap linked to profit that is stoping them.

[Jim Bob 0]

Actually, the NHL's proposal won't guarantee anything.

If revenues keep declining, the salaries will always out pace revenues because the "cap number" will be based on the previous season's revenue figures.

Bettman's plan is only bulletproof in a climate where revenues stay flat or grow year over year.

And I doubt anyone can assume that for the NHL over the next few years at least.

[Jim Bob 0]

Ever look at the way the MLS runs? The league control all the contracts for the players, so there will be no bidding wars between teams., which is most likly the only way that league has lasted so long.(kind of off topic but nobody ever brings it up, and it was in one of the leagues early ideas) Every league has some sort of linkage, it is time for the NHL to have it also. I don't think anymore the NHLPA cares about the cap, its the cap linked to profit that is stoping them.

The NHL offered up a system where the league negotiated all contracts and the NHLPA didn't want to go anywhere near that system.

The NHLPA wants a system that is as inflationary as possible and gives players and agents as much leverage as possible. That system would give the players almost no leverage at all.

My guess is that the NHLPA would take a hard cap system over a "single entity" system.

[Jim Bob 0]

A lot would depend on how an outside body views the NHL.

Is the NHL one business with 30 semi-independent franchises ala McDonald's, etc.

Or, is the NHL 30 separate businesses in a loose affiliation.

If it's the former, then I doubt the NHL would have a hard time getting a hard cap system OK'd in an impasse situation.

If it the latter, then I could see it being an issue.

Although, I'd be surprised if the NHL goes the impasse and implementation route. I think those claims are more sabrerattling than anything else. Trying to go that route blew up in MLB's face and I don't think the NHL will want to take that risk.