NHLPA counter $49m

[MissConduct 1]

tsn.ca

why not make it 45 and call it a night?

[Louie 28]

I just called the NHL and I hit 1 and then you can type in who you want to speak with, I typed in Bettman and he has a secretary in the office. I asked if they would be counter offering to the $49 mill and she said she does not know.

Call! Let our voices be known!

National Hockey League

1251 Avenue of the Americas

47th Floor

New York, NY 10020

Phone: 212-789-2000

NHL Players' Association

777 Bay Street

Suite 2400

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2C8

Phone: 416-313-2300

[ponty 0]

I just called the NHL and I hit 1 and then you can type in who you want to speak with, I typed in Bettman and he has a secretary in the office. I asked if they would be counter offering to the $49 mill and she said she does not know.

Call! Let our voices be known!

National Hockey League

1251 Avenue of the Americas

47th Floor

New York, NY 10020

Phone: 212-789-2000

NHL Players' Association

777 Bay Street

Suite 2400

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2C8

Phone: 416-313-2300

You should have asked Gary if which foot he puts his left skate on. My guess is that he uses two righties.

Really I am not bitter ... Gotta stop listening to Korn now :)

[RadioGaGa 162]

I'm not a Union guy...and I'm no negociator or anything...but how do you counter a "FINAL OFFER"?

[EDIT] TSN Just reported that the League has rejected the $49M Counter Offer. Sorry, no link yet.

[MissConduct 1]

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman swiftly rejected the players latest offer of a $49 million cap

tsn.ca

[RadioGaGa 162]

This whole salary cap thing is to control Detroit/NY Rangers/Toronto and a few others. Do you really think the number 45 Million on paper is going to give Columbus or Florida or Carolina an additional 15 Million to spend.

C'mon!

You're absolutely right Theo...the League was not going to except that number...but at least give a real reason....as if all 30 teams will spend to the Cap.

[Edge 0]

Does anyone know what teams like the Rangers, etc spent before the lockout?

[Eazy_b97 1]

I don't have a problem with them rejecting it based on what they've offered, but to give the impression you expect all teams to be at the salary cap limit at one point is just asinine.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Does anyone know what teams like the Rangers, etc spent before the lockout?

Rangers - $76,488,716

Red Wings - $ 77,856,109

Flyers - $ 68,175,247

Leafs - $ 62,458,140

by comparison...

Carolina - $ 35,908,738

Columbus - $ 34,000,000

Minny - $ 27,200,500

I don't know for sure if those are the actual high and low teams in the league...just off the top of my head the haves and have nots...

(from http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/salaries/)

[2048 0]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=115069

Anyone even read it or just read on the MB? There's a 50% tax after you hit 40million and it escalates after that. How many teams would be willing to pay 1.5 dollars for every dollar they intend to spend on a given player? Wanna go 3 million over? Nope, it's now 4.5 million.

[RadioGaGa 162]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=115069

Anyone even read it or just read on the MB? There's a 50% tax after you hit 40million and it escalates after that. How many teams would be willing to pay 1.5 dollars for every dollar they intend to spend on a given player? Wanna go 3 million over? Nope, it's now 4.5 million.

Yeah, I've read it....That's one of the facts that make Bettmans statement...

"If every team spent to the $49-million level, total player compensation would exceed what we spent last season, and our player compensation cost would exceed 75% of revenues..."

even more ridiculous. C'mon Gary...if every team spent to the 42.5 that the League proposed, they'd be in just as bad a postion. Control the top spenders....that's all the Cap is supposed to do.

[Jim A 4]

I had a real good conversation with a buddy earlier who works for a minor pro team and am trying to get the words right again..

the fact is the negotiations should have been this serious a long time ago...he made a good point that both Bettman and Goodenow came on the job around the same time, which I hadn't realized, and that both need this first win

I think 42 million is more than suitable for a cap..I also like linkage...of course that requires a significant agreement on what revenues are to be reported by each team and include things like Team ABC reporting their subsidary UYH llc that technically owns the arena, etc..

there needs to be meaningful revenue sharing so that after teams like Detroit, NY,etc are reeled in..teams like Pitt and MN etc aren't still at 28..that's my worry...and still on unsolid ground...

If the owners just cave after all that has gone on the past few months, I'd actually be pretty pissed since the game won't likely be fixed economically

Actually.I've decided that I won't go to a game, unless tix are free, for a year after this ends...its been a long game of chicken...

[Chadd 916]

I like the NHLPA offer. They are giving quite a bit on almost every issue.

[jnicklo 0]

This is just sick!

Fireman and Policeman need to be making this sort of money, not money hungry Sports starts!

UGH

Accept the deal already, SOMEONE.

[Chadd 916]

This is just sick!

Fireman and Policeman need to be making this sort of money, not money hungry Sports starts!

UGH

Accept the deal already, SOMEONE.

Sure, because people would want their taxes to be around 90%. Obviously we want a deal and no person is worth the kind of money these guys get paid, but it is the market value.

[jnicklo 0]

It wasn't an idea Chadd, more so a realization that sports stars are grossly overpaid.

How about this, seeing as I'm a graphic designer I think I should speak on behalf of people in my profession that WE should be paid much more ;)

[Jim A 4]

After choking on the words from ESPN that had the WNBA listed above the NHL in terms of popularity during a year long poll....(really non PC term snipped)

I guess my biggest concern is still that they don't "budge" another couple million when its not good for the economic health of the game..

and if you don't think the economic health of the game is an issue when it costs $200+ to take your girl to the game, after getting avg seats , parking , a couple beers , dogs , program...

I will buy some season tickets to the Texas Tornado next year though, its fun, exciting and those kids play hard each night..a 3700 seat arena that is nearly sold out each night provides good atmosphere and they, like minor league baseball, realize what they have to do to keep the fans

this shouldn't be like the guys who didn't study all year now cramming for a cumulative final and trying to pull it out at the last moment

if the owners have come this far, and i think its further than anyone ever thought...they should stay the course..because if they move too much now...they will never get the economics on track..

get the impasse, implement the system over the summer..put in the new rules from the AHL and i'd say at least 75% of the players would come back to play, maybe not all at the start of camp..but many of these guys's families aren't going to be supportive of a 2nd year in Europe when they could be making the same $ here...is it worth it to live in over there when you know you won't see your kids, wife and others for 7months and you still have the culture shock ,etc to deal with..no way a guy like Modano leaves another 9mil, or 6.75...on the table in '06

my biggest fear is that when i wake up in the AM..the owners have blinked, move again (making it the not so final but final enough because we're serious) and then this whole lockout was a serious waste of time and could have been solved in late Dec or so...thus robbing us all the NHL'ers at the show and other places..

[Chadd 916]

and if you don't think the economic health of the game is an issue when it costs $200+ to take your girl to the game, after getting avg seats , parking , a couple beers , dogs , program...

That's not going to change, no matter who "wins" the CBA war. As long as the big market teams can sell out at those prices, everyone else is going along for the ride.

As a side note, they aren't a couple million apart. They are a couple million apart on each team, or up to $100M apart. Of course that would be of every team maxed out, something that isn't going to happen.

[Jim Bob 0]

Neither side is going to be panhandling anytime soon if they were to accept the other side's offer today.

If they can get this close only to not meet in the middle and save the season, then both sides are more stubborn and stupid than I thought they were.

However, my guess is that at about 10:59am there will be an announcement that they have a deal in the $45 to 46 million range.

[DrMolotov 0]

Let the league burn, I hope they all go down in flames. After all, with the money that has been lost this year there is no way the league will offer more than they have with this last offer. I can see it now, scabs, picket lines, empty seats and a league that ranks behind lawn bowling. Way to go Bettman, hats off Bob, thanks for nothing.

Burn baby, Burn

When Lord Stanley donated the Stanley Cup it was to be given to the best hockey team in "The Dominion", I guess that means it should by all rights go to the winner of the Memorial Cup or the winners of the Alan Cup. How do you think the players would respond if the NHL lost their Holy Grail. In fact there is a grassroots orginization in Canada currently looking to take the issue to court.

[Jim Bob 0]

How about to the winner of the Calder Cup? That is likely to be the best team in North America this season if the NHL season is cancelled.

[DrMolotov 0]

How about to the winner of the Calder Cup? That is likely to be the best team in North America this season if the NHL season is cancelled.

Give the cup to the AHL, works for me.

Just read this quote from Matthew Barnaby in today's Toronto Star...

"No. I want to get back to work. But at the same time, I'm just a little disappointed that it went this far to play poker and to have someone call your bluff."

Seems like some players are a little unhappy with the union right now, and many are suprised the NHLPA finally agreed to a salary cap at least in principal.

[Jackal3688 0]

get the impasse, implement the system over the summer..put in the new rules from the AHL and i'd say at least 75% of the players would come back to play, maybe not all at the start of camp..but many of these guys's families aren't going to be supportive of a 2nd year in Europe when they could be making the same $ here...is it worth it to live in over there when you know you won't see your kids, wife and others for 7months and you still have the culture shock ,etc to deal with..no way a guy like Modano leaves another 9mil, or 6.75...on the table in '06

I agree with you on the economics part of your arguement and that ticket prices really have gone out the roof for a game that has been slowly declining over the past few years. But What about the international players? There are other players in the NHL other than North Americans. If they could make the same amount of $ and play at "home" in Europe I think they would rather do that. Why come over to North America and play in the NHL where you might be mediocre and get a spot on a 3rd or 4th line when you are already a revered individual over in your home country and play on a 1st or 2nd line? But as for the 75% part, I agree with you on that too. But the rest of the 25% would be European players that want to play at home where some of them are their countries "National Heroes"

[DrMolotov 0]

get the impasse, implement the system over the summer..put in the new rules from the AHL and i'd say at least 75% of the players would come back to play, maybe not all at the start of camp..but many of these guys's families aren't going to be supportive of a 2nd year in Europe when they could be making the same $ here...is it worth it to live in over there when you know you won't see your kids, wife and others for 7months and you still have the culture shock ,etc to deal with..no way a guy like Modano leaves another 9mil, or 6.75...on the table in '06

I agree with you on the economics part of your arguement and that ticket prices really have gone out the roof for a game that has been slowly declining over the past few years. But What about the international players? There are other players in the NHL other than North Americans. If they could make the same amount of $ and play at "home" in Europe I think they would rather do that. Why come over to North America and play in the NHL where you might be mediocre and get a spot on a 3rd or 4th line when you are already a revered individual over in your home country and play on a 1st or 2nd line? But as for the 75% part, I agree with you on that too. But the rest of the 25% would be European players that want to play at home where some of them are their countries "National Heroes"

The longer this goes and I think you will see a shift towards Europe. Look at top flite soccer, five years ago it was Italy, then Spain was the place to play and now its England. Let's say they form a European Super League with big money contracts, what would stop the best players from getting the most money... nothing.

The NHL is the Titanic and its going down, and only four hours left to get the lifeboats ready.... time will tell but looks to me like the fat lady is warming up.

[DrMolotov 0]

the Fan 590 is reporting a possible NHL counter offer

http://www.fan590.com/