NHL SEASON IS OVER!

[Chadd 916]

$10 says this gets resolved tonight or tomorrow

I wish it were true but there is no way in hell. This will not be resolved until next January.

I bet the PA doens't even pick up the phone until May. Why??? The season is toast...nothing to save...get it done for Sept of '05.

If resolved by the end of the week, the season will be back on. If not, forget the NHL and get ready to watch the WHA next fall.

[RadioGaGa 162]

$10 says this gets resolved tonight or tomorrow

I wish it were true but there is no way in hell. This will not be resolved until next January.

I bet the PA doens't even pick up the phone until May. Why??? The season is toast...nothing to save...get it done for Sept of '05.

If resolved by the end of the week, the season will be back on. If not, forget the NHL and get ready to watch the WHA next fall.

Has that been said publicly or are you guessing?

[Chadd 916]

There is no incentive for the players to negotiate over the summer. Keep in mind the NHL pulled their most reasonable offer off the table and said they are back to their original offer. The road to impasse and unilateral implementation of their own plan is damn near impossible. What's left?

[Dangles 0]

$10 says this gets resolved tonight or tomorrow

I wish it were true but there is no way in hell. This will not be resolved until next January.

I bet the PA doens't even pick up the phone until May. Why??? The season is toast...nothing to save...get it done for Sept of '05.

Ya but what if its a 6-month progression? Then we dont get a season until what, November?

[akhockeyplaya 0]

not to mention the fact that there won't be a draft this summer without a CBA in place. If Crosby turns out to be everything he's said to be, then he could be the thing that brings fans back. How will that happen when the draft occurs at mid-season or the end of next year, which are the two options I've heard. i don't know exactly how they'll deal with that, but it seems like they'd want to get it over with as quickly as possible.

[Jim A 4]

The NHL will get their impasse over the summer, likely have a draft in August so all the College and Major Junior issues are dealt with...and play under their system for the '05-06 season and beyond until they negotiate a new CBA with the NHLPA in the coming years

NHLPA lost any chance at having a true say in these negotiations and from here on out its just implementation, one that will have a cap under the 42million proposed yesterday and numerous other rollbacks and concessions that don't benefit the players but help the overall health of the game..

Some players will go to the WHA, mainly local players in a market who can be a draw and collect that $5mil superstar salary that doesn't count against the cap..(Hull in Dallas for example)...the big question is if some of the teams (ie. Phoenix in this example) will attempt to hold them to their existing contracts and what the precedent for that will be ....

I'd say 60+% of the NHLPA will show up for training camp, although some of them will be late arrivals ...many older or now 3rd line players will go to the WHA, making it sort of a 2k5 version of the IHL from the '90's...a few others will go to Europe and play, likely a lot of mid-range europeans and I'd think Forsberg as well..he'll come back when someone is willing to pay him 10mil again..

[cgin6 0]

This hockey 'insider' is reporting of a player's proposal. Albeit, this insider lost a lot of credibility the past few weeks of done deals. I for one don't believe it but I guess i am still grasping for some hope. I find it very frustrating that negotiations really started on the eve of the formal close to the season, and I for one would have extended the deadline even if it meant losing some credibility as a negotiator, but for the fans and for the good of the professional hockey. If they could have kept up the active negotiating for a few more days who knows what might have happened. Its sad that ones ego will cause so much damage to the game

C

[foppa21 0]

Just a lot? I don't see how he has any credibility anymore. I don't know of any of his claims that have come to fruition.

[Jim Bob 0]

Jim..Are you talking about replacement players? If that is the case, they must only be taken from the US.

I also think the League may have trouble in courts on route to an impasse.

One thing you are accurate about is that the League has the upper hand now.

Too add, Word on the street is that the NHL players are trying to get something salvaged behind Goodenows back.

I also like to sponser Bettman for a Grammy today for his fine acting skills. Bravo, Mr. B.

The whole talk of replacement players only being from the US isn't entirely correct.

That talk is based on how the US government usually won't grant work visas to replacement workers. However, there are a large number of Canadian and European players that have their green cards because they've married American women or just because they've lived in the US for so long.

Plus, all the players in the minors will likely already have their work visas in place.

Also, the US government may relax those rules for the NHL because the law was created to protect American workers. And this use of replacement players wouldn't affect as many American workers as much as say if GM tried to break an autoworkers union in Detroit by bringing in replacements from across the border.

[Jim A 4]

Jim..Are you talking about replacement players? If that is the case, they must only be taken from the US.

I also think the League may have trouble in courts on route to an impasse.

One thing you are accurate about is that the League has the upper hand now.

Too add, Word on the street is that the NHL players are trying to get something salvaged behind Goodenows back.

I also like to sponser Bettman for a Grammy today for his fine acting skills. Bravo, Mr. B.

Theo,

I'm saying that the lockout will in effect be over when they put their system into effect, I don't think they will have too much trouble getting the impasse as they can show they attempted to at least start the process of negotiation a long time ago, even if it wouldn't have gone into effect til 9-15-05..

now the NHL can even offer that it moved off what the NHLPA said it wouldn't accept, linkage, and try to portray them as not negotiating in good faith and essentially trying to fracture the owners..

if the players in the NHLPA choose not to accept it..that is their option..however I think many of the NHLPA players will choose to play under the implemented CBA for the '05-06 season...

If the NHLPA chooses to "strike" then I think we'll still see a majority of them in the NHL when play starts in October...

there is a resolution for this, it will not drag on til January..and I think that's why a lot of these players were rumored to be attempting to get something struck while the iron is still hot at least..then at least they can hold free exhibitions, skill comps,etc to get everyone used to hockey again..

btw..I think Gretz was physically ill after all this happened..anyone else see him on TV last night..wow..

[DrMolotov 0]

there is a resolution for this, it will not drag on til January..

I hope you're right but the hockey people who have called this one before it even started have also predicted no hockey before next January. Don Cherry himself is doubtfull of hockey before 2007 and I would believe him over anyone

I'll go on record as stating no NHL hockey before January 2007. Also, both Quebec and British Columbia's labour laws will not allow the use of replacement players so is the league going to say too bad for you...

let's not forget one thing, NHL is entertainment, Hockey is when you strap on the pads, lace 'em up and compete. We may have been robbed of watching the best players in the world but hockey has not been lost, you'll find it on frozen ponds, backyard rinks and your local arena. Go watch the kids play, and there you will find hockey at its purest.

[Jim A 4]

Dr M

they aren't replacement players, that's as wrong as calling this a work stoppage..

there will be a CBA in place, well at least a BA...and it will be up to the players to decide if they will accept it and play..

this isn't a strike where the NHL is going out and replacing players..ala theNFL in the 80's..the players were on strike...

when they get the impasse..they will implement the new system and the players will really have no choice but to play, build the game again and then seek an equitable share of revenues in the coming years..

[Fletch 219]

$10 says this gets resolved tonight or tomorrow

I doubt it.....not after the press conference. It would just make the NHL look even worse.

They need to spend the next few months meeting, coming up with a solid agreement that will last many years and working on making major changes to the game in order to improve it. Some new marketing strategy also wouldn't hurt things.

[RadioGaGa 162]

When all is said and done and they are playing hockey again...The League needs to market it's stars, and market it's future.

They need to treat Sydney Crosby the way the NBA is treating LeBron James. Make sure that everyone knows who he is...who he plays for and have his picture EVERTYHING NHL.

When Crosby's team plays on the road....he needs to be on the front of the program....it needs to be "Come see Sydney Play..."

[MDE3 0]

btw..I think Gretz was physically ill after all this happened..anyone else see him on TV last night..wow..

YES..and WOW..I could not focus on what he was saying for watching his eyes moving back and forth...That almost looks like a serious neurological disorder. Maybe that was the secret to his famous "ice vision"......sorry bad joke....I never remember seeing that before.

[Chadd 916]

$10 says this gets resolved tonight or tomorrow

I doubt it.....not after the press conference. It would just make the NHL look even worse.

They need to spend the next few months meeting, coming up with a solid agreement that will last many years and working on making major changes to the game in order to improve it. Some new marketing strategy also wouldn't hurt things.

That's not going to happen. If they don't come up with a miracle agreement in the next 24 hours, the NHL will attempt to declare an impasse and implement thier own rules. As has been noted by several people who are much more familiar with labor law on other websites, that will be a very long and difficult road.