See...and I'm just thinking out loud here...the players to me are no different from sport-to-sport - in that their motive is to play the sport they love, earn a paycheck.
To me, the reason why NBA, NFL (I suppose MLB) has their shit tight and NHL does not is ownership. The former having strong leadership and command of a clear, long term objective, but also not trying to develop franchises too far nor too fast.
Am I wrong?
Maybe it's partly due to a flourishing yet still nascent NHL trying to find its place among the other major leagues. Growing pains, as it were...
@SmittysRant
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Except they aren't losing money, at least not as much as the league wants to make it look like. Most franchises are profitable. It's all smart book-keeping because the owners learned they can make the players foot the bill for them. Then you add the fact that Bettman thought it was silly that the players would want to look at the teams' independently audited books. Of course the players are right not to trust the owners.
GO WINGS!
Well, the distrust is certainly palpable - that much is true. And I also believe Dakkster hit the nail on the head with regard to his comment on Bettman having the players foot the bill for ownership's losses.
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Then as an owner you (a) should meet with all your other owners and agree upon a clear objective for the league as a whole and the best way to achieve it, or (b) every owner acts in their own best interests, and if that means you lose a franchise along the way then so be it.
Pick one.
@SmittysRant
I wish the fans would form their own 'union'. Want to see real power? Fans can dictate anything as a group. Unfortunately not realistic but one can dream.
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I don't agree. With social media the fans could easily organize a movement. Create some guidelines to follow:
#1 Attend half the games you normally attend. (I would suggest no games but that is not realistic for many.)
#2 Do not purchase ANY food or drink while at the games. If you must buy beer, drink half as much.
#3 Do not purchase any jerseys, t-shirts, hats, or any other NHL merchandise.
#4 Do not wear any NHL Clothing unless you are attending a game.
#5 Do not purchase NHL Center Ice.
#6 Quit following the NHL on Facebook and Twitter.
#7 Never visit NHL.com
For how long? Until the next CBA agreement occurs that does not include a lockout.
10 Team, 60 Player Roster
G, A, PTS, PPP, PIM, BLKs, Hits, +/-, Shots, W, GAA, SV%, Saves
C- JHughes, Trocheck, RThomas, Zegras, Norris, Bennett, PLD, Stephenson, Danualt
RW- Raymond, Stone, TWilson, Toffoli, KJohnson, Nyqvist, Zary
LW- Keller, Schmaltz, Bunting, Skinner, Barbashev, Duclair
D- QHughes, McAvoy, Doughty, Heiskanen, LHughes, Mintyukov
G- Shesterkin, Demko, Andersen, Kahkonen, Levi, Tarasov, Annunen
Notable Prospects- Nikishin, Kulich, Leonard, Wood, Perreault, Lekkermaki, Ostlund, Othmman, REvans, L-Heureux, Ivanov, Murashov
The idea is a good one but it just doesn't work that way. People want their convenience in the moment. If they are at the games, they will buy food and drinks as they see fit without even realizing who they are in fact supporting. If a new sensation comes along the people will buy the jersey and buy NHL Center Ice to see that player in action. People don't want to give up their season tickets because there is a waiting list and dropping them now means probably never getting any again (heard several people call into NHL radio with this exact statement).
Social media movements are just a drop in the bucket. People will do what they want when that moment comes. Those who are really going to boycott the NHL have done so already by moving on to something else.
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Miller's full text, for what it's worth...
“The owners wanted to leave the room and pull everything we spent a full day on. I asked them to stay and continue pushing through. I may have been passionate but there was no disrespect or calling out one owner by name. I have a lot of respect for any owner because they are a big part of hockey.
“I wanted more than anything to make a deal but we are not professional negotiators. We as players didn’t have the experience or authority to make a final deal. We were trying to responsibly move this process forward as best we could. If anyone thinks that we did wrong by the game or by the fans then they are misinformed. We have a responsibility to about 750 players and we made moves approved by them and thinking about them.”
@SmittysRant
^ This, being angry about the NHL lockout and saying you have no further interest in the NHL are mutually exclusive.
If you are really done then leave this site and worry about your job, kids, or your other hobbies instead of hockey. I'm getting there and its not that bad.
10 Team Limited Keeper (Keep 8) Points Only
SALARY CAP (Player Salaries) League
20 Player Teams = 12 Fwd 6 D 2 G
My team: ???
When MLB lost the World Series in 1994, attendance went down 25% and there has not been any more work stoppages. I hope the conclusion is not that hockey fans are not smart enough or motivated enough to understand how their behavior empowers the greed of the owners and players. Fans need to hold owners accountable and not allow them to take the fans for granted.
10 Team, 60 Player Roster
G, A, PTS, PPP, PIM, BLKs, Hits, +/-, Shots, W, GAA, SV%, Saves
C- JHughes, Trocheck, RThomas, Zegras, Norris, Bennett, PLD, Stephenson, Danualt
RW- Raymond, Stone, TWilson, Toffoli, KJohnson, Nyqvist, Zary
LW- Keller, Schmaltz, Bunting, Skinner, Barbashev, Duclair
D- QHughes, McAvoy, Doughty, Heiskanen, LHughes, Mintyukov
G- Shesterkin, Demko, Andersen, Kahkonen, Levi, Tarasov, Annunen
Notable Prospects- Nikishin, Kulich, Leonard, Wood, Perreault, Lekkermaki, Ostlund, Othmman, REvans, L-Heureux, Ivanov, Murashov