The NHLPA is Screwed

[The Comish]

Turris Moans

“The travel here is horrendous. It’s worse than junior,” he said. “We’ll fly into Helsinki then hop in a bus for four to six hours, meanwhile, we’ll make three stops on a six-hour bus trip for no reason. It’s awful.”

Although North America will never be mistaken for its culinary prowess like France or Italy, Turris quickly found out that it can get worse.

“The food here is awful,” he explained. “On the road, we eat at truck stops. ABC truck stops. I’m not kidding. We file out of the bus and head off beside the highway for a buffet truck stop pregame meal. It’s ridiculous.”

The media operation isn’t any more comfortable. After his first game, Turris was taken upstairs to a podium in front of 100 sponsors in an audience looking at him not understanding a word.

“It’s so awkward. They don’t understand anything that you’re saying, staring at you confused,” he said. “I feel like a complete idiot, trying to use hand signals to help communicate.”
-----------------------------

NHL Players are stuck between a rock and Gary Bettman's smug (very punchable) face. The above is the alternative to the NHL. Best of luck for those talented enough to grab a job there if the NHL shuts down for a year or two.

There are only so many jobs outside of the NHL to go around. How many North American NHL players would be happy to ply their trade in the KHL? How many jobs are there for non-Russian players? Yeah, not many at the end of the day.

What about the Swiss League? A decent league for comfort and they compensate pretty well for the top players. Again, how many jobs are there for NA players?

From what I understand the Swedish Elite League and Finnish SM-Liiga both pay less than the Swiss and Russian leagues.

The AHL pays is peanuts when compared to the above leagues: AHL Salary article

So where exactly do the rank and file of the NHLPA think they are going to ply their trade if the NHL ceases to become an option? The stars will continue to get excellent compensation regardless of where they play and many have sponsors plus other streams of revenue thanks to their "name" (which was "made" in the NHL). The reality is that the majority of the NHLPA are not going to rake in the bucks at quite the same rate as they would in the NHL REGARDLESS of whatever "shitty" deal the NHLPA signs with the NHL.

I get that the players are proud and don't want to be perceived as "losing" the CBA talks, but get real you boneheads...what exactly is Plan B? If they NHL wanted to be hard asses, they would pull something like non-guaranteed contracts (NFL I believe) out of their bag of tricks...or maybe make the players buy their own pre-game meals and put them up in less than the best hotels and fly them coach (OMG OMG OMG, panic sets in...the horror, the horror...). If it gets really bad, maybe the players will have to buy their own soap and shampoo (I'm not making this up!!).

These idiots don't truly get how good they've got it and yet many are ironically willing to play for less in those inferior leagues for inferior pay, while the majority of their bretheren sit at home unable or unwilling to play in another league while this drama is being drawn out. Some solidarity there! (that's sarcasm for those that didn't catch me winking while I said that)

I have gained much respect for Sidney Crosby (and others) for not going overseas. I lost a huge amount of respect for Bobby Ryan who even came out and said he wouldn't take another players job and then some time later, did exactly that! (I still drafted him in one of my leagues, gotta separate personal feelings and potentially winning my league!)

The fact that players are playing overseas (the AHL is different in that they are playing for an extension of their team's organization) shows that the players are not truly in this together no matter how they spin it. This thing will fragment very quickly for the players.

The owners have already won because they had less to lose. Simple. Done. As soon as the players realize this, the quicker we will have the best league in the world back up and running. Please stop saying you will never watch NHL hockey again...it's been 94 days and you are still reading/posting on a fantasy hockey forum!!

If the players continue to be stupid and push the NHL to cancel the season, when they finally do come back, the NHL will suffer varying degrees of attendance losses and a huge image problem. The harm isn't irrepairable, but it will be significant for at least a couple of seasons, most noticeably in the non-traditional hockey markets. Players, this affects YOU as well!! Basic math...less fans = less money (or in lawyer speak HRR) = lower cap = lower contracts. DUH.

All I know is that when they finally do come back, I don't want to hear a disingenuous "thank you fans" from the league or I'll puke. This lockout was rife with both sides attempting to use the media to get their message out to the other side (and attempt to sway public opinion) instead of simply bargaining in good faith. Both sides are guilty in this. Sway us with money...lower the ticket prices for the entire 48 game season significantly. Deeds not words.

Sorry for the long ramble, but I had to get this off my chest! Looking forward to the best tournament outside of the Olympics...the WJHC!!

[Bnhershy]

I think you have to put the world championships up there with the juniors as well. They may not be as big for Canada as the juniors, but it's huge in Europe and ultimately means more in determining which country stands above the rest with respect to hockey.

But yeah it's great to see guys represent their country. Eberle highlights still give me chills.

[The Comish]

Originally Posted by Bnhershy

I think you have to put the world championships up there with the juniors as well. They may not be as big for Canada as the juniors, but it's huge in Europe and ultimately means more in determining which country stands above the rest with respect to hockey.

But yeah it's great to see guys represent their country. Eberle highlights still give me chills.

I think the World Juniors stand above everything except the Olympics for one simple reason, they are teenagers playing their hearts out for their countries and maybe just a little bit for the scouts. The passion is so readily on display, where the pros are way too over-coached. Robots on ice. Efficient, but boring. Lacking in passion/excitement.

I hear you on the World Championships as well, but over the last several years, many of the prima donnas (aka NHL players) don't or won't play for their country for various reasons. Injury for me is the only legit reason you turn down an invite because as a true hockey player you BETTER not have booked a holiday at that time of year. You should have planned on playing some playoff hockey around then! Do you not want to play hockey boys?

[coldsquad2002]

Have too agree with everything said. Well written.
Long for the NHL of the 1970s. No lockout bullshit.

Quick question.
If Donald "The Duck" Fehr gets the players to disband the NHLPA,
is he not out of a job

[fulcrum]

Enjoyed reading that. I wish they would realize whatthey have as well and build it instead of feeling so entitled. Unless you are the boss' son, entitlement will cost you your job.

[rangersfury]

The author should have asked Turris if he'd rather be back in Phoenix.

As for the rest of your post I agree in principle, you've got it good so slightly less good is still a hell of a lot better than the alternative. The problem is the labor fight isn't so black and white. You've got an ownership group that clearly disrespects the union, loathes its leadership, and wants to impose its will upon it in order to keep it as weak as possible. If Bettman, Daly, Jacobs, Edwards, etc are truly concerned with the long-term health and viability of the league the first place you start is amicable labor relations so that you can focus on the product itself. Lets be honest here, whichever side you are on (if any), there has been no negotiation in good faith. Its been nothing but demands, deadlines, my-way-or-else rants and bad blood the whole way. We know the players hired Fehr to help them get their shit together and rebuild the union, and Fehr is well known to not look out for everyone's best interests, only that of his constituents. But that's where Bettman and the league screwed up and instead of bullying the players should instead have said "Look, we have too many teams that are not viable. We need the HRR split down to 50/50. In exchange we'll drastically increase revenue sharing so you have 30 viable franchises as employers. We also need a mechanism to avoid back-diving, cap circumventing contracts which increase escrow for all players as the cap-relief gained for the team comes out of the players share." Give and take, what a novel concept.

Is it that simple? No, but the principle was there and the guys who are supposedly looking out for the league long term didn't even bother to try it. Fehr will push the league to cancel the season, there is no doubt now. Its a $3.3 Billion game of chicken. Gary and team will have to blink, they know they can't afford a lost season. Right now they're doing anything they can to scare/bully the players into an agreement (unlikely to happen but hence the radio silence over the past week) and to save face so it doesn't look like they lost to Fehr. The thing we need to worry about as fans is if the league convinces itself that blowing up another season is in the NHL's best long term interest. It may be their best bet for ridding themselves of Fehr and breaking the union again. Scary thought but do you really put it past Bettman and Jacobs to at least seriously consider it as an option?

Really, its come down to a battle of egos. Player entitlement vs owner greed. Fehr vs Bettman. Everyone has stuck their neck out so far at this point that its more about perception management and spin than it is actual, tangible victory. So amazingly frustrating.


Sorry to piggyback off your ramble with a rant of my own Russ... I guess I just have a lot of pent up HRF - Hockey Related Frustration.

[Pengwin7]

Turris likes his North American pillows.
LOL.

Good post, certainly the owners knew they'd gain some strength with the players disbanding a bit. Sure, there's money overseas... but not the structure.

I can't wait for the winter to come full force over there... everybody in the more northern leagues is probably going to be in for a treat being away from the "comforts of home".

I'm annoyed with both sides, but have always definitely been pro-owner in this fight.

The average NHL player these days is getting about $2-$3m for playing a friggin game for a living.
That's always annoyed me.
They should've always have taken less. They should still see that they deserve less.
When the economy bit the housing market... just about every business in the construction world (structural engineers included) scaled back.
Sure I had a "set pay" that I was told I would get. And when they said I'd get 80% (32 hour weeks, instead of 40 hour weeks), we all simply said "Well, OK... we're just happy we have a job and the pay is still decent".

I'll always love the game - and I'll be there when they get back.
But I'll booooo... so annoyed with the NHLPA.

[ericdaoust]

Originally Posted by Pengwin7

I'll always love the game - and I'll be there when they get back.
But I'll booooo... so annoyed with the NHLPA.

I know what you mean but I feel like the NHL has really chipped away at my hockey foundation. Right now I'm in for the long haul. But 5-10 years from now I could maybe turn my attention to other things. Slowly but surely.

I just have no respect for the people running the league and I think the players are complete morons who could be outsmarted by a toddler.

[Bomm Bastic]

Originally Posted by ericdaoust

I just have no respect for the people running the league and I think the players are complete morons who could be outsmarted by a toddler.

Well said, and agreed.

[MolsonX]

Gotta feel bad for the kid, just 4 hours/day of sunlight.......

Someone ship him some vitamin D supplements, and a private plane.