There are two ways the players can respond. One is to see that as a fair and reasonable deal that is ultimately where the league wants to get and sign it (with a tweak or two as needed).
The other is to get arrogant and say this is a sign of weakness and push for significantly more.
If they do the former, we wil have hockey soon.
If they do the latter, then the surprising amount of public support they currently have will evaporate.
82 game schedule starting November 2nd.
The season was supposed to start on October 10th. That means they are pushing the season back 3+ weeks and still playing 82 games.
End result, either a very compressed schedule or hockey being played near independence day.
Three weeks is about 10 games lost. Maybe play a 72 game schedule and move on.
Of course, this would be a great problem to have given where we are right now.
MAKE THE DEAL!
"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." - Winston Churchill
Ladies and gentlemen, the following public service message is brought to you by your friends from D-Generation X, who would like to remind each and every one of you that if you're not down with that, we've got two words for you...
Originally posted by KevintripodIf they do the latter, then the surprising amount of public support they currently have will evaporate.
There's nothing surprising about the level of public support the players have enjoyed to this point, IMO. The owners got everything they wanted in the last CBA, and their strategy this time around (until now) was to double-down on demands for even more draconian givebacks - a patently ridiculous stand given the game's growth beyond all expectations in the last few years.
I do agree that a lot of that public support will evaporate if they reject this deal outright, but I doubt that will happen. That said, this leak (deadspin.com) of a secret focus group the NHL commissioned does give the players some leverage for additional minor concessions, because it makes it readily obvious that the NHL's offer today was motivated more by PR than by a genuine desire to negotiate fairly. Fehr will probably be able to extract a gradual reduction of HRR share in the first few years as he's been wanting, plus a couple of extra years on the contract length restriction, before all is said and done.
smark/net attack Advisory System Status is: Elevated (Holds; June 18, 2006) While the switch from Cena to RVD should alleviate some complaints, the inevitability of the belt's return to Cena (note where Summerslam is this year) and the poor initial showing by the new ECW are enough to keep the indicator where it is for now. The pieces are in place, though, especially on RAW, for improvements to be made to the IWC's psyche in the near future.
Toronto Star columnist Damien Cox places the blame for the current NHL labor issues squarely with the players union and its decision to hire Don Fehr after firing Paul Kelly.
Originally posted by KevintripodToronto Star columnist Damien Cox places the blame for the current NHL labor issues squarely with the players union and its decision to hire Don Fehr after firing Paul Kelly.
You have to wonder, if anybody else was NHLPA head, would they be playing hockey now?
(edited by Kevintripod on 20.10.12 1650)
Damien Cox is good buds with Bettman so take this with a grain of salt. And no matter who was the head of the PA we'd still have a lockout because the one constant in three lockouts is Bettman. Three lockouts in eighteen seasons and one lost season and maybe two and Cox went from demonizing Goodenow to Fehr now. I find it pretty galling that the owners are unwilling tohonor the contracts they signed players too, and want more rollbacks.
...not St. Norbert College. Dammit! In a heartbreaker on Saturday, the Green Knights of St. Norbert (De Pere, WI...it's a Green Bay suburb, and where the Packers bunk during training camp), lost the NCAA D-3 title (USCHO.com)
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