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The start isn't overly promising... here's to a normal start date for the NHL this upcoming season! Some highlights so far (via Renaud Lavoie - retweeted by Bob Mackenzie):

NHL proposal to players:

1. Reduce players hockey related revenues to 46% from 57%.

2. Must play 10 seasons in the NHL before being UFA.

3. Contract length limited to 5 years.

4. No more salary arbitration.

5. Entry-level contract 5 years instead of 3.

Thoughts? Maybe it's premature to say so, but it's not looking good in terms of a normal start date...

I wasn't really envisioning starting on time, to be honest. Seems like a normal first proposal in how out there and completely whacked it is.

You have two benchmark dates on the calendar you can shoot for to start the season aside from on time. One is the Thanksgiving Showdown. The second is the date the league NEEDS to be back for, the Winter Classic. If the league can't do that, then it's in worse shape than I think most of us figured.

I may have been a little naive in thinking that it was plausible to start the season without reaching an agreement. Which, was something being thrown around before the talks officially started. I'm not surprised at how ballsy/out there these primary demands are from the owners, but if they're hell bent on every one of those being addressed and in their favour (not necessarily the exact same numbers)... this is going to be a long offseason.

I'm already going through hockey withdrawl, can't take another full season lockout!

Lockout

I know that first proposals are never expected to be serious, but this one looks like its only purpose is to make the NHLPA angry. Have to question that motive in negotations.

They absolutely need to do something about contracts (the lengths are silly) but some of these proposals are wild

ajaX82 wrote:They absolutely need to do something about contracts (the lengths are silly) but some of these proposals are wild

Agreed they really need to get that under control. A 6 year max is more than reasonable, even 5 is plenty.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/81784 ... e-proposal

Little update as the NHLPA and the NHL met together for the first time.

It's a very useful post,thank you for sharing!

So September 15 is the deadline to get a deal done according to Bettman. I have a feeling we're going to have a lockout.

Just like the NBA, the NHL wants the players to save the owners from themselves.

What a joke of a league. Any extended lockout is going to kill the NHL. They're just starting to become relevant again, and they allow another? Intelligent.

I try hard to stay away from picking sides in CBA matters, in all sports. All I know is this much: The NHL finally started to recover from the last work stoppage. If the lockout happens and goes so far as to cost part of this next season, the setback could cost them all far more than they expect. New fans they have gained over the past couple years may bolt and never go back. Popularity drops, revenue drops, and everyone loses. Both sides need to compromise now and avoid a doomsday scenario. Unfortunately, the last word I have heard out of Raleigh from the folks covering the Canes say the sides are far apart, and barring a major shift by both sides, the lockout will begin this weekend as expected.

ohara wrote:I try hard to stay away from picking sides in CBA matters, in all sports. All I know is this much: The NHL finally started to recover from the last work stoppage. If the lockout happens and goes so far as to cost part of this next season, the setback could cost them all far more than they expect. New fans they have gained over the past couple years may bolt and never go back. Popularity drops, revenue drops, and everyone loses. Both sides need to compromise now and avoid a doomsday scenario. Unfortunately, the last word I have heard out of Raleigh from the folks covering the Canes say the sides are far apart, and barring a major shift by both sides, the lockout will begin this weekend as expected.

Totally agree.

I just don't understand why both sides are being so dumb about this whole thing either. As it stands there really aren't any major flaws in the current CBA other than these absurdly long contracts. Toss a 6 year max on contracts, even out the reveune sharing a bit and if the owners are so concerned about the lower end teams losing money then they can drop the cap floor or get rid of it entirely.

I wonder if what is causing both sides to be so casual about the ramifications of another lockout is how the league did bounce back after the last one a few years ago. Perhaps they are thinking the fans came back last time, so they will again. But that kind of thinking can prove fatal to the league. People came back and gave them another chance after the last lockout. If greed on both sides causes another, my gut feeling is that more fans than they think will not return. It will prove to be a sad surprise, I fear. I really hope both sides come to their senses and get a CBA worked out in the immediate future.

This is why I love Puck Daddy. In their Guide to the Lockout post.

Q. The only other hockey player I know is Sidney Crosby. Is he locked out too?

A. Correct.

Q. So Sidney Crosby won't be playing hockey this year if there's a lockout?

A. Correct.

Q. But didn't he miss most of last year too?

A. Correct.

Q. Geez. Does the universe hate this guy or what?

A. I guess so.

Q. What if Sidney Crosby threatened to cut off his hand unless the owners gave into the players' demands? Would that work?

A. No, because either way Ed Snider wins.

^
Love the Ed Snider jab.

And we are officially in a lockout. Excellent

The fact that some players are already talking to teams in europe despite the fact that it hasn't even been 24 hours since this damn started tells me that its going to be a long one.

Nolan wrote:The fact that some players are already talking to teams in europe despite the fact that it hasn't even been 24 hours since this damn started tells me that its going to be a long one.

Europe may benefit from this mess, and the players who go will at least be able to make some money. But the NHL is going to lose out from this fiasco. I dont think the owners or players have the slightest clue yet to the damage they will have done to hockey if we start to lose games. Just watch if the season is lost or shortened. When the games do come back, watch for the reduction in the fans who show up. My bet is it will be very noticeable