The NHL Lockout...does anyone REALLY CARE?

[Lou]

Originally posted by Va Beach VH Fan
I'm still puzzled how it turned from ESPN reporting that a deal was imminent to absolutely no deal, in fact farther apart than before....

I'd just chalk it up to ESPN hyping things up and creating a story that's not there. Didn't someone say that that whole thing was just a media creation?

[Nickdfresh]

Jacobs envisions an NHL that works

By BUCKY GLEASON
News Sports Reporter
2/26/2005

"(The players) will not see the kind of money that they saw. There's no possibility of that happening again."
Jeremy Jacobs

Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs is optimistic that the National Hockey League will eventually return in some form, but he predicts players will make less money and the league will look drastically different from the one fans watched before the league's season-killing labor dispute.

The chairman of Buffalo-based Delaware North Cos. said NHL owners had no choice but to take a strong stance against players whose salaries skyrocketed off-course in the 1990s. The new NHL might include inferior players at first, but he believes world-class performers would eventually return under a revamped economic system.

"If it's competitive and attractive it will suffice," Jacobs said earlier this week by telephone. "If you're not getting the absolute best players in the world - which we may not be - we may have to live with something less than that. Sooner or later, when you pay the most, you'll wind up getting the best players in the world. But they will not see the kind of money that they saw. There's no possibility of that happening again."

Jacobs could argue he has more at stake than any other owner during the lockout because he's taking a multifaceted beating. The league had been suffering financially, but the Bruins were among the few teams last year that turned a profit. Obviously, that ended this year with the cancellation of the season.

Delaware North also owns Sportservice, a concessions company that had contracts with seven NHL arenas, so Jacobs is taking an additional hit with his business. Still, he said, it was necessary for the league to broker a deal with the NHL Players' Association that would make sense for teams throughout the league after years of overpaying players.

The NHL's last offer included a $42.5 million salary cap, which Jacobs thought might work even though it wasn't tied to revenues. The Bruins started last season with a $45.7 million payroll and were among the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Jacobs insists the next proposal must be tethered to revenues, which were $2.1 billion last year, because less money will be in the pot under a new system.

"This is the silliness," he said. "It's the drinking-the-Kool Aid sort of thing where you have guys out there who think, "We're going to make it so bad for the owners that they're going to want us back.' The fact is this is getting worse, and it's getting worse for the players more than it is for us.

"Over half of the income we have goes to them. That half is going to be smaller. This last agreement, the commissioner was risk-taking on the part of the ownership. I don't think there will be any more risk-taking with an undefined income source."

Jacobs, who has owned the Bruins since 1975, has been an influential force in negotiations between Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA chief Bob Goodenow. He believes owners have taken a broader look at hockey's financial landscape while players have been more interested in making their money now, while they have the opportunity.

He implored Goodenow to examine the NHL's financial records and review the findings of former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Arthur Levitt, whose audit showed a league that had lost $1.8 billion over the previous decade. The players' union has long disputed Levitt's findings and suggested that teams were exaggerating losses through creative accounting.

"They had plenty of opportunity to review our books, and they resisted," Jacobs said. "They were far better to preach that we were cheating than face the truth of the matter."

Jacobs suspected that many veteran players would not return to the NHL, including stars who were nearing retirement. The league could declare an impasse in negotiations, which would lead teams to begin signing replacement players to fill out their rosters and resume operations.

"I can see a lot of players quitting this game. I really could," he said. "I could see where they just don't want to continue, especially guys that have been out there many years and were depending on this. I can see a different group of players coming to skate the next time we start doing that."

Who's to blame for this mess? Jacobs admits it started with the owners, but he said that matters little now because the system needs repair.

He acknowledged that the labor problems began when owners agreed to pay exorbitant salaries, driving the average salary from $271,000 in 1990-91 to $1.8 million last season. He suggested that players who are happier playing in Europe should stay there, but owners are determined to solve the problems here.

"We're taking control of our destiny," he said. "We're not saying that we don't share the blame rather substantially in the last deal. If we didn't foresee the consequences of it, shame on us. But you can't blame us for trying to correct it. This is the fallacy of the whole thought process. They say, "It's your fault, it's your fault.' OK, it's our fault. We're correcting it. We have to fix it."

Bettman announced while canceling the season that he had a list of rules changes he was ready to install had the labor dispute been settled. They reportedly included moving the nets back, removing the red line and limiting where goalies could play the puck.

Fans for years have complained about the on-ice product and suggested rules changes designed to put more speed and skill back into the game. Scoring has decreased and interest has waned in the past decade. Many believe the sport overall must be repaired.

"Who broke it? It's broke, and we're going to fix it," Jacobs said. "We're taking charge of it. We'll have hockey, and it's up to the commissioner to describe what it's going to look like (on the ice). It may be quite different than what we've seen before, and it may have a different constituency."

The most difficult job the NHL has in the coming years is repairing its relationship with the fans. Jacobs said he has had numerous conversations with fans who can't fully comprehend the situation. Fans have watched ticket prices and salaries soar over the past decade, but many became disgruntled with labor strife. It has been reflected in hockey's dwindling popularity among major sports.

"Somebody will talk to you and say, "Gee, what do you see?' " Jacobs said. "You have no hope for them, really. You can't give them any hope and that hurts. Hockey is a big release. You want to cheer for your team or feel badly for them, and you can't do either. That's sad. It's a sad commentary. There is so much money here, and that we can't come to a resolution is absolutely mind-boggling. Yet that's where we find ourselves."

https://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050226/1067215.asp

e-mail: bgleason@buffnews.com

[Sarge's Little Helper]

Jacobs envisions an NHL that works

By BUCKY GLEASON
News Sports Reporter
2/26/2005

"(The players) will not see the kind of money that they saw. There's no possibility of that happening again."
Jeremy Jacobs

Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs is optimistic that the National Hockey League will eventually return in some form, but he predicts players will make less money and the league will look drastically different from the one fans watched before the league's season-killing labor dispute.

The chairman of Buffalo-based Delaware North Cos. said NHL owners had no choice but to take a strong stance against players whose salaries skyrocketed off-course in the 1990s. The new NHL might include inferior players at first, but he believes world-class performers would eventually return under a revamped economic system.

"If it's competitive and attractive it will suffice," Jacobs said earlier this week by telephone. "If you're not getting the absolute best players in the world - which we may not be - we may have to live with something less than that. Sooner or later, when you pay the most, you'll wind up getting the best players in the world. But they will not see the kind of money that they saw. There's no possibility of that happening again."

Jacobs could argue he has more at stake than any other owner during the lockout because he's taking a multifaceted beating. The league had been suffering financially, but the Bruins were among the few teams last year that turned a profit. Obviously, that ended this year with the cancellation of the season.

Delaware North also owns Sportservice, a concessions company that had contracts with seven NHL arenas, so Jacobs is taking an additional hit with his business. Still, he said, it was necessary for the league to broker a deal with the NHL Players' Association that would make sense for teams throughout the league after years of overpaying players.

The NHL's last offer included a $42.5 million salary cap, which Jacobs thought might work even though it wasn't tied to revenues. The Bruins started last season with a $45.7 million payroll and were among the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Jacobs insists the next proposal must be tethered to revenues, which were $2.1 billion last year, because less money will be in the pot under a new system.

"This is the silliness," he said. "It's the drinking-the-Kool Aid sort of thing where you have guys out there who think, "We're going to make it so bad for the owners that they're going to want us back.' The fact is this is getting worse, and it's getting worse for the players more than it is for us.

"Over half of the income we have goes to them. That half is going to be smaller. This last agreement, the commissioner was risk-taking on the part of the ownership. I don't think there will be any more risk-taking with an undefined income source."

Jacobs, who has owned the Bruins since 1975, has been an influential force in negotiations between Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA chief Bob Goodenow. He believes owners have taken a broader look at hockey's financial landscape while players have been more interested in making their money now, while they have the opportunity.

He implored Goodenow to examine the NHL's financial records and review the findings of former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Arthur Levitt, whose audit showed a league that had lost $1.8 billion over the previous decade. The players' union has long disputed Levitt's findings and suggested that teams were exaggerating losses through creative accounting.

"They had plenty of opportunity to review our books, and they resisted," Jacobs said. "They were far better to preach that we were cheating than face the truth of the matter."

Jacobs suspected that many veteran players would not return to the NHL, including stars who were nearing retirement. The league could declare an impasse in negotiations, which would lead teams to begin signing replacement players to fill out their rosters and resume operations.

"I can see a lot of players quitting this game. I really could," he said. "I could see where they just don't want to continue, especially guys that have been out there many years and were depending on this. I can see a different group of players coming to skate the next time we start doing that."

Who's to blame for this mess? Jacobs admits it started with the owners, but he said that matters little now because the system needs repair.

He acknowledged that the labor problems began when owners agreed to pay exorbitant salaries, driving the average salary from $271,000 in 1990-91 to $1.8 million last season. He suggested that players who are happier playing in Europe should stay there, but owners are determined to solve the problems here.

"We're taking control of our destiny," he said. "We're not saying that we don't share the blame rather substantially in the last deal. If we didn't foresee the consequences of it, shame on us. But you can't blame us for trying to correct it. This is the fallacy of the whole thought process. They say, "It's your fault, it's your fault.' OK, it's our fault. We're correcting it. We have to fix it."

Bettman announced while canceling the season that he had a list of rules changes he was ready to install had the labor dispute been settled. They reportedly included moving the nets back, removing the red line and limiting where goalies could play the puck.

Fans for years have complained about the on-ice product and suggested rules changes designed to put more speed and skill back into the game. Scoring has decreased and interest has waned in the past decade. Many believe the sport overall must be repaired.

"Who broke it? It's broke, and we're going to fix it," Jacobs said. "We're taking charge of it. We'll have hockey, and it's up to the commissioner to describe what it's going to look like (on the ice). It may be quite different than what we've seen before, and it may have a different constituency."

The most difficult job the NHL has in the coming years is repairing its relationship with the fans. Jacobs said he has had numerous conversations with fans who can't fully comprehend the situation. Fans have watched ticket prices and salaries soar over the past decade, but many became disgruntled with labor strife. It has been reflected in hockey's dwindling popularity among major sports.

"Somebody will talk to you and say, "Gee, what do you see?' " Jacobs said. "You have no hope for them, really. You can't give them any hope and that hurts. Hockey is a big release. You want to cheer for your team or feel badly for them, and you can't do either. That's sad. It's a sad commentary. There is so much money here, and that we can't come to a resolution is absolutely mind-boggling. Yet that's where we find ourselves."

https://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050226/1067215.asp

e-mail: bgleason@buffnews.com

Oops. I wasn't paying attention. Tell me again what is going on.

[ALinChainz]

Reports: Two Boston companies make joint bid to buy NHL

March 3, 2005


TORONTO (AP) -- An investment firm and a sports advisory company reportedly made a joint proposal to buy all 30 NHL teams for as much as $3.5 billion.

The two Boston companies were invited by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to present the highly unusual offer, the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail reported Thursday. Bain Capital Partners LLC and Game Plan LLC made their pitch Tuesday in New York to NHL owners, whose season has been shut down by a lockout.

Bain Capital spokesman Sam Hollander and Collin Vataha of Game Plan declined to immediately comment Thursday to The Associated Press.

The NHL, which because of its ongoing player lockout recently became the first major North American pro sports league to cancel an entire season, has said its teams have lost a collective $500 million over the past two seasons.

Before the work stoppage, the total value of the 30 NHL franchises was an estimated $4.9 billion, according to Forbes Magazine. The Detroit Red Wings topped the list at $266 million, with the Edmonton Oilers last at $86 million. The value of the arenas are part of the assessment.

``The substance of the presentation and the reaction of the board'' are ``internal league matters, and ones on which we are not prepared to comment further,'' Bill Daly, the NHL's chief legal officer, said in a statement Thursday.

Bain managing partner Steven Pagliuca, co-owner of the NBA's Boston Celtics, and Game Plan, which recently acted as an adviser on the sale of the Ottawa Senators, are betting that many NHL owners would welcome the chance to get out of the hockey business.

But it's unclear how team owners, especially those in large markets such Toronto, Boston and New York, would react to the proposal. Maple Leafs officials declined comment, the newspaper said, as did a Game Plan spokesman.

``I would imagine different clubs had different feelings,'' Daly told the Globe and Mail.

He said the league was compelled to listen based on the significance of the offer.

``When someone's offering over $3 billion, we felt we had an obligation to the board to have them, at least, hear it from the proposed purchaser,'' Daly added.

The purchase would not depend on the NHL reaching agreement with the players on a collective bargaining deal, the newspaper said, and a sale would not affect the status of the NHL Players' Association as the bargaining agent for players under U.S. and Canadian labor laws.

According to the newspaper, Bain and Game Plan said the sale would bolster the league's revenue because all the teams would work together to generate more local television, sponsorship and revenue instead of competing against one another.

The consortium reportedly told the NHL owners it had arranged for a large Canadian-based financier to join its efforts.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-nhloffer&prov=ap&type=lgns

[Lou]

Interesting idea, it'll never happen though.

[ALinChainz]

Would they assign an administrator to each team or what?

It is a wild idea.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I can just imagine those fat cats in Toronto, Detroit and New York, laughing their asses off.....

[ALinChainz]

Gretzky will use Coyotes replacement players if he has to

By IRA PODELL, AP Sports Writer

March 9, 2005


NEW YORK (AP) -- Wayne Gretzky will put a team of replacement players on the ice if he has to. He just won't like it.

``I hope it doesn't come to that, I really don't,'' said Gretzky, the managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes.

Negotiations between the NHL and the players' association are scheduled to start up again Thursday or Friday. If a new deal can't be reached before the start of next season, commissioner Gary Bettman might decide to use replacement players to guarantee there is hockey in the fall.

``There are 700 players, they are the best in the world,'' Gretzky said Tuesday. ``They play in this league because it's the best game in the world. But everything is sort of wide open now because 400 guys are playing in Europe, you've got guys playing in the East Coast league, they are starting a new WHA.

``If 30 teams say 'We're playing' ... we're one of those 30 teams, we're going to play.''

It's bad enough that the NHL became the first major North American sports league to lose a whole year to a labor dispute, but it certainly can't afford to miss two.

Gretzky saw firsthand just how far NHL players and owners were from ending the lockout, even at the height of frantic talks. Now those discussions will have to begin anew.

``It seems like they're starting at square one,'' he said.

Being the greatest player in NHL history puts Gretzky in a unique position. For 20 seasons he rewrote the hockey record book, but now as an owner he is on the opposite side of the fight. His club's bottom line is now his top concern.

Gretzky and Mario Lemieux took part in the previous negotiating session on Feb. 19, a meeting that failed to force a revival of the season three days after Bettman called it off.

``I hope we can get on some sort of same page or some sort of talking terms where they say 'OK, we're inching our way ahead here, let's meet again next Monday,''' Gretzky said. ``If you expect these guys to come out with a deal tomorrow, that's not going to happen. I hope it does, but it's going to be tough.''

In the final days before the season was wiped out, the first real progress was made. Owners dropped the demand that league revenues be linked to player costs, and in turn the union agreed for the first time to accept a salary cap.

But they never got close on a number. Bettman said the NHL couldn't stretch beyond a hard cap of $42.5 million per team, and the players' association countered with a soft cap of $49 million.

Gretzky and Lemieux, the player-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, joined the negotiations thinking a compromise could be made. But the topic never came up.

``If you can agree on a number on a cap and then say 'Let's work everything in there,' then maybe you can be closer together than both sides thought,'' Gretzky said. ``But that doesn't seem to be the case.''

Now all previous offers have been rescinded, and Gretzky is not looking to participate in upcoming negotiations.

``If the ownership or the players want me to be involved and help out, I'm a phone call away,'' he said. ``But at this point in time there is no plan for me.''

He also hasn't decided whether he will be involved with Team Canada at the upcoming hockey world championship in Austria. Gretzky has served as the club's executive director at past international events, including the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

Whether NHL players return for next year's games in Italy is still very much undecided.

The union wants to have its players there for the third straight Olympics, but Bettman has already said he'd be reluctant to take another long break.

``If we drag this through the summer, the chances of getting a deal done get tougher and tougher,'' Gretzky said. ``And more importantly once we do get a deal done, after missing a full year, do you want to really shut down your league for 16 days to go over to the Olympic Games?''

It is another issue that will have to be addressed in any new collective bargaining agreement. But if the lockout is still in place, players would then be able to take part with their countries if proper insurance can be secured.

With NBC holding Olympic broadcasting rights in the United States, and with the network set to be the over-the-air outlet for the NHL, the league would likely be well-served by having its players showcased in Turin.

``I am a big believer in the Olympics. I think it really helps our sport,'' Gretzky said. ``I think it helps grow it worldwide. I think those two weeks are always positive because the American people rally around it because the U.S. will have a very good team, and winning gold medals is a big part of the U.S. history at the Olympics.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-nhllockout-gretzky&prov=ap&type=lgns

[ALinChainz]

NHL GMs to meet April 7-8 in Detroit to talk rules changes, get CBA update

PIERRE LEBRUN

March 10, 2005


TORONTO (CP) - While the NHL remains in labour limbo, the league's 30 general managers are getting together April 7-8 in Detroit to discuss rule changes meant to deliver a more exciting product once the game is back in business.

Ideas under review could be as drastic as eliminating the centre-ice red line and instituting penalty shootouts for regular-season games.

"The general managers understand where the game is at and they don't want to be dinosaurs," Colin Campbell, the NHL's director of hockey operations, said Thursday. "They're willing to look at things because we all understand we have to bring some interest back."


All ideas for rule changes would need to be approved by the NHL board of governors at a later date. Some of the changes, particularly the controversial proposal to scale back the size of goalie equipment, would also need to be collectively bargained with the NHL Players' Association.

The union, meanwhile, wants to see a player-owner competition committee instituted in the new CBA, giving its membership a bigger voice in future rule changes. Veteran winger Brendan Shanahan was ahead of the curve on that front, holding his own hockey summit in December which included GMs, coaches, players, referees and broadcasters, all discussing new ways of improving the game.

The Detroit session next month is a reprise somewhat of last February's meeting in Henderson, Nev., which saw Campbell and the 30 GMs recommend a number of rule changes that have yet to see the light of day because of the labour dispute.

While goalie equipment will be back on the agenda, other new ideas may also be brought forward, all in the name of opening up the game.

"We're in the entertainment industry," Red Wings GM Ken Holland said Thursday from Detroit. "We want an exciting product. And I think discussion is healthy. I'm sure there's lots of people who will have different ideas, anywhere from small little touches to major renovations."

The two-day meeting will also include an update on collective bargaining from commissioner Gary Bettman and executive vice-president Bill Daly. Other issues include the hot topic of determining the selection order for the next entry draft - whenever it's held - with phenom Sidney Crosby as the top catch.

Campbell will chair the rules part of the meeting, which will include a review of the new rules used in the AHL this season. GMs want to see how the AHL has done with some of its new wrinkles this season, including automatic icing, tag-up offside, limiting the goalie's ability to play the puck behind the net as well as wider blue-lines and penalty shootouts.

"I guess if there's a silver lining this year (with the NHL lockout) is that the AHL has never been more competitive than this year with all the NHL players playing in it, and on top of that, general managers have had a great opportunity to see games," Campbell said.

"We've seen a lot of AHL games to see how the new rules are working. So it's been a good year to test it."

Coyotes GM Mike Barnett attended a Hartford-Utah AHL game Wednesday night.

"We talked about the rules while we watched the game," Barnett said Thursday from Phoenix. "You're able to witness the wider lines, you're able to witness the goaltender's confined area behind the net. We've all had lots of opportunity to see them all in play in an American League that's as good if not better than it's ever been in the last decade."

Some GMs will also come to Detroit armed with their own new ideas. Holland has a few, including barring teams from being able to ice the puck while killing a penalty. Holland thinks short-handed teams which ice the puck should be penalized with a faceoff in their own zone - the same as even strength.

"That's just my own idea, and I'd like to see what the other GMs think about it," Holland said. "We're trying to create more scoring chances, so if you get a power play and the other team can't ice the puck, it should lead to more time in the offensive zone for the team on the power play."

The elimination of the centre-ice red line will likely be a lively discussion. It's believed all 30 GMs voted against it last year in Nevada. But that was before an entire season was cancelled and the game suffered tremendous damage. In the meantime, those same GMs have had all year to watch other levels of hockey that don't have the red line, such as the NCAA , Europe or the world junior championship.

"For me personally, I was against taking the red line out when we had our last managers' meeting," Holland said. "I'm more open to it now and I think it's because I've been to Europe three times this year, I've seen international games.

"I'm more interested today in having a conversation about eliminating the red line for the two-line pass than I was six months ago."

When the game resumes, the NHL needs to entice fans back into the seats and in front of their TV sets. But at the same time, the league must proceed with some caution.

"You better be careful," Campbell said. "Let's not bring back a glowing puck and do the wrong thing."

Added Campbell: "The general managers know, we have to come back with something maybe different, maybe exciting, maybe with a marketing edge, while still respecting the traditions of the game of hockey."

Barnett echoed Campbell's concern.

"Respecting the traditions of the game and reflecting back on why we've arrived at the rules we're currently operating under - that's as important as looking forward to what changes you might make," Barnett said.

"It's all about trying to create a more entertaining package, a more saleable package for the fans, for the corporate sponsors, for the TV networks - everyone involved in the game," he added. "But absolutely, tradition has to be held in the appropriate place of importance."

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=cp-nhl_gms_meeting&prov=cp&type=lgns

[Bob_R]

Hockey labor talks to continue
_
NEW YORK (AP) - The NHL and the players' association met for 1 1/2 hours Friday in Toronto and expect to talk more next week.

The meeting that began around noon was the first between the sides since Feb. 19 - three days after commissioner Gary Bettman canceled the 2004-05 season.

"It was just general conversation," players' association executive director Bob Goodenow said in a telephone interview. "We talked about how we might proceed on a going forward basis."

Bettman invited Goodenow back to the table for Friday's meeting after the pair sat out the last session.

"We plan to meet again next week for further dialogue," Goodenow said. "There were no proposals exchanged today."

The previous session had Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux in the room, but the presence of the Hall of Famers-turned-owners wasn't enough to help broker a deal and overturn Bettman's historic announcement.

Nothing changed Friday in the meeting that was attended on the NHL side by Bettman, chief legal officer Bill Daly, general counsel David Zimmerman, and outside counsel Bob Batterman. The players' association was represented by Goodenow, senior director Ted Saskin, associate counsel Ian Pulver and outside counsel John McCambridge.

"No progress was made towards a new collective bargaining agreement," Daly said in a statement.

The NHL is the first major sports league in North America to lose an entire season to a labor dispute. The league brought the union back to the table quickly because it would like to get an agreement in place so the draft can be held on time in June, and relaunching plans for next season can be put into effect.

The players wanted to take more of a break from negotiations. They had less of an incentive to initiate talks now because they are not due to be paid again until next season.

All previous offers were off the table, including the league's decision to drop its demand for cost certainty and the union's willingness to accept a salary cap in return.

"Obviously, we need to cover some various concepts," Goodenow said. "Whatever either side thinks would be pertinent, and would help the process, should be raised."

By many accounts, these talks were back at the square one stage.

"I wouldn't even want to characterize it," Goodenow said. "I think we just talked about where we are. We didn't get into any specifics."

Bettman has said he remains committed to starting next season on time and with a collective bargaining agreement with the union. But if that doesn't occur, he will consider using replacement players to ensure there is hockey in the fall.

[DrMaddVibe]

Someone mentioned something about hockey taking it in the ass in Florida...don't think so.

Florida is a transplant state. In Tampa, the RedWings, Flyers, Devils and Rangers turn the place into a home game! They OWN the stadium! I'm not talking about a couple thousand people in opposing jerseys...I'm talking about a couple hundred people wearing Lightning jerseys...in THEIR house!

There's a reason why Florida has 2 teams and they're doing well. Much better than Phoenix, Ottawa, Columbus, Atlanta and LA! Instead of giving Atlanta or Columbus a team they should've put one in Vegas. That city could support every major except basketball. Those fucking crooks wouldn't know how to behave or when to show for gametime!