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2018-2019 NHL Thread – Thunderstorm Warning

I've seen that the NHL owes $250K to the University of Michigan next Friday for the WC. So they have to decide whether to cancel, pay and hope to get an agreement done, or try to push back the deadline. Obviously they're not going to get a deal done in time.

I've also seen speculation that the NHL may cancel the WC because they know it is leverage for the players. Which seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face, but the same can be said for canceling a season that could bring in over $3.5B of revenue in one year for a difference between the two sides of $500MM spread over five years.

The longer this has gone, the more I'm convinced this is not really about that money but about the bitterness over the previous lost season.
 
The longer this has gone, the more I'm convinced this is not really about that money but about the bitterness over the previous lost season.

For the players, totally agree. But why are the owners acting out of emotion? They basically got to write the last CBA. And the guys they negotiated against are gone.

It seems like they took the hiring of Fehr as a challenge, and they would rather lose money than lose to Fehr, to such an extent that they won't even attempt to negotiate. They'll likely win, again, and then they can high five one another while ignoring the fact that they lost hundreds of millions of dollars. And they'll screw up the CBA, again, and we'll be back here again in six or seven years. Awesome.
 
For the players, totally agree. But why are the owners acting out of emotion? They basically got to write the last CBA. And the guys they negotiated against are gone.

It seems like they took the hiring of Fehr as a challenge, and they would rather lose money than lose to Fehr, to such an extent that they won't even attempt to negotiate. They'll likely win, again, and then they can high five one another while ignoring the fact that they lost hundreds of millions of dollars. And they'll screw up the CBA, again, and we'll be back here again in six or seven years. Awesome.

Not only that but they are killing (if they have not already killed) the most momentum the sport has had in 20 years.
 
For the players, totally agree. But why are the owners acting out of emotion? They basically got to write the last CBA. And the guys they negotiated against are gone.

It seems like they took the hiring of Fehr as a challenge, and they would rather lose money than lose to Fehr, to such an extent that they won't even attempt to negotiate. They'll likely win, again, and then they can high five one another while ignoring the fact that they lost hundreds of millions of dollars. And they'll screw up the CBA, again, and we'll be back here again in six or seven years. Awesome.
For many owners losing to Fehr means losing money, this season and beyond. The teams that are hemorrhaging millions would rather lose the season but break the union than take on more debt and have more cash calls.
 
For many owners losing to Fehr means losing money, this season and beyond. The teams that are hemorrhaging millions would rather lose the season but break the union than take on more debt and have more cash calls.

Theoretically there should be a spectrum of options between losing to Fehr and breaking the union.

Anyway, I've seen that argument before, and I think it made sense with the players' initial offers. The offer had their share increasing I believe, which would put the owners back in the same spot once the next negotiations come around. But once the two sides agreed to the same end point, 50/50, I don't buy it.

The only way that would make sense is if going with a compromised phase-in to get to 50/50 (54% to 50% over five years, for example) as opposed to the immediate drop to 50/50 would cause a decrease in income a good deal greater than the fixed costs that they will have to pay even if the season is lost. That seems like a stretch to me, unless I'm missing something.
 
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Not only that but they are killing (if they have not already killed) the most momentum the sport has had in 20 years.

They had 9%+ revenue growth the last two years, in this economy, and they're shutting down the season. Unreal.
 
Geez, this is lame. I just hope these babies grow up and sort this out so I'm not stuck watching... well... nothing all winter.
 
Things were completely silent over the weekend. That could either mean they're meeting in private and not telling the press, or they've just stopped talking altogether. My guess is the second. Winter Classic gets the axe this week, probably the ASG as well.

STH in Carolina did get an e-mail this morning about the Checkers playing some games at PNC, so that might be the only hockey we get in Raleigh this season. The good news is the Checkers are currently kicking ass.
 
Louis Jean ‏@LouisJean_TVA

No meetings planned at this point between the #NHL and #NHLPA. Wouldn't be surprised if it remains that way for a while. #CBA
 
I love how both sides made sure to issue statements today blaming the other. Yeah, we heard you last time. I would be perfectly happy to not hear another word from either unless it is to say they have an agreement done.
 
It's over folks...we will not have a season this year. The sooner you accept it the better you will be.

Idiots. I love hockey, been a season ticket holder for nearly 10 years. That being said, I almost hope this means the end to the NHL.
 
It's over folks...we will not have a season this year. The sooner you accept it the better you will be.

Idiots. I love hockey, been a season ticket holder for nearly 10 years. That being said, I almost hope this means the end to the NHL.

The last time people came back to a new game that was faster and higher scoring with some of the best young players the sport had seen in years...I don't think that's going to happen this time. Realignment could mean something to fans...but I doubt it.
 
Things were completely silent over the weekend. That could either mean they're meeting in private and not telling the press, or they've just stopped talking altogether. My guess is the second. Winter Classic gets the axe this week, probably the ASG as well.

STH in Carolina did get an e-mail this morning about the Checkers playing some games at PNC, so that might be the only hockey we get in Raleigh this season. The good news is the Checkers are currently kicking ass.
 
I was convinced earlier in the process that the cancellation of the Winter Classic would be a sign of the end of the season, but now I'm not so sure. It could just be the optimist in me, but, when searching to make sure I had the offer right from the players in 2005, I came across a recap of the negotiations that were going on in February, with Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux attempting to broker peace. There's still a lot of time left. Plus, given the hugeness of the stadium the WC was supposed to be played in, I'd imagine that there was concern from the NHL about attendance and the attention it would get with lockout resentment still lingering. A Winter Classic that is largely ignored and poorly attended could be worse for the NHL brand than canceling it altogether. (And I'm not sure they'd want to risk giving HBO full access to players at a time when they might be feeling extra negative about the NHL.)

The NHL pulled it's offer off the table which means it has to come up with something new. I'm holding onto hope until one side or the other brings up a proposal that is a clear step backwards. Until then it is just more game playing. (Though if they're going to try to fit in some 40 game season, I hope they just don't bother.)

On the other hand, the pessimistic in me could see this mess lasting longer than a year.
 
I know the article I read this morning said with Detroit and Toronto playing in Michigan, they were expecting to break the outdoor attendance record, plus add a ton of Canadian sponsorships since this is the first time a Canadian team would participate. I think losing this game is a death nail. The PA probably sees preserving the Classic as a bargaining chip, and the NHL is about to pull it off the table.
 
I know the article I read this morning said with Detroit and Toronto playing in Michigan, they were expecting to break the outdoor attendance record, plus add a ton of Canadian sponsorships since this is the first time a Canadian team would participate. I think losing this game is a death nail. The PA probably sees preserving the Classic as a bargaining chip, and the NHL is about to pull it off the table.

Yeah, I was about to post that. This year's classic was going to be huge because of the venue and the Canadian team. It might not have been as big in the US but it would have made a lot more money than any of the others. Again, if the owners pulled the WC just to take leverage away from the players they deserve to die (figuratively...sorta).
 
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