Why is 43% for the owners ok, but 46% for the players is outrageous / draconian??
I'm gonna use the word "draconian" in a meeting this afternoon.
And just like last lockout, the players are losing money that they will NEVER get back. yeah, great advice Fehr.
It's not just about the current. No strike or lockout has ever been about the current. You're just looking at things from a selfish viewpoint because you are not getting to watch hockey. Nothing wrong with that since we all look at things that way, but there is so much more to it than the immediate. Things are going in the wrong direction for the players and they had to set a precident for the next wave of NHLers.
You have to admit though, with the run that the Oilers and now the Kings made since the cap was in place, the thought of adding a 9th and 10th seed is an interesting one. The only issue I'd have with it would be what to do with the format. DO you just tack an extra best of 7 series? The Stanley Cup is already the most difficult trophy to win in sports, having to win 16 games... Do you really want to make that 20 games? Who gets to sit out a round? Change the first round to best of 3 or 5? It'd completely screw up a format I really like.
If the league is realigning into 4 large groups and going back to the divisional playoff format, I'm guessing the 4 additional teams would be the 5th seeds in each group. Then 4/5 plays a short and quick 3 game series? Or if they stay with the current conference playoff format, then you add the 9th and/or 10th seeds, and they play the 7th and/or 8th seed in a short and quick 3 game series. An extra 7 game series could go two weeks, except if there were a lot of back to backs.
Unless it's just a one year thing, to get more excitement and money(mostly the money) after a short season.
More do-or-die games would be fun. That doesn't necessarily mean it should be done. It doesn't mean it shouldn't be done either. It's their league, they can do as they wish.
For me, 82 games is enough to figure things out for 16 playoffs teams. If they add 4 more, it's not going to stop me from watching or anything. I won't even complain about it. Just another team in the mix for the Kings to take a 3-0 series lead on.
Renaud Lavoie
Quote: Owners and players have the same goal now: they absolutely want to reach an agreement before midnight tonight, so that the executive committee of the NHLPA decides to dissolve the union denial.
Renaud Lavoie
Quote: Owners and players have the same goal now: they absolutely want to reach an agreement before midnight tonight, so that the executive committee of the NHLPA decides to dissolve the union denial.
This whole buyout thing kinda bugs me because it doesn't really help those of us who don't have god awful contracts.
Carter is the only one I could see Dean considering using a buyout on, but I doubt it.
Doesn't bother me. I could honestly see a few of the worse contracts getting bought out. I consider long and hard about buying out Luongo for instance if Schneider really is the guy Vancouver wants to got with, take his money and put it towards upgrading the D and bottom 6. DiPietro? Probably gone. Gomez? For sure. Pronger or Bryzgalov in Philly? Horcoff? Redden would be gone. It could get really interesting if some guys like Leino, Bouwmeester, Komisarek, etc start getting bought out as some would be valuable to other teams if they took less money...
Pierre LeBrun @Real_ESPNLeBrun
From NHL player: "How they respond to our latest proposal will determine if we disclaim or not." Huge meeting tonight to say the least
From Tim Panachio, covering the event in NYC for CSN Philly, he was on the news at 530 with a live report (adjourned for now, but said they are to meet again 8 pm or after)
Union made yet another counter offer to the league's counter offer on WED afternoon and talks are expected to resume at 8 pm.
On the NHLPA offer:
Quote:
The NHL is reviewing it.
Pensions continue to be a focal point for player unrest even though you have a half-dozen other issues still out there, including length of CBA, length of contracts, and especially, the salary cap for 2013-14 which the players insist has to go to at least $65 million.
Here's the rub on pensions: the union wants the league to subsidize it 100% and to guarantee its security. That is, who assumes liability of an owner goes to default? If a franchise moves or worse, it folds?
Lotta players feel this issue was settled on Dec. 6 and are not stunned there is no agreement.
I'm pissed at the NHL for reneging on the pension deal. This ****ing issue was settled early last month and the NHL excised it from its offering on Thursday, December 27.
This is the deal breaker. I would go so far as say it is bargaining in bad faith.
Even though it would scuttle the season, I wouldn't be surprised to see the union disclaim thanks to this chicanery by the NHL/owners. Let the owners sweat for once...but if they disclaim tonight, you can say goodbye to any season at least until October.
This whole nightmare has been such a debacle. Pathetic, really.
I'm pissed at the NHL for reneging on the pension deal. This ****ing issue was settled early last month and the NHL excised it from its offering on Thursday, December 27.
This is the deal breaker. I would go so far as say it is bargaining in bad faith.
Even though it would scuttle the season, I wouldn't be surprised to see the union disclaim thanks to this chicanery by the NHL/owners. Let the owners sweat for once...but if they disclaim tonight, you can say goodbye to any season at least until October.
This whole nightmare has been such a debacle. Pathetic, really.
Hey, get the pension deal back by giving up on the contract term length (5 years) and the variance (5%). Maybe the owners are sick and tired of Fehr moving the goalposts, and gave him a bit of his own medicine.
Well they are actually meeting as we speak and have been for about an hour now so they did start early enough to get something done prior to the 12:00 deadline time.
If they disclaim they can simply reform but I can't imagine that anyone wants to go through that mess if they can avoid it.
Quote:
So will we see the NHLPA file a disclaimer of interest by today's deadline?
The NHLPA will only file a disclaimer of interest if it believes the sides are not close to settlement. If Donald Fehr, the head of the NHLPA, concludes that there is still a significant gap between the sides and that settlement cannot be achieved in the short term, then expect the disclaimer to be filed today. For the NHLPA, the hope was that the threat of a disclaimer could act as a catalyst to getting a deal done on terms more favourable to the players. If that doesn't work, then the act of disclaiming interest and filing an antitrust action would be the next step in trying to get a deal done.
However, if the sides are close to a new deal, the NHLPA will not file the disclaimer. Ultimately, in a case like this, a disclaimer would likely extract some leverage in negotiations. If the sides are nearing a deal, the disclaimer would become unnecessary. As well, a disclaimer adds a layer of complexity to negotiations, and would just become a distraction if the sides are close.
So the little bit of info sneaking out of the room(s) is that the two sides might have a deal in place. Additionally, both sides use these runners for various duties and I was told (for what it is worth) that they would be filling the DOI if it were to be filed and that they are still in the building with 1 hour to go.
I am guessing that these guys are the paralegals that have been hanging around each of the meetings but I suppose they could just be runners, I just don't know.
Either way, lets hope that they get it together and that this goes through.
So close............
Who cares about which side is right or which side is wrong at this point, neither side is going to use the money to lower ticket prices etc so lets just hope that they get it right so that we can watch the Kings raise the Cup Banner.
After that NHL hockey would be nice.
Oh and here is a reminder from spectors for those who were asking.
Spector's Hockey @SpectorsHockey
#NHLPA doesn't have to legally "file" disclaimer of interest by midnight, Can just present #NHL letter stating disclaimer as of 11.59 et
Last edited by Tonellisghost: 01-02-2013 at 10:10 PM.
It hasn't been announced but if the PA had filed I can't imagine that the NHL would spend one second negotiating with him so call it a safe assumption that the PA is still negotiating.
Is this a good thing? Yes. No answer tonight without filing a DOI is a very good sign. Not as good as announcing a deal but it does indicate that the PA has given up one of its primary chips in forcing the NHL to the table and the only real reason to do that is if they see a deal coming together.
Now they can file a DOI whenever they want (the NHLPA) but it would take another majority vote from its members and that might not fly so well this time around. Allot of players are at the "get the blinking job done" stage right now and wouldn't want to go through the entire process again unless they had no other choice.
Everyone around both sides are leaking that it will get done and as long as it happens by Sunday we are all good all the way around.
Baby Steps Baby Steps through the door....
Last edited by Tonellisghost: 01-02-2013 at 11:17 PM.
Bummer twzking. It can get touchy over there at times.
The NHLPA has until Monday to respond to the NHL's court action and so there is equal pressure from both sides to get a deal done (for the minor amount of pressure that the courts can provide if at all really) and so things are looking more and more like this deal will be done I am going to watch the game instead and then sleep before I find out.
yeah, great advice Fehr. 
