The Business of HockeyDiscuss the financial and business aspects of the NHL. Franchise sales, valuations, TV contracts, ratings, expansion, relocation, the CBA and work stoppage discussion goes here.
Nobody's. I think they should put together a deal that is fair for both sides and get the season started on time. Grown men who get paid millions of dollars to play a game have no business sitting out for better terms. It's ridiculous and it needs to stop.
I don't usually take sides, but if I have to choose, then the Owners.
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"Trust me I'm an expert, I watched 13 rangers games on NHL center Ice this year through streaming." -Starburst
"I don't even understand what the point of all this arguing is. Are you guys hoping that the other side is going to have an epiphany and go 'Oh, OH! You're right, we ARE going to lose this series!'" -Crease
Based on the initial proposals from each side, it doesn't look like anyone is really serious about getting this done before the season. Neither side is doing anything but pointing the finger at the other saying "you fix this".
neither side
rich whiners arguing with rich whiners over 3.3 billion
Pretty much this.
As a fan in this one we basically a ten yearold watching mommy and daddy fight. Doesn't really matter who is right or who wins, either way we still lost.
100% for the players.
You cannot have Bettman touting record this and that, TV contract Winter Classic then cry poverty for incompetents than own and run some of the teams.
In 2004 I was definitely with the owners, the disparity across the league was too great. Now the owners got what they wanted and they are coming back to take more. I like the players taking more of a position of keeping the status quo and trying to improve revenue sharing.
The owners need to see the league as less of an individual thing and more of a collective entity. Too many owners looking out for their own best interest which hurt the best interests of other teams.
I'd really like to see the expiration of the next CBA be 6/30 instead of right before camp like this. It would give teams a better idea how to prepare for the offseason. I would also like to see some type of clause that either would lockout the season if an agreement is not made on a pre-determined date or automatically renew the CBA for another year continuously unless another agreement was made.
If forced to choose, I'd choose the players. They have put forth a proposal that is pretty reasonable, although not perfect. Both sides have benefited from the current system, and the players quite clearly see that. The owners simply look greedy by comparison. Although, really, I thought the players would be the more reasonable side long before the proposals were fired off.
As a fan in this one we basically a ten yearold watching mommy and daddy fight. Doesn't really matter who is right or who wins, either way we still lost.
If the fans are the 10 year old in this scenario, does this mean we secretly fear it's our fault?
If the owners and the players let this thing get to the point of a lockout, I hope the damage done to the NHL as a business sets the league back 20 years.
Trying to take advantage of 4 lockouts in 20 years in order for both sides to get richer on the backs of the paying public should not happen without significant consequences.
I voted players. IMO the players shouldn't be the only ones having to fix the problems revolving around disparity between team revenues.
The hard cap handed some teams a licence to print money, they should contribute more to fixing the only real issue with having a hard cap. I've heard most of the arguments against increased revenue sharing, but none of them outweigh the benefits those teams have gotten from having a cap.
ps.. I dislike the luxury tax/soft cap ideas. Even if it doesn't happen often, richer teams in a rebuilding phase should still be sharing. Mid-level teams should be allowed to spent to the cap for brief periods without getting taxed to death, to allow a good team to stay together long enough to help build the local market.
How to fix the problem? Owners want the players to sacrifice so all the owners make money.
The Players want the owners to transfer money from big teams to small teams so everybody makes money.
No in both ways it's the fans of the big teams that get hosed.
I am willing to pay $150 per ticket in MTL and the place is packed.
If the Habs did not have to transfer money maybe the tickets would be $100. So it's my money that is helping teams like Phoenix when Quebec city has no team? Phoenix has to sell tickets using a sale of 4 tickets,4dogs,4beers,4parking spaces,4bags of chips,4free flags all for $40 TOTAL COST. So my money is helping Phoenix fans get all that, now why exactly am I doing this/ Because Bettman refuses to move the team to Quebec City !! When 20,000 fans will gladly pay $100-150 per with NO PERKS. Seems to me the An American is helping Americans get a great deal on the backs on Canadians.
The League should set the ticket price. The big teams will be able to sell at say $60 per and teams like Phoenix will die the first year and move to places with fans willing to pay the ticket price.
I know, this will never happen of course. but my point is this. If any team and I mean ANY, gets itself in money trouble, It's NOT MY PROBLEM. You overspent on players? too BAD pay the price, you can't get people in the seats unless your a winner? TOO BAD MOVE PLACES.
If you fans hate you for moving then just remind them that it's ALL THERE FAULT for not supporting the team.
Habs fans support there team no matter what, and there has been a lot of NO MATTER WHAT for a long time now.
Don't like the hard love? WELL SUPPORT YOUR TEAM and they will never leave you, never move away. You team made some bad moves? get better management but don't ask me to pay higher ticket prices and send YOU money for FREE to help your team Beat MY TEAM for a CUP. What planet do you live on??????????
OH yes, PLANET BETTMAN
As weird as this sounds, I lean towards the owners but with that being said if there is a lockout it will probably be on the owners fault, unless the NHLPA gets back to the stalling game.
Nobody's. I think they should put together a deal that is fair for both sides and get the season started on time. Grown men who get paid millions of dollars to play a game have no business sitting out for better terms. It's ridiculous and it needs to stop.
The reality of the situation is that obviously both sides have a different perception of "fair". This is a business and there is a lot of money at stake here. Yes they are getting paid millions to play a "game", but they worked hard to be the best 700 players in the world. It's supply and demand. People get paid millions to act, people get paid millions to invest, and people get paid millions to play hockey.
This matters. Especially to the players, and I don't blame them one bit.
Now I do think that the players seem to be a little more open to talks. The league seems hard bent on a drastic roll-back and contract limits that are only necessary because their GMs broke the CBA that they made.
I voted that I was on the players' side, but really I am on hockey's side. Although I do understand the need for the lockout and work stoppage, I selfishly want this thing to just start and I don't care WHO is getting paid more. Gary Bettman has already had 2 work stoppages on his watch, and it seems like he might get a third. It would be nice to see the two be able to get along a little better.
