Jeff W Posted September 30, 2004 Report Share Posted September 30, 2004 I know there's quite a few rabid hockey fans here, curious what your take on the whole lockout is. Personally while I believe there's blame to be laid both ways I shift more of it towards the owners, they offered and paid those ridiculous salaries and now they want it all back. The players at least are willing to bargain and have offered some concessions that are at the very least a starting point, the league won't even look at them though unless they include a hard cap. My own opinion is a major part of both sides problem is Gary Bettman, the guys a lawyer pure and simple, he knows nor cares nothing for the game or it's fan's. I think a soft cap/luxuary tax needs to be imposed, a hard cap on rookie salary's, and major contraction needs to occur to get the league back on it's feet. Theres at least 6 too many teams and they could probably lose up to 8, those borderline teams just drag down the clubs making money and the league along with them, plus it would increase the talent pool so teams wouldn't have to have so many marginal players, this would in my opinion cut back on the hookin/hold/obstruct that has ruined the game. Today I took down and boxed all my hockey stuff, into the closet it went and that's where it will stay. We'll see how things ultimately turn out but one thing for sure is while I may still be a fan when all is said and done, I will no longer be the rabid free spending hockey nut I once was, and that's too bad because the league needs all they can get, especially here in the states. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbert Posted September 30, 2004 Report Share Posted September 30, 2004 Where are you based, bug? If you're desperate for a hockey fix, I'd suggest paying a visit to your local Junior A team if there's one nearby. Won't be the same as the NHL, but they'll be grateful for your support, and you'll get to see the stars of tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted September 30, 2004 Report Share Posted September 30, 2004 Ill still watch Hockey after the strike, just like i continued to watch baseball after there strikes. As for which side I think is right. Both sides are wrong, but there should be some sort of salary cap in hockey. The owners may have got these guys all this money, but its time for them to take a stand and correct what went wrong. For how much money the hockey league makes, some of the salaries are so high i cant believe some of them. For example ill use a player on my fav team. Alexi Yashins contrac is way too high for a player on any team.Expecially a small one. Then you have Jagr contract washington gave him, then they couldnt even pay it so they traded him a few years into it. Tickets to games are higher then the most popular sports and thats not how it should be. The one thing that also should be done is contraction(mentioned above). There is no reason at all for all these new teams. I can name a few that should be contracted (sorry if your a fan) Florida Panthers-Been a bad experiment since day one. Even with there one good run Nashville Predators-Hockey in Tenn um no Columbus Blue Jackets- Another one that makes you say why? Atlanta -They dont go to watch there football, baseball or basketball teams. Why hockey? Buffalo Sabers-They have had all sorts of money problems Some of you may ask why i didnt mention the Islanders . Well thats pretty simple. There is one reason the isles are still a small spending team. They have a bad lease on there building . They get 0 profit from anything sold inside the arena. The bad contract was signed when the corrupt owner took over the team a few years back. However they are looking to fix that. They have a plan to redo the entire arena and area, which in turn would need a new contract to be made. capt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted September 30, 2004 Report Share Posted September 30, 2004 I can't wait for hockey to be back, and will jump right back into the NHL when it does come back. For now, I'm getting ready for College Hockey which will be starting within the next few weeks. I'm sure the NHL situation will get straightened out before there is the loss of a season, but I'm prepared for a long outtage. Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reeldeal Posted September 30, 2004 Report Share Posted September 30, 2004 honestly, im' kinda excited to go to AHL games and play a fraction of a price for an almost comparable product. there's no way that the nhl could do a massive contraction though, all the players contracts are guaranteed (which I think could be discussed) and that'd be a whole lot of extra contracts to be carried by even less revenues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orpheus Posted September 30, 2004 Report Share Posted September 30, 2004 There's college hockey and a good junior league Team here in Green Bay which is most of my hockey viewing anyways. The little bit of NHL that I do follow, well, we'll see how I feel when it comes back. This can only go badly for the league IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff W Posted September 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2004 I'm in Detroit, I could always take the drive and go hit some Michigan or Michigan State games, we were supposed to be getting a WHL team but that doesn't look like it's going to get off the ground any time soon. The Wings minor league affiliate is only an hour or so North in Grand Rapids as well, as far as hockey within the city goes though, I think the Wings were it. I'd like to see contraction but not the Isles or probably not even the Sabres, teams like Atlanta, Carolina, Florida, Nashville, Anaheim, or Phoenix could go. Instead of getting rid of teams though all they can do is try to find a way to get Winnipeg a team. :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calvin Posted September 30, 2004 Report Share Posted September 30, 2004 Luckily for me, I happen to live 5 minutes away from being able to see some of the best non-NHL hockey here. Not only do we have Boston's AHL affilate,the Providence Bruins here,but we also have hockey powers Providence College & Brown University as well. I'll still watch the NHL,but I can pretty much guarantee that it won't ever be the same again. I think at least 6 teams will fold if this drags out - & I honestly don't see how it will ever get back its status here in the US as one of the "Big 4,now 3" sports. And that is truly sad - because hockey is more fun to watch than most sports,especially live & in person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whooter Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 Speaking of Junior Hockey, check out my pics from the Omaha Lancers (USHL) opening night on Saturday. It featured an appearance by new Lancer owners Mario Lemieux, Luc Robitaille, and Mike Eruzione. :tu: Also, I owe my Dad a really nice Father's Day present next year, as he wrote a letter to Mario (I've been a huge fan of his and the Penguins since he came into the league) and got me an invitation to the Owner's Suite during the game. :green: Travis: The Gamblers suck! Linky Oh yeah, my dog wasn't at the game, i just happened to shoot a picture of her before I left for it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Lawrence Posted October 8, 2004 Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 Well one plus side is that the lockout has saved me about $150 in NHL Center Ice costs on my directv bill, and I may actually have more time to catch up on my dvd viewing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted October 8, 2004 Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 Wisconsin Badger hockey starts next Friday. DROP THE PUCK!!!! Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whooter Posted October 9, 2004 Report Share Posted October 9, 2004 Originally posted by Brian Lawrence@Oct 8 2004, 03:15 PM Well one plus side is that the lockout has saved me about $150 in NHL Center Ice costs on my directv bill, and I may actually have more time to catch up on my dvd viewing Me too! University of Nebraska-Omaha Maverick hockey starts tomorrow! (UNO is coached by former Wisconsin assistant Mike Kemp.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 Im starting to miss hockey. With talk this week of the Nassau Colliseum and surrounding area finally being renovated from top to bottom, its gotten me in the hockey mood. Take a look at the plans for the renovation at The Light House It has me really excited. I live a short car ride away from there, and it will finally be nice to have a new arena in the area. now if they would only build a new mets stadium i would be a happy man. Shea is close also capt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrillho Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 I miss it, last night the Flyers channel showed game six of the 1987 finals and I watched the whole game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whooter Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 I miss the NHL, but I've got plenty of hockey to watch, now. The Kansas City Outlaws play tonight, and the Topeka Tarantulas play tomorrow.... Whee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 The Islanders have the Bridgeport sound tigers up in Conn. There is actually a ferry from LI to there but its a trip to go see them capt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrillho Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 The flyers have the Phantoms, who play accross the parking lot from their stadium, I've been there plenty of times. Its hockey but the feeling isn't even remotly the same. I've never once felt the tension or the rooting interest I feel from an NHL game at a phantoms game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Failsafe Posted November 15, 2004 Report Share Posted November 15, 2004 Great news from Canadian Parliament!! OTTAWA TO NATIONALIZE NHL Prime Minister Paul Martin today announced that the federal government will take over the National Hockey League and run it as a "sacred trust, just like health care." The announcement came as pressure mounted for the government to do something to end the current NHL shutdown. "No Canadian should be deprived of NHL hockey during hockey season," Martin said. "We will take over the NHL and run it in the public interest, just like we run the government of Canada." In an hour-long news conference, the prime minister outlined reforms to the national game that his government will present to an emergency session of Parliament next week. "To protect the NHL from further Americanization, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will be fired and replaced immediately by Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson," Martin said. Asked whether the Governor-General knew anything about hockey, Martin replied "not much," but that Clarkson and 200 of her closest friends would be leaving immediately on a fact-finding tour to investigate hockey-government relations in Hawaii, Fiji and Monaco. To address longstanding concerns about escalating violence in hockey, Martin said the government will increase the number of linesmen and referees to 12 per game, one official for each player on the ice. In addition, Canada's gun registry legislation will be amended to require all hockey sticks to be registered. Once nationalized, all NHL teams will be subject to federal government guidelines for gender equality, affirmative action, and non-discrimination in hiring. "Inability to skate, shoot, or pass," Martin said, "will no longer be a sufficient reason for denying any Canadian an opportunity to play in the NHL." Martin added that in future all NHL teams will also be required to abolish the position of "right wing" from their rosters. Asked why, Martin said it was necessary to increase support for hockey among union members, and to secure NDP backing for the NHL nationalization bill in Parliament. The PM affirmed that "the great Canadian principle of equalization will be fully applied to our national game." "The current distribution of NHL teams in Canada is unacceptable to this government," he said. "It violates the principle of regional equality for Alberta and Ontario to have two NHL teams each while some provinces have none. Commencing next season, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be moved to Fredericton and the Edmonton Oilers to Charlottetown." Martin declared the seating arrangements at NHL hockey rinks "unacceptable" as well. "We do not accept two-tier medicine in this country and we cannot accept multi-tier seating at hockey arenas. It's un-Canadian." Martin explained that former public works minister Alfonso Gagliano will be put in charge of a program to flatten the seating arrangements in all NHL arenas. Asked how spectators in the back rows would be able to see the game, Martin said the government is devising a plan for rotating spectators from back seats to front seats between periods. "It is our intention, in the interests of fairness, to ensure that any inability to see the game is fully equalized among all spectators, Martin said. "It's the Canadian way." In recognition of the principle of "asymmetric federalism," and to secure the support of the Bloc Quebecois for the nationalization measure, Martin also confirmed that the Montreal Canadians will be exempted from the proposed reforms. Finally, to pay for the nationalization program, the government's next budget will include a Fan Tax, an Ice Tax, a Puck Tax, a Stick Registration Fee and a new 115-per-cent income tax bracket for any hockey player making more money than the PM. :tu: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted November 15, 2004 Report Share Posted November 15, 2004 :lmfao: That sounds about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyjaw Posted November 15, 2004 Report Share Posted November 15, 2004 Good stuff Jeremy. Not to be a killjoy, but did that 'article' come from a copyrighted source? If so, you should trim it down to a few choice quotes and link to the source, according to forum rules. If it came from another site, please post a link to it in any event, copyrighted or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Failsafe Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 Received it in an e-mail today. No source whatsoever is included in the e-mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 Wisconsin swept North Dakota over the weekend. That was enough for me to not think about the NHL for a few hours. Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Failsafe Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Well, some positive news on the hockey front: NHLPA offers 24% player salary cut Among the major points in today's proposal, the NHLPA has offered a 24% rollback on salaries and 20 cent tax on payroll over $45 million. The tax rises to 50 cents on the dollar over $50 million and 60 cents on the dollar over $60 million. The owners would also gain on entry level contracts with a cap on bonuses as well as arbitration rights. Perhaps the season can be salvaged after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTello Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Perhaps the season can be salvaged after all. Do you have any minor league hockey in your area Jeremy? In Rhode Island we have the Providence Bruins (the Baby B's), and thier season is in full swing! :tu: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Failsafe Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Originally posted by JTello@Dec 10 2004, 12:03 PM Do you have any minor league hockey in your area Jeremy? In Rhode Island we have the Providence Bruins (the Baby B's), and thier season is in full swing! :tu: Yep. We have the OHL (Ontario Hockey League). Pretty good hockey too! In fact, the London Knights are going to attempt to break the record from 1978-1979 of a 29 game unbeaten streak tonight! They have tied the record and are 28-0-1 on the season so far!! Of course, every home game of theirs is now sold out for the rest of the season so seeing them will be difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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