Strike in nhl?

[Saintsfan]

Whilst looking at the article on the possibility of a NHL team in Winnipeg, I noticed that it said that a strike was probable, I think the word they used was, before next season. This strikes me as crazy from everyones point of view.

1 Sure the owners wanna sort out the wage issue but at a time when many hockey clubs seem to have problems, can they really forego a year of gate receipts etc??

2. Surely players wanna play. Whatever, they earn excellent money, and they don't have a long career. Surely theyt have to make the most out of their moment.

3. The league needs hockey to be played. frankly I doubt in the long run the WHA is gonna be much competition, but the NHL is competing and losing at least in non Canadian to Basketball.

Surely for the sake of the game some agreement has has has to be reached?? Does anybody disagree??

[zer0dotcom]

regarding your #1 comment, I forget where I saw it, but should the season be forfit, there is a long list of teams that face severe finacial problems by missing out on that money.

In my mind, it's a double edged sword. If it takes a strike/lockout in order to place a wage system (like the NBA or NFL) in place, then it has to be done beofre the NHL turns into MLB.

On the other hand, should they go ahead and play next season, things may get worse still. Either the Owners or the Player's Association have to give alittle, or just get along (yeah right, not in this lifetime)

Just please, please work something out! I want to see Winnipeg back in the NHL!

[Saintsfan]

I guess in a way the point I was trying to make was that MLB was lucky to recover from its strike a few years back. Really only the Home Run Race between Sosa and McGwire and a few other exciting things that season drew the attention of the media, as much as anyone else back to baseball. If hockey as a game wants to go down the strike road it could lead to serious trouble for the game in the long run, never mind the clubs that would go out of business, but the fact that the media would look elsewhere for headlines and could well find some other sporting occasion to take the place of the NHL.

I am not a huge hockey fan, but I do respect it as a game and I do think its fans have every right to expect the NHL and the Players Union to work out some kind of sensible agreement to ensure the long term stability of the game. That is after all in everyines interests.

[CJR]

Just to nitpick, there's almost no chance there will be a strike next season.  A strike is when the players refuse to play, and the players are happy with the current situation and are willing to keep playing.  What we have to fear is not a strike but a lockout, where the owners block the players from playing.  The owners are the ones who want changes, they're set to lock the players out and try to force their changes through.

[Saintsfan]

Just to nitpick, there's almost no chance there will be a strike next season. A strike is when the players refuse to play, and the players are happy with the current situation and are willing to keep playing. What we have to fear is not a strike but a lockout, where the owners block the players from playing. The owners are the ones who want changes, they're set to lock the players out and try to force their changes through.

I guess that changes things a bit, but still someone somewhere needs to knock heads together and get this sorted, otherwise the NHL is in serious serious trouble.

What you have to remember is that sports now compete on a global marketplace. If people can't watch or televise hockey they will find something else to watch. And the NHL will seriously lose a lot of international revenue from marketing, TV contracts, merchandising, a whole bunch of stuff. Foreign TV companies will not lose any sleep about not putting the NHL on TV.

[Mac the Knife]

Each side in this seems entrenched in their position, which could prove deadly for the NHL.  

Unlike baseball though, the NHL and NHLPA don't think that a long-term work stoppage is an unrecoverable scenario.  The MLB and MLBPA realized that, if they missed a game as a result of a strike, baseball could very well be finished.  Hockey's powers that be don't have that concern -- when in fact, they should.

[Puckguy14]

It is a very big possibility.  And for the small market teams, it's crucial.  Even for the mid-size markets its bad.  I've been on record that if this impass cancels a season, 4 to possibly 8 teams could fold, including, but not limited to: Pittsburgh, Florida, Anaheim, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Edmonton, Calgary, and San Jose.  

Owners could see it as a way to get out at a bad time.

[dwertman]

I cant remember where i read it (prolly the NHLPA website lol).But I saw a article somewhere on the net,that NHL owners supposedly have upwards of 300 million dollars warchested for the comin battle with the PA.

[JQK]

The Players Association gets no love from me.

I hope there is a lockout, and i hope a buch of teams fold, so the NHL can start from scratch. They need a clean slate, and this is the perfect opportunity.

[dwertman]

It is a very big possibility. And for the small market teams, it's crucial. Even for the mid-size markets its bad. I've been on record that if this impass cancels a season, 4 to possibly 8 teams could fold, including, but not limited to: Pittsburgh, Florida, Anaheim, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Edmonton, Calgary, and San Jose.

Owners could see it as a way to get out at a bad time.

Dang the Sharkies are on his list....wonder if they were the ones who called about moving to Winterpeg

[Mac the Knife]

Though they won't say it, the Hurricanes would probably prefer a lockout.  They wouldn't lose as much money.  

[NJTank]

There may be a lock out but I cant see both sides getting so stupid they throw away an entire season.

[JQK]

I CAN!

The owners won't budge, they know their survival as a league depends on getting a good deal, and stop the bleeding caused by the NHLPA, but the NHLPA loves to suck on the blood, so they want things to stay the way they are, and they won't budge. THis has 1994 baseball written all over it...

[Stampman]

In some ways I hope they strike and both sides lose out, and realize they're both partly to blame--however I will temper that with concern for the people who work at the NHL arenas--for many of them it is an income supplement, and without it they'd have trouble getting by.  For others it maybe they're students paying their tuition and/or supplies.  I've known people who do this, and during the last strike-they were hurting.

[Phil]

I CAN!

The owners won't budge, they know their survival as a league depends on getting a good deal, and stop the bleeding caused by the NHLPA, but the NHLPA loves to suck on the blood, so they want things to stay the way they are, and they won't budge. THis has 1994 baseball written all over it...

If the players are smart, and actually care about the game they play, they'll concede a salary cap and salary reductions in general.

I've never seen an NFL player starving.

[Mac the Knife]

I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see an entire season go down the drain.  If that happens, the NHL will never recover.

[Puckguy14]

It is a very big possibility. And for the small market teams, it's crucial. Even for the mid-size markets its bad. I've been on record that if this impass cancels a season, 4 to possibly 8 teams could fold, including, but not limited to: Pittsburgh, Florida, Anaheim, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Edmonton, Calgary, and San Jose.

Owners could see it as a way to get out at a bad time.

Dang the Sharkies are on his list....wonder if they were the ones who called about moving to Winterpeg

I can almost guarantee that the Sharks did not call the city of Winnipeg. When Compaq/HP got the naming rights to San Jose Arena (now HP Pavilion at San Jose), which runs out in 2017, the Sharks lease at the Tank also expires at 2017. In the deal, the Sharks can not move until 2008 at the earliest under strict stipulations.

I list the Sharks on the "contraction" list because according to team officials that have been quoted in the SJ Mercury News, the team has been losing at least $10 million since 2000-01. I know hard to believe! Each year, the city gets a bigger chunk of the parking and concession receipts, in return, the team runs and manages the arena.

With the slow start the team had and the current lack of attendance for a first place team, you have to wonder if the group of 20+ investors will want out altogether.

9 posts to 1000...and a super suprise!