Your 2012 National Hockey Lockout Thread

[Kramerica Industries]

If CRich is indeed Kev, he's done one fantastic job avoiding the banhammer over the last year.

[Brass]

Martin Brodeur on players-owners meeting without the regular participants involved: "I'm open to any idea. When Bettman or Jacobs aren't around, I think people act differently."

So it's Bettman and then for some reason Jeremy Jacobs has more pull than any other owner. What the hell?

Jeremy Jacobs has the gravitas of a man who needs to attend his own teams' Stanley Cup celebration parade incognito lest he be ripped limb from limb by his own teams' supporters. That's why.

Indeed. I don't think there's one person in this city that likes Jeremy Jacobs. Now, that sentiment has spread to the entire hockey community.

[Lights Out]

Can the NHL just fold already? This is a joke. We need a new hockey league with competent people in charge.

[Eye]

Can the NHL just fold already? This is a joke. We need a new hockey league with competent people in charge.

Not new information, but needs to be repeated: A Premier League esque breakaway would be lovely; just take the relevant teams, form your own league, and go from there. Will never happen, though.

[CubsFanBudMan]

Can we get a fund going to pay for an arbitrator?

They've had the option of arbitration for quite some time now and have shown no interest in it. Why would we pay for something they won't use?

Because I've lost all hope and I'm beyond desperation.

This is where you leave the abusive partner in the relationship. Might I suggest the AHL or ECHL from now on. Or better yet just give up on hockey until the NHL collapses. Because they'll continue to do this going forward.

Are people doing this, or does the NHL lockout hurt the minor leagues, or at least fans' taste for hockey in general, just as much? Going to an AHL game seems like a doable solution for many. I've been to one Wolves game this year, but for me, 1-2 hockey games a year is typical. But I could see it being habit-forming, spending less money to get better seats, etc... but I'm just a casual fan.

[bosrs1]

Can we get a fund going to pay for an arbitrator?

They've had the option of arbitration for quite some time now and have shown no interest in it. Why would we pay for something they won't use?

Because I've lost all hope and I'm beyond desperation.

This is where you leave the abusive partner in the relationship. Might I suggest the AHL or ECHL from now on. Or better yet just give up on hockey until the NHL collapses. Because they'll continue to do this going forward.

Are people doing this, or does the NHL lockout hurt the minor leagues, or at least fans' taste for hockey in general, just as much? Going to an AHL game seems like a doable solution for many. I've been to one Wolves game this year, but for me, 1-2 hockey games a year is typical. But I could see it being habit-forming, spending less money to get better seats, etc... but I'm just a casual fan.

Can't speak for all of minor league hockey, but several ECHL teams and AHL teams have seen fairly large spikes in attendance. Presumably from people who would normally be watching the NHL either on tv or in person. So yes people are doing this.

[CubsFanBudMan]

Can we get a fund going to pay for an arbitrator?

They've had the option of arbitration for quite some time now and have shown no interest in it. Why would we pay for something they won't use?

Because I've lost all hope and I'm beyond desperation.

This is where you leave the abusive partner in the relationship. Might I suggest the AHL or ECHL from now on. Or better yet just give up on hockey until the NHL collapses. Because they'll continue to do this going forward.

Are people doing this, or does the NHL lockout hurt the minor leagues, or at least fans' taste for hockey in general, just as much? Going to an AHL game seems like a doable solution for many. I've been to one Wolves game this year, but for me, 1-2 hockey games a year is typical. But I could see it being habit-forming, spending less money to get better seats, etc... but I'm just a casual fan.

Can't speak for all of minor league hockey, but several ECHL teams and AHL teams have seen fairly large spikes in attendance. Presumably from people who would normally be watching the NHL either on tv or in person. So yes people are doing this.

Good. The game I went to was pretty empty, but it was early in the season. Hopefully as this drags on, more people come out. I'm slowly developing a greater appreciation for minor-league everything. I'm sure I'll watch the NHL on TV when it comes back... but maybe I'll take the money I'd spend on one Blackhawks ticket and spend it across more Wolves games. Or Milwaukee Admirals even.

[rvrdgsfn]

They will meet on Tuesday, No Bettman or Fehr....

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8702541/nhl-lockout-players-owners-only-meeting-set-tuesday

[NEW.ERA]

Oh cool Murray Edwards.

This is the last straw, me thinks.

[Still MIGHTY]

But Jacobs will still be in the room. Such a goddamn fruitless exercise.

[bosrs1]

But Jacobs will still be in the room. Such a goddamn fruitless exercise.

Agreed. Since Jacobs seems to be Bettman's primary puppet master this meeting will do nothing but take out the middle man for an afternoon. Don't know what I'm bothering to pay attention for because they're not going to solve this in the next 7 days before the season is canceled...

[njmeadowlanders]

Yeah but maybe someone punches him in the face.

[The_Admiral]

Nah, he knows well enough to either hide in a plexiglass cube or behind Ted Leonsis.

[Sport]

With Jacobs in the room the whole exercise of Bettman and Fehr sitting it out is pointless. The only positive days of negotiation have been when that mean old miser wasn't there.

[ninersdd]

I shouldn't say this, but watch the league run smoother once Jacobs leaves the earth. Which is exactly what happened to the Blackhawks once Wirtz died.

[CS85]

What a waste of time this all is. You can shake up the bodies present, but you're rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic at this point. NHL is bound and determined to kill itself, may as well just decertify and go for broke. These talks are a massive circle jerk that is an insult to everyone's intelligence.

[Still MIGHTY]

What a waste of time this all is. You can shake up the bodies present, but you're rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic on this point. NHL is bound and determined to kill itself at this point, may as well just decertify and go for broke. These talks are a massive circle jerk that is an insult to everyone's intelligence.

I think if this round of talks doesn't work (it won't), decertification is the next step and the final bullet in the chamber for the players.

After that, it'll be "See you in September."

Mediation didn't work. The players bitching to Jacobs' face isn't going to work. The league won't agree to arbitration. And decertification will most likely flush the NHL back to the Dark Ages with the amount of litigation that would follow (assuming the NHL doesn't pull an NFL/NBA and shortly after agree to a deal, which I don't think anyone would expect them to... Bunch of pricks.)

[Sport]

The NHL's COO, John Collins, is upset by the lockout and may be leaving his position with the league.

https://twitter.com/TheFourthPeriod/status/275623433440722945

High level NHL employees aren't happy with this. This lockout is ridiculous and even if there's a season this year I don't know if I'll be back. My sensibilities as a paying customer have been severely offended. If they don't get their together I'm not coming back until Bettman is no longer the commissioner.

[NJTank]

One way or another Bettman has to go, this sport needs a hockey guy as commissioner who wil ltel Jacobs to stick it. I think there should have been a deal by now the NHL PA has made concessions and are negotiating but all you hear from Bettman is take it or leave it and those words always lead to disaster.

[The_Admiral]

John Collins was one of Bettman's biggest hires. He came over from the NFL and was one of the key architects of the Winter Classic as the one NHL game that could attract a national audience. If alienating their extraordinarily media-savvy #3 is collateral damage of the lockout, I don't want to hear another goddamn peep out of anyone about "growing the game."