Your 2012 National Hockey Lockout Thread

[bosrs1]

Well looks like the NHL made an offer today.

Feels like it's been three months since they even had a conversation.

The NHL finally moved on some issues, 6 year contracts. But they refused to budge on the make whole provision.

[IceCap]

Sports Illustrated predicts NHL will expand to Seattle & Quebec City for 2013-14. My god damn head hurts.

AHAHAHAHA!

OITGDNHL

[njmeadowlanders]

Sports Illustrated predicts NHL will expand to Seattle & Quebec City for 2013-14. My god damn head hurts.

AHAHAHAHA!

OITGDNHL

To be fair it's just some stupid prediction from some writer I've never heard of in a "LOOK AT ME TEN NHL PREDICTIONS!!!!!" article.

I mean it's entirely possible it happens but this isn't anything the NHL did to warrant an OITGDNHL. It's no different than the same articles every October that predict an NFL team full time in London in the next five years.

[GFB]

City of Detroit to potentially sue the Red Wings for up to $70,000,000 in owed "cable money".

A little-known provision in Olympia Entertainment's lease of city-owned Joe Louis Arena and Cobo Arena

Since its lease expired in 2010, the company hasn't paid millions of dollars for items such as rent, concessions and other revenue and property taxes, according to city documents obtained by The News.

Although the lease expired, the Red Wings have remained and are considered a "holdover tenant" bound by its terms. The outstanding debt is a subject of negotiations for a new lease, city documents show.

1. Detroit owns the arena.

2. The Red Wings' lease ran out in 2010.

3. They have not paid any rent since.

Change the damn locks already. It's amazing the things some people/businesses can get away with. Have the Devils paid any rent on their new arena yet?

Why would you pay a bill that you never received? And that money is probably better served in Illitch's pocket than if it ended up in the City of Detroit's pocket, where it would mysteriously disappear into the pockets of elected officials.

[The_Admiral]

There have been Seattle/QC expansion rumblings long before this SI piece. There's no way they could turn around an expansion by 2014, especially since neither city has an NHL-ready arena right now. They could fix up the Colisee in a pinch, but not KeyArena.

This new offer is pretty good except for the contract length. Six is too short, I'd prefer eight, but this is as good as it's going to get from these people.

[bosrs1]

There have been Seattle/QC expansion rumblings long before this SI piece. There's no way they could turn around an expansion by 2014, especially since neither city has an NHL-ready arena right now. They could fix up the Colisee in a pinch, but not KeyArena.

This new offer is pretty good except for the contract length. Six is too short, I'd prefer eight, but this is as good as it's going to get from these people.

Why not KeyArena? If they can move the Islanders into a non-hockey arena long term they could move a new team into Key Arena short term. Sure it wouldn't be ideal, but for a few years who cares. Remember this is the GDNHL. And they've done something similar previously in Phoenix now that I think about it.

This would work just fine for a year or two in their warped minds.

[Island_Style]

You know, I was a little bitter on a bastard season. I don't know if I fell in to Bizzaro World but the Panthers are my only shinning sports hope. If they accept the offer, the Cars will be stuck in my head all week. Let the good times roll.

[Sodboy13]

This new offer is pretty good except for the contract length. Six is too short, I'd prefer eight, but this is as good as it's going to get from these people.

Actually, now that word's leaking out that owners want to avoid losing a full season, it's Donald Fehr's cue to squeeze and twist. Just remember, the league has made no concessions in any of this. They're just asking the players to give up somewhat less than they had before.

[bosrs1]

This new offer is pretty good except for the contract length. Six is too short, I'd prefer eight, but this is as good as it's going to get from these people.

Actually, now that word's leaking out that owners want to avoid losing a full season, it's Donald Fehr's cue to squeeze and twist. Just remember, the league has made no concessions in any of this. They're just asking the players to give up somewhat less than they had before.

My thoughts exactly. And after the solidarity the players showed earlier in the week with the vote I think that's exactly what Fehr will do. He'd be stupid not to. The owners blinked, now is the time to put the screws to them and make them actually compromise. Which will lead to a lost season.

[ElwoodCuse]

There have been Seattle/QC expansion rumblings long before this SI piece. There's no way they could turn around an expansion by 2014, especially since neither city has an NHL-ready arena right now. They could fix up the Colisee in a pinch, but not KeyArena.

This new offer is pretty good except for the contract length. Six is too short, I'd prefer eight, but this is as good as it's going to get from these people.

Why not KeyArena? If they can move the Islanders into a non-hockey arena long term they could move a new team into Key Arena short term. Sure it wouldn't be ideal, but for a few years who cares. Remember this is the GDNHL. And they've done something similar previously in Phoenix now that I think about it.

This would work just fine for a year or two in their warped minds.

The Thunderbirds don't even play there anymore because it was such an awful place for hockey. The NHL sure won't.

[The_Admiral]

As far as the NHL goes, Seattle is a good market to be in if you can. It's not a place you have to be. Ergo, no shoehorning hockey into an arena that was built to keep hockey out.

[rvrdgsfn]

We got a do or die date... Jan 11

http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2012/12/28/3812432/nhl-lockout-2012-drop-dead-date-january-11

The NHL and NHL Players Association need to come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement by Jan. 11 or the entire 2012-13 season will be canceled, according to a report by Renaud Lavoie of RDS on Friday afternoon.

[dbadefense1990]

There have been Seattle/QC expansion rumblings long before this SI piece. There's no way they could turn around an expansion by 2014, especially since neither city has an NHL-ready arena right now. They could fix up the Colisee in a pinch, but not KeyArena.

This new offer is pretty good except for the contract length. Six is too short, I'd prefer eight, but this is as good as it's going to get from these people.

Why not KeyArena? If they can move the Islanders into a non-hockey arena long term they could move a new team into Key Arena short term. Sure it wouldn't be ideal, but for a few years who cares. Remember this is the GDNHL. And they've done something similar previously in Phoenix now that I think about it.

This would work just fine for a year or two in their warped minds.

The pic says it all. The arena was only designed for basketball, the center scoreboard didn't lay exactly over center ice, and some end line balcony seats shunned out a view of the game completely.

I'm pretty sure this is a bad first impression on trying to lure casual Seattle fans to the sport of hockey. If they want to bring hockey back, I hope the Seattle people in charge of the Sonics situation take a look at how to construct an arena that can properly handle hockey.

And as someone else mentioned, the Thunderbirds are gone.

[Don]

If the NHL keeps "negotiating" as it being take it or leave it kiss the season goodbye. I sincerely hope theyre not that stupid, but ive been proven wrong before.

[dfwabel]

There have been Seattle/QC expansion rumblings long before this SI piece. There's no way they could turn around an expansion by 2014, especially since neither city has an NHL-ready arena right now. They could fix up the Colisee in a pinch, but not KeyArena.

This new offer is pretty good except for the contract length. Six is too short, I'd prefer eight, but this is as good as it's going to get from these people.

Why not KeyArena? If they can move the Islanders into a non-hockey arena long term they could move a new team into Key Arena short term. Sure it wouldn't be ideal, but for a few years who cares. Remember this is the GDNHL. And they've done something similar previously in Phoenix now that I think about it.

This would work just fine for a year or two in their warped minds.

The arena was only designed for basketball, the center scoreboard didn't lay exactly over center ice, and some end line balcony seats shunned out a view of the game completely.

I'm pretty sure this is a bad first impression on trying to lure casual Seattle fans to the sport of hockey. If they want to bring hockey back, I hope the Seattle people in charge of the Sonics situation take a look at how to construct an arena that can properly handle hockey.

And as someone else mentioned, the Thunderbirds are gone.

The MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between King County, City of Seattle and Chris Hansen's ArenaCo holding company has this in the language regarding KeyArena:

ArenaCo remains obligated to pay for all improvements needed to host an NBA team and an NHL team at the City’s Key Arena facility during construction of the new facility. The agreement adds a new $7 million Key Arena Fund and gives the City sole discretion for determining whether and how to use these funds. The agreement also adds a requirement that ArenaCo will provide $150,000 to reimburse the City for costs to work with stakeholders on a study of options for the longer-term vitality of both Key Arena and the Seattle Center. The study of options, combined with the interim seasons of play at Key Arena, will focus attention on the future of the Seattle Center.

The bigger issue is since Hansen really does not want to own a NHL team, how much of a stake will he have or will any franchise (current or expansion) take a deal to be his tenant or possible sub-tenant to his NBA franchise? It could be PHX/ATL/MIA all over again in the lack of suite/premium seating revenues/advertising/concessions...since there is still an unknown on what possible local TV rights for NHL would be.

[The_Admiral]

When did it become "really does not want"? Last I checked, we were at "not altogether averse to, once I get the Sonics back."

[CubsFanBudMan]

I thought Chicago Wolves owner Don Levin was the Seattle owner-in-waiting.

[Sodboy13]

Don Levin's itching to plant an NHL team in Seattle and make the Wolves its affiliate. And unlike some other alleged potential NHL owners, he reportedly has the finances to do the deed.

[The_Admiral]

Don Levin has an interest in bringing the NHL to Seattle, but since No Not That Chris Hansen will have the master lease to his new building, he would have to be involved somehow for it to be a successful enterprise and not just some bastard sub-tenant like the Thrashers were going to be. I think Levin wanted to build an arena of his own in Bellevue, but that's probably not happening now.

[dfwabel]

When did it become "really does not want"? Last I checked, we were at "not altogether averse to, once I get the Sonics back."

Both equate to that the NHL in Seattle is not a priority to Hansen. Be it from Katz of the Oilers, to a SI.com scribe giving their thoughts. The Bellevue option is still there though.

And since we are just shooting out all SeaTac facility thoughts, as late as last week a city-funded, Tacoma Dome feasibility study does not bode well for a conversion.