Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
Hockey isn't going to need labor lawyers, they are going to need an exorcism to bring back the sport to a shread of what it once was.
http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3292604
Quote:
Gretzky: Lockout could last two years
Associated Press
Posted: 3 hours ago
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) - Wayne Gretzky fears the NHL could be shut down for as long as two years if a labor deal is not reached soon.
Gretzky, the NHL's all-time leading scorer and part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, said an "even more alarming" scenario could await the league if the lockout is not settled in the next few days.
"I'm scared we could be looking at a year, year-and-a-half, two years, not just three months like a lot of people thought back in September," Gretzky said at a news conference Sunday at the World Junior Championships, where Canada will meet Russia in Tuesday's final.
The NHL board of governors is to meet Jan. 14 in New York. The league rejected a union proposal and its own counteroffer was turned down during a session Dec. 14. No new talks are scheduled.
"From the standpoint of owners, players and fans, everyone is disappointed there is no hockey," Gretzky said.
Since the players are not paid between April and October, Gretzky said there may be little chance of any breakthrough during the summer on a new collective bargaining agreement.
"We're going to be back where we were last Sept. 15th come this Sept. 15th," he said.
Gretzky played in the world juniors for Canada when he was 16.
"I was lucky," he said. "The only reason I made the team is because a couple of older guys got hurt. I was a young kid, and I enjoyed it. I was in awe."
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
:thumbdown This is the time of year when I love to start watching hockey. The NFL playoff teams are decided, and there's really only Saturday and Sunday to watch football. I love watching hockey during the week. This is going to make waiting for the baseball season seem like an eternity.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
13 days to decide if you want to make money or destroy your business.
Betteman is not doing the sport any favors.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
Now that Football is pretty much over, I guess I can say I *kinda* miss hockey. When you live in an NHL town, its a fun thing to go do on any given night of the week. And the businesses (Bars and Restaurants) in the Arena District are suffering because of this. But as soon as February rolls around I will have bigger and better things on my mind ;)
On a side note. This is pretty solid proof that labor unions are counter-productive.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
Quote:
Originally Posted by CbusRed
On a side note. This is pretty solid proof that labor unions are counter-productive.
How?
The owners are locking the players out, the owners are refusing to negotiate.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
Quote:
Originally Posted by westofyou
How?
The owners are locking the players out, the owners are refusing to negotiate.
Well, without the union, there is no need to lock out, the players deal with what the Owners want, Just like myself, and any other non-union employee has to do when the company we work for decides to make changes, after all, they are the owners.
And without lockouts/strikes, the consumers and small business owners that flourish from the sport dont have to suffer.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
The hockey mess is largely because the owners theselves cant control themsleves. Because its a locl $$ league (gate, local media), the large markets ignored fical responsibility with contracts because they could. New york, Detroit, Philly, Toronto can spend it because they make it.
Bettman it seems has finally convinced all th eteam owners that they need a new system that everyone adheres to fo rthe league to survive. I am willing to bet that he has already told them they dont plan on playing hockey this year.
If they go through the year, my guess is they will attempt to implement new work rules as the are at an impasse. Open the doors and let the players who choose to come play, play.
I think alot will choose to play. There are alot more lower salaried guys that the top notch ones, these ar ethe ones who will cross.
In the long run, missing a year might be the BEST thing to happen to the NHL. As much as i hate it right now.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
Quote:
Originally Posted by CbusRed
Well, without the union, there is no need to lock out, the players deal with what the Owners want, Just like myself, and any other non-union employee has to do when the company we work for decides to make changes, after all, they are the owners.
And without lockouts/strikes, the consumers and small business owners that flourish from the sport dont have to suffer.
Without the union their is no labor protection.
The history of the NHL is littered with the owners taking advantage of the players.... The Players are the sport, the owners will find out soon enough if they try and peddle AAA hockey in towns that know the game.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
Quote:
Originally Posted by westofyou
13 days to decide if you want to make money or destroy your business.
Betteman is not doing the sport any favors.
I have to find the link, but it has been reported that some teams are actually losing LESS money by not playing. Buffalo is one of them.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
Quote:
Originally Posted by deltachi8
The hockey mess is largely because the owners theselves cant control themsleves. Because its a locl $$ league (gate, local media), the large markets ignored fical responsibility with contracts because they could. New york, Detroit, Philly, Toronto can spend it because they make it.
Bettman it seems has finally convinced all th eteam owners that they need a new system that everyone adheres to fo rthe league to survive. I am willing to bet that he has already told them they dont plan on playing hockey this year.
If they go through the year, my guess is they will attempt to implement new work rules as the are at an impasse. Open the doors and let the players who choose to come play, play.
I think alot will choose to play. There are alot more lower salaried guys that the top notch ones, these ar ethe ones who will cross.
In the long run, missing a year might be the BEST thing to happen to the NHL. As much as i hate it right now.
Alot of the big teams are owned by Cable companies with lots of empty slots and unsold advertising time. Word is that they might push for a settlement.
It happened with the Yankees and the Dodgers in 1981, they had the most to lose and they eventually pushed for a settlement. 100% of nothing is still nothing.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
You may be right WOY, i will be suprised if there is Hockey this year.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
Quote:
Originally Posted by deltachi8
I have to find the link, but it has been reported that some teams are actually losing LESS money by not playing. Buffalo is one of them.
Buffalo has been a sinkhole for years, plus they went through bankrupcy.
Betteman expanded and line dthe owners pockets with expansion cash. Now they all cry poverty, guys like the Hurricanes owner who offered Fedorov that outragious signing bonus years ago that the Wings matched... and the Bruins signing of LaPoint.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
I live in Buffalo and, well its a sinkhole for a number of things.
The previous ownership were crooks and had much to do with the state the team is in financially. Hockey can work in Buffalo given a better economic climant for the sport.
The Federov and LaPoint examples are what alwaya have made me nuts - ownership crying poor and then acting like that. It had no credibility and didnt blame the players one bit for not believing them.
Now, I think it can be different, if and only if, the league has all the owners on the same page, looking out for the good of the game and league as a whole. When they start to splinter for their own interests, it will fail again.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
My boss's wife works in the front office for the Minnesota NHL team. He says that he's had enough conversations with FO types to believe that they are on a scorched earth plan.
That is, NHL declares an impasse, implements its last best contract offer, opens for business, hopes that some regular players would show up, and then fill the remaining roster spots with replacement players. And busts the union. And implements the fiancial plan they want.
He also said there has been talk about contracting back to pre-expansion number of teams and getting rid of Tampa, Phoenix, LA, etc. He said it's really only in Canada and the US NE and Great Lakes that hockey is truly viable in the long term.
Re: Gretzky: NHL Lockout could last two years
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roy Tucker
My boss's wife works in the front office for the Minnesota NHL team. He says that he's had enough conversations with FO types to believe that they are on a scorched earth plan.
That is, NHL declares an impasse, implements its last best contract offer, opens for business, hopes that some regular players would show up, and then fill the remaining roster spots with replacement players. And busts the union. And implements the fiancial plan they want.
He also said there has been talk about contracting back to pre-expansion number of teams and getting rid of Tampa, Phoenix, LA, etc. He said it's really only in Canada and the US NE and Great Lakes that hockey is truly viable in the long term.
That's the goal I think, to get the cap in, it's ugly and the leagues talent will suffer if that's the road they take.
However there are 8 teams in California, Colorado, Az and Texas. The Stars, Sharks and Aves aren't going anywhere soon.
Sounds like a small market lockdown, but I still expect the larger teams to push for a settlement sooner then the smaller guys.
As it stands now 9 days until the season might be canceled, this is playing out like many of the baseball strikes.
Hockey players and baseball players as a union have alot in common, levels of players from superstars to role players. Goalies equal number one starters and the career path is very similar.