You wanna know the heartbeat of the rank and file NHL player? Just ask Sabres goalie Ryan Miller for his take on the current lockout.
On Thursday, after the NHL owners cancelled the first eighty two games of the 2012-13 NHL season, dozens of NHLers vented their spleens on Twitter and on social media.
Miller not only re-iterated his initial position that the NHLPA proposal is worthy of consideration by the NHL owners. They, in Miller's opinion, are too pigheaded to see the forest through the trees.
On the same day when the generally reserved Jonathon Yoews and the classy vet, Teemu Selanne, hammered Gary Bettman's leadership, Miller told Josh Rimer of NHL Home Ice (@JoshRimerHockey):
"Sad that owners don't see the deal that is there to be made without a lockout."
"It has been there the whole time if they wanted it. I'm waiting for the owners who love the game and want to play to say enough is enough."
Sounds to me like Miller's speaking in code to his boss, Terry Pegula, who is an unabashed. lifelong Sabres fan. He's a lover of the game of hockey.
Seems to me, Miller's laser beams of disgust are trained on the large market, money grubbing owners like Jeremy Jacobs, Ed Snider, Ted Leonsis, Mike Illitch who are driving the hard line in these "negotations".
Pegula is not your stereotypical NHL owner. He's been an NHL owner for less than two years while the NHL power broker elders have been in positions of power for decades. Pegula will tell you that he's a fan first, and an owner secondarily. He raised eyebrows around the hockey world on 2/22/11 when he took over the ownership of the Sabres from Tom Golisano. Pegula scored huge points in the court of public opinion with the fans when he said on the record that if he wanted to make money, he's drill another (natural gas) well.
Throughout this 19 day lockout, I've been wondering what exactly Pegula is thinking with regard to the labor strife and the lack of movement in these negotiations. Pegula's a successful business man. He delegates to his leaders. He's surrounds himself with competent people. Where there's organizational problems, Pegula relies on his associates to collaborate with him to find solutions.
Miller knows this about Pegula. He's spent enough time around his boss to know that the guy would take a bullet for his players and for the game that he loves.
Maybe Miller's calling on Pegula to stand up in the next owners meetings, take the Bettman muzzle off his mouth, clear his throat, and present a common sense solution to the lockout.
"If they showed us they have respect for the game and respect for the players the deal would come much sooner than using a lockout to hurt us."
The NHL owners are leveraging the NHL players. How great would it be if the owners begin to experience fractures and splintering in their ranks? The prevailing thought is that 10 owners are driving the hard line, 10 owners are going along for the ride, and 10 owners are sick of the lockout and they want to play games.
I'm in favor of a battle royale that pits the smaller market, newer owners vs. the grumpy old men? I like it.
Thats my take on Miller's comments. What are yours?
________________________________________________________________________
Join the Discussion:
»