Why should teams like Montreal and Toronto financially help other markets. It makes no sense! Does the NHL give Montreal a bigger cap to work with because of the 53% income tax players have to pay to play there?

If a city can't afford to run it's team because fans don;t show up or because their merchandise doesn't sell screw them....FOLD!

Quebec had to fold as did the Jets!

Screw Columbus TB FLO those markets don't deserve teams to begin with!
- MatsNaslund

this is a nice thought if you disregard the fact that revenue sharing exists - and largely works - in all of the other 3 leagues. Deal with it.

just think about this, the nhl gave the yotes a crutch last year, yet they traded for vermette at the deadline. Think about that, 29 other teams paid the salary of not just vermette but the entire yotes team. if the islanders, preds and all the other teams that have a trouble turning profit continue down this road the big market teams and their fans will have pay through the nose in order to keep the small market teams in small market cities with their small number of fans. makes total sense, keep fighting the good fight.
- blacksheep1

So what? The Coyotes are still barely above the cap floor, so it doesn't matter. That's all they're authorized to spend but it shouldn't be the NHL's authority to tell them who to spend it on.

I should add, I don't think the Coyotes should exist either, I just don't get what you're trying to say with the Vermette thing.

Jesus dude..did I pi$$ in your cornflakes?
- meduser

If you're going to spout something, at least have something to back it up instead of lots of hot air.

ah, screw it..not worth debating.....
- meduser

As I expected.

If you're going to spout something, at least have something to back it up instead of lots of hot air.


As I expected.
- Irish Blues

My Cat's breath smells like cat food.

idk if any of you guys were in the straight shooterz yahoo fantasy league last year, but if you were, I sent out an invite.

My Cat's breath smells like cat food.
- Beatle_john

Super Nintendo Chalmers

Watching sports on the local news coverage last night, they interviewed Subban and Cammarelli regarding negotiations. Both are preparing for regular season opener, both seem happy with the progress of negotiations so far and, most important, both we're very aware that income lost due to a lock out is money you never get back.

I think the season starts on schedule. Expect some minor tinkering with preseason schedules. Nobody on either side has any appetite for a stoppage.

Please start on time!! On second thought, I don't care, as long as they start by December 1st. Untill then I'll be watching Russell Wilson tear it up in the NFL.
- LeftCoaster

How did you get away with this?

I don't think that having one team support another as a long term solution is any kind of business model.

I know that they are trying to grow the sport. However, I would suggest that if expansion happens as quickly as the NHL did it, and this far down the road some of those markets are experiencing problems, then it might be time to re-evaluate.

There are a lot of those teams that would receive real support in another city.

If you're going to spout something, at least have something to back it up instead of lots of hot air.


As I expected.
- Irish Blues

You, kind sir, are just not worth the time.

You rip a post on a rumor page as if I was ripping on your family...

I notice you have nothing to say about the rest of my reply...GFYWAS

Jesus dude..did I pi$$ in your cornflakes?

You can have your opinions, I stated mine. I didn't think this was a board based on facts only, as it is an Eklund board.

So the cba wasn't a failure? Bettman and the owners(happy?) set out to cap players spending, lower total salary and make a lot of money. They made money yes, but the cap was Bettman's idea, and for the most part it has forced smaller market teams to raise their caps, and has forced the larger markets to pay out money to the smaller markets.

I am all for contraction. Lose 6 teams, and make the league strong. The lineup's would be loaded with talent, instead of ridiculous garbage like what Columbus iced last year. Then they whine about losing money, and do it again.

The opening shot from the owners/ Bettman was a slap to the face of the players and their fans. The only reason we go to games is for the players, and I don't see why the owners share of revenues should be higher than the investment in the product.

I couldn't give a crap about baseball, that is why I am on a hockey board.

In my opinion, Bettman thought he could run all over Fehr, and offered an insult(from the outside view, as we haven't seen all the details) as the opening shot. Fehr responded in what seems(from the outside, as we haven't seen all the details)in a smart retake of the leagues finances.


I don't like Bettman at all. I feel he has damaged the game in more ways than he has helped the game in his tenure. I heard Mike Gillis(Canuck's gm) on the TEAM 1040 in Vancouver talking about the Phoenix situation, and he said repeatedly that the Aquilini's are not happy with the Phoenix situation, and that they are shelling out their profits to pay other players on a different team. He also discussed other teams he had talked with that were unhappy with it....I guess I am still speculating..?Right from the GM's mouth....?

ah, screw it..not worth debating.....
- meduser

In my defense alot of experts saw us in a dogfight for a playoff spot.......only thing is Mason decided that beachballs were too though to block ....

Some call this creative accounting, and ask why the players shouldn't be earning bigger portions? My response to that is "This is ALL creative accounting. Both sides are playing that game."

My degree is a Bachelor of Science/ Bachelor of Arts in accounting. They are definately showing their creativity with the application of these numbers. As one of my favorite accounting professors would often say "Numbers are wimps and if you torture them long enough you can get them to confess to anything."

Some call this creative accounting, and ask why the players shouldn't be earning bigger portions? My response to that is "This is ALL creative accounting. Both sides are playing that game."

My degree is a Bachelor of Science/ Bachelor of Arts in accounting. They are definately showing their creativity with the application of these numbers. As one of my favorite accounting professors would often say "Numbers are wimps and if you torture them long enough you can get them to confess to anything."
- Barbecued Hockey

Ok so the owners want to pay the players less, there are 29 or 30 owners. Hmm let's see why dont you stop throwing out those stupid contracts. Of course they want to win, but come on after Philly throwing out that crazy offer sheet. Really hard to side with the owners.

Ok so the owners want to pay the players less, there are 29 or 30 owners. Hmm let's see why dont you stop throwing out those stupid contracts. Of course they want to win, but come on after Philly throwing out that crazy offer sheet. Really hard to side with the owners.
- ganou60

Totally true.. the prices are determined by those willing to pay them. It's almost like they threw out these huge contracts to lock players in and now they are going the route of the CBA to clean their mess up.

I think that if there was any rolling back of contracts after this negotiation (doubt there will be) but players should then have the options to void their contracts and become free agents. haha.. that would make the rumor mill a lot more interesting.

this is a nice thought if you disregard the fact that revenue sharing exists - and largely works - in all of the other 3 leagues. Deal with it.
- S Kaspar Rollins

Montreal does exist in other professional markets. The 53% income tax severely hinders Montreal from signing free agents among other reasons. It also forces Montreal to have to severely over pay players which also affects the on ice product.

So tell me why should Montreal (which brings in a ton of cash) share that with other teams when they don't get anything in return for it?

If small markets can't survive on their own they should fold and the league should drop to 24 teams.

Montreal does exist in other professional markets. The 53% income tax severely hinders Montreal from signing free agents among other reasons. It also forces Montreal to have to severely over pay players which also affects the on ice product.

So tell me why should Montreal (which brings in a ton of cash) share that with other teams when they don't get anything in return for it?

If small markets can't survive on their own they should fold and the league should drop to 24 teams.
- Mats Naslund

Not sure about Quebec being able to support a team they probably could but Hamilton defintely could. But Bettman is hard pressed to have hockey in the desert.

According to TSN this proposal would see the cap for next year drop from the projected 70 million to 58 million.

Let's say the players agree to this (which I highly doubt). What happens to all the teams who would now be over the cap? (according to NHL Numbers there are like 15 teams over that 58 million mark right now- Minny being at the top of that list)

?

According to TSN this proposal would see the cap for next year drop from the projected 70 million to 58 million.

Let's say the players agree to this (which I highly doubt). What happens to all the teams who would now be over the cap? (according to NHL Numbers there are like 15 teams over that 58 million mark right now- Minny being at the top of that list)

?
- Hockey_Reverend

Philly too and I believe Pens and Rangers also

Philly too and I believe Pens and Rangers also
- Flyers_1488

I guess there will be a rollback on the cap number but not on the actual salary of said player....

According to TSN this proposal would see the cap for next year drop from the projected 70 million to 58 million.

Let's say the players agree to this (which I highly doubt). What happens to all the teams who would now be over the cap? (according to NHL Numbers there are like 15 teams over that 58 million mark right now- Minny being at the top of that list)

?
- Hockey_Reverend

1. Who cares what NHLNumbers says; it sucks ass. What does Capgeek say?

2. If they're going to roll back to $58 million and there's going to be no amnesty [as has often been proclaimed, and which I have always disputed], ... well, it will be interesting to see how the league pulls this off. My suspicion is that we'll see at a minimum another round of compliance buyouts, and this time around we'll see some form of compliance renegotiations; the real question is whether teams get to permissibly exceed the cap in the short-term. My suggestion is to allow all three and have teams having to pay into a fund that goes to revenue sharing if/when the team utilizes one of those things, with the amounts paid in based on the amount of cap savings realized.

Not sure about Quebec being able to support a team they probably could but Hamilton defintely could. But Bettman is hard pressed to have hockey in the desert.
- ganou60

Bettman acted to protect the interests of the NHL and the other major sports leagues as it pertains to control over who can operate a team and when it can be relocated; the fact that it involved a team located in a desert was irrelevant. That fight would have occurred if it was Balsillie trying to buy Ottawa out of bankruptcy and move it to Santa Barbara; JB attempted a blatant end-run around the league's rules regarding ownership and relocation, and had he succeeded anyone else could have done the same simply by getting the team thrown into bankruptcy. The other 29 owners may not be thrilled about the Phoenix situation, but preventing someone else from just picking up their franchise and dropping it in their back yard without restriction [and damaging the value of the first franchise as a result] was/still is much more important.

That said, I agree that Phoenix is probably doomed at this point. It's hard to imagine all the damage inflicted by Moyes, Balsillie, the bankruptcy, and the resulting uncertainty being undone. That's not to say Phoenix could never support a hockey team [kind of like Atlanta, where the problem was much more shoddy ownership than true lack of fan support] but at some point someone is going to throw in the towel - but it will happen on the league's terms, not the terms of someone who can't/won't follow league rules and demands everything be done his way.

owners love him, the only way he leaves this job is in a box.
- blacksheep1

Someone, call Chelios

Someone, call Chelios
- BobbySchmautz

*calls*

Bettman sucks. Worst Commish in all of sports.


If there is a third lockout...he needs to be fired. End of story
- meduser

Why do you say that? Do you think he is doing this on his own? I think he has grown this sport, which was pretty stagnant in the 90s, greatly since 2005. I do not like his tone or presentation in public, but I would think the owners do, and think differently than you and I in that regard, or he would not still be there. My understanding from a real news source was that the cut back on the cap was huge which to me is troubling.