Todays news will be Games cancelled through Dec 1st

You mean NBC who only shows the Bruins, Rangers, Capitals, Penguins, Red Wings, Flyers, and sometimes the Sabres? Don't think they would have cared.
- HarvP

That's exactly what I'm wondering.

If they wouldn't have cared and the NHL would have got the deal regardless, then Bettman's 'vision' was all wrong.

If they would have cared and wanted a truly 'national' sport in order to sign on, then it's hard to blame the man for doing what he did.

That's why I said I would love to ask someone at NBC that question.

To me, it's not about the regular season, but the playoffs. Would the casual american hockey fan rather see the Rangers play Quebec City or Toronto #2 in the playoffs or Phoenix/Anaheim/Florida etc.

Todays news will be Games cancelled through Dec 1st
- Pyzik

Hopefully Jan 2nd

if we ever get hockey again, even Gary Bettman lovers have got to realize they need to have someone else give out the Stanley Cup. Gotta stop having the massive booing for such a great sports moment just to satisfy this little bastard's ego.

The booing he has gotten up until now will be nothing compared to what lies ahead.

didn't they give Tyler Myers 12 million dollars for absolutely no reason last year?

edit: actually Buffalo gave Christian Ehrhoff 10 million up front last year and are giving 12 million to Tyler Myers this year.

All in the spirit of circumventing the salary cap that the owners canceled a season for because they couldn't live without it.
- jimbro83

Buffalo also made many improvements to its arena last year. Many of these would be capitalized, so the complete amount spent won't be reflected in the income statement, but player salaries aren't the only major expense the Sabres had last year. That will go down this year I would imagine, even without a lockout.

Buffalo also made many improvements to its arena last year. Many of these would be capitalized, so the complete amount spent won't be reflected in the income statement, but player salaries aren't the only major expense the Sabres had last year. That will go down this year I would imagine, even without a lockout.
- buffalofan19

personally I don't have any problems with how Buffalo spends their money

You mean NBC who only shows the Bruins, Rangers, Capitals, Penguins, Red Wings, Flyers, and sometimes the Sabres? Don't think they would have cared.
- HarvP

NBC is going to show the teams that draw the most viewers, which are the teams you mentioned. If another growing market, let's take Nashville for example, starts generating more national viewership, be it from big numbers inside the market, or transplants tuning into the team when it's on, NBC will start showing for them. I think the argument that teams have to be in these markets because of potential revenue growth. NBC will make little money on a Toronto, Quebec City, Montreal, or whoever else in Canada because people won't watch them in the US. They won't make any money off Canadian viewership, despite the fact that virtually every cable or satellite outlet in Canada carries all the US over-the-air networks (NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, etc.).

personally I don't have any problems with how Buffalo spends their money
- jimbro83

I didn't really think you did.

The point was, as mentioned, Buffalo was looking to make a big splash, both personnel and facility wise, and that it's really an outlier. To me, a $5.6 million loss seems low considering the amount Buffalo spent on everything this year.

Real negotiations, huh? Somehow, I'm not excited.
- BulliesPhan87

Just cancel the season, I'm already bored with this.

Bettman is an easy target, but he is nothing more than a frontman to keep the negativity away from the actual owners who are calling the shots
- Eklund

Furthermore, if I'm an owner, I'm not going to be overly happy about the prospect of investing hundreds of millions of dollars, with very little likelihood of making a profit. What incentive is there to be an owner in this environment? It's not surprising they're pushing for a lower %.

If you're an owner, wouldn't you do the same thing?

Just cancel the season, I'm already bored with this.
- Fakepartofme

If course you are!

Does it have anything to do with the fact that the leafs will have a great chance at the #1 pick if the season is cancelled?

If the do the draft the same way they did after the last cancelled season, the Leafs, along with only a couple other teams, would have the most balls in the lottery!

Just joking...

Furthermore, if I'm an owner, I'm not going to be overly happy about the prospect of investing hundreds of millions of dollars, with very little likelihood of making a profit. What incentive is there to be an owner in this environment? It's not surprising they're pushing for a lower %.

If you're an owner, wouldn't you do the same thing?
- prock

Yes and no. Very few teams are an NHL owner's major source of profit.

Toronto is its own entity (MLSE). Montreal makes a lot of money, but even that's just an investment of the Molson Family at the moment. I don't know what Vancouver's ownership structure is like. The Rangers are part of the entire MSG enterprise, which also makes a good chunk of its money from the Knicks, and every other one-off event that takes place at the Garden.

Then you have teams like Buffalo and Washington, which more like toys or hobbies for their owners than investments.

The rest of these teams are investments. Some are profitable. Many are not, but depending on what each owners' portfolio looks like, a loss isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially in regard to taxes. They can potentially use the losses against other more profitable ventures they may be involved in. However, at the same time, they don't want to keep funnelling money into an enterprise that just eats it.

if we ever get hockey again, even Gary Bettman lovers have got to realize they need to have someone else give out the Stanley Cup. Gotta stop having the massive booing for such a great sports moment just to satisfy this little bastard's ego.

The booing he has gotten up until now will be nothing compared to what lies ahead.
- jimbro83

While your statements are obviously made out of hatred for Gary Bettman, it would be cool to have some sort of tradition like the winners from the year before pass it off.

Furthermore, if I'm an owner, I'm not going to be overly happy about the prospect of investing hundreds of millions of dollars, with very little likelihood of making a profit. What incentive is there to be an owner in this environment? It's not surprising they're pushing for a lower %.

If you're an owner, wouldn't you do the same thing?
- prock

I can't believe any fan would advocate the salary cap going down.

The only thing the cap going down would do is make it even more difficult to sign your own players.

NHL ticket prices are up 39% across the board since the teams got a salary cap, so please someone tell me the owners care about the fans, I need a good laugh.

While your statements are obviously made out of hatred for Gary Bettman, it would be cool to have some sort of tradition like the winners from the year before pass it off.
- prock

Oh I seriously phucking hate Gary Bettman, no backing off that one.

Yes and no. Very few teams are an NHL owner's major source of profit.

Toronto is its own entity (MLSE). Montreal makes a lot of money, but even that's just an investment of the Molson Family at the moment. I don't know what Vancouver's ownership structure is like. The Rangers are part of the entire MSG enterprise, which also makes a good chunk of its money from the Knicks, and every other one-off event that takes place at the Garden.

Then you have teams like Buffalo and Washington, which more like toys or hobbies for their owners than investments.

The rest of these teams are investments. Some are profitable. Many are not, but depending on what each owners' portfolio looks like, a loss isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially in regard to taxes. They can potentially use the losses against other more profitable ventures they may be involved in. However, at the same time, they don't want to keep funnelling money into an enterprise that just eats it.
- buffalofan19

Just because it’s not their major source of profit, that doesn’t mean they are okay with losing money on it. It’s still a bad investment.

And the tax writeoff thing, no… it doesn’t work like that. When you’re writing off losses, it’s not a good thing, it just means you’re losing less than the full amount.

I can't believe any fan would advocate the salary cap going down.

The only thing the cap going down would do is make it even more difficult to sign your own players.

NHL ticket prices are up 39% across the board since the teams got a salary cap, so please someone tell me the owners care about the fans, I need a good laugh.
- jimbro83

If it makes for a healthier, better league, then why wouldn't I support it? I think it's a good thing for the league.

if we ever get hockey again, even Gary Bettman lovers have got to realize they need to have someone else give out the Stanley Cup. Gotta stop having the massive booing for such a great sports moment just to satisfy this little bastard's ego.

The booing he has gotten up until now will be nothing compared to what lies ahead.
- jimbro83

I could not agree with you more. I can't stand the sight of that little ego maniac. I cannot believe anyone thinks he has the game, or the fans best interests at heart. He's a cancer bestowed in the NHL by David Stern, who knew exactly what he was doing when he recommend Bettman for the job, and he will destory the NHL small markets and all.

I could not agree with you more. I can't stand the sight of that little ego maniac. I cannot believe anyone thinks he has the game, or the fans best interests at heart. He's a cancer bestowed in the NHL by David Stern, who knew exactly what he was doing when he recommend Bettman for the job, and he will destory the NHL small markets and all.
- OLDSCHOOL#6

Destroy it??? LOL. Revenue has absolutely skyrocketed under Bettman.

Destroy it??? LOL. Revenue has absolutely skyrocketed under Bettman.
- prock

look at the list of Stanley Cup Champions and look at the year 2004-05

Oh god. For the 100th time on these forums: It's not feasable to continue on this way.

Regardless of who's right and who's wrong, under the last CBA (mainly the floor and not the cap), 1/3 of the league's teams are not viable.

You can female dog and moan all you want about how the players are getting screwed. The bottom line is that if they contined on this path ad infinitum, 1/3 of the league's players wouldn't have a job in the NHL!

What do you not understand about that?

Sure, the owners will come out looking like the bad guys again (with Bettman taking the brunt of it), but these are the people who are provding jobs for the players. If they don't have a business (a team), that's 20+ less jobs for the union.

It's really not that difficult.
- Charliebox

Get rid of some teams or move them.....Having a team in phoenix and two in florida is stupid. Move them to better markets! For that i blame bettman and his screwed up vision of promoting hockey in large tv markets even if the demand is poop!

Destroy it??? LOL. Revenue has absolutely skyrocketed under Bettman.
- prock

ARE THEY PLAYING????? DID THEY NOT ALREADY LOSE ONE FULL SEASON TO LOCKOUT??? AND WHERE ARE THESE SO CALLED REVENUES UP IF SO MANY TEAMS LOSE MONEY?? THE NHL IS DYING A SLOW DEATH UNDER THIS wiener! WAKE THE FRANK UP

I am not more optimistic today. I have been saying for the last few weeks that I believed that tomorrow was the day for getting a deal done.

If, on the other hand, a deal is not done tomorrow there will be more cancellations and nothing will happen until the 48 hours before the next drop dead date (probably another two weeks).

Watch for the NHL use of words like positive, helpful or encouraging in relation to the NHLPA proposal. If you see words like that coming from Bettman and Daly you know the players will be in camp within a couple of days. And, more important there will be a revised 82 game schedule.

If the proposal does not work, the NHL will shut it down immediately and you will hear the word unrealistic stressed by the NHL. But, both sides want to get this done.

look at the list of Stanley Cup Champions and look at the year 2004-05
- jimbro83

What’s wrong with the list of winners? Three original six teams. The LA Kings first cup. Looks like a good list to me.

What, are you angry as a Rangers fan that your franchise can no longer try to buy a cup?

ARE THEY PLAYING????? DID THEY NOT ALREADY LOSE ONE FULL SEASON TO LOCKOUT??? AND WHERE ARE THESE SO CALLED REVENUES UP IF SO MANY TEAMS LOSE MONEY?? THE NHL IS DYING A SLOW DEATH UNDER THIS wiener! WAKE THE FRANK UP
- OLDSCHOOL#6

Going to the players in record volumes. That's the problem.