because no one cares about hockey in the United States. Only the few hockey fans that still follow.

how does this lockout help Florida? We finally have a playoff season and now there's a lockout. Those who finally got interested in the team are now fishing and giving two craps about hockey. It hurts our market and frankly no one cares. No one is talking about it here in CT, in NY, NJ because it's football season and no once really cares if the NHL comes back.
- BallardHitsHard22

You are sadly mistaken about this. maybe that is how it is in FL. Come to NY. Rangers/Isles/Sabres fans at a boiling part right now, dont care who is wearing the jersey just want to see hockey.

Im sure it is the same in Boston/Phili/Pitt etc. . .

No you're not, if you were you wouldn't be posting on a hockey site.
- Lahey

riddle me this. how did people playing hockey start getting paid to do so? how did a guy being better than his friends suddenly start making millions of dollars? the owners built the league. players are just meat. hockey is the actual product. sidney crosby is not hockey. he is just prime rib.

the NHL is the least educated league out of the 4 main sports. it shows. RIP NHL. let it burn. lockout forever.

Man, I am going to implement a bullpoop meter for these blogs. Out of which crack was this "story" pulled?

What if someone challenged the terms of the NHL's agreement to 'own' the cup? I read the below about ownership of the Cup and was wondering if someone could challenge them over the 'termination' of the League and their right to own the Cup. Seems to me there are leagues in Europe that might be able challenge the NHL for 'playing caliber' if this crap continues.

5.This agreement shall remain in force so long as the League continues to be the world's leading professional hockey league as determined by its playing caliber, and in the event of dissolution or other termination of the National Hockey League, the Stanley Cup shall revert to the custody of the trustees.
- jtb3rd

http://www2.macleans.ca/2...-do-with-the-stanley-cup/

because no one cares about hockey in the United States. Only the few hockey fans that still follow.

how does this lockout help Florida? We finally have a playoff season and now there's a lockout. Those who finally got interested in the team are now fishing and giving two craps about hockey. It hurts our market and frankly no one cares. No one is talking about it here in CT, in NY, NJ because it's football season and no once really cares if the NHL comes back.
- BallardHitsHard22

Ummmm...it allows the NHL to reset the financial conditions, so that the Florida Panthers have at least a snowball's chance in hell of surviving?

Ummmm...it allows the NHL to reset the financial conditions, so that the Florida Panthers have at least a snowball's chance in hell of surviving?
- Atomic Wedgie

^^^ This

And if the NHL doesn't get some concessions they are going to be forced to reduce teams and it makes the sport that worse off.

They lost their LT joe Staley to a concussion and he might not play tonight. That's huge if he doesn't play. Manningham also is questionable for tonights game. Just saying.

Seattle is a lock +9, that's the easiest bet of the 2012 NFL season. That's even easier than the Over Under 8's we were seeing at the end of the NHL season last year with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- BallardHitsHard22

Please stay on topic

Unlikely it would be possible, but I would be all in for replacement players.

These overpaid idiots think they have it bad?
Come into the real world.

They think they are bigger than hockey? Let them work at McDonalds.

I'll be first in line to take one of their jobs.

riddle me this. how did people playing hockey start getting paid to do so? how did a guy being better than his friends suddenly start making millions of dollars? the owners built the league. players are just meat. hockey is the actual product. sidney crosby is not hockey. he is just prime rib.

the NHL is the least educated league out of the 4 main sports. it shows. RIP NHL. let it burn. lockout forever.
- joshs

Yes, but let a vegetarian cook you that prime rib and see what you are left with.

Unlikely it would be possible, but I would be all in for replacement players.

These overpaid idiots think they have it bad?
Come into the real world.

They think they are bigger than hockey? Let them work at McDonalds.

I'll be first in line to take one of their jobs.
- flyer_nutter

unfortunately you cannot have replacement players because the NHL lockout its players. its an antitrust law

Man, I am going to implement a bullpoop meter for these blogs. Out of which crack was this "story" pulled?
- kingapadan

I was thinking the same thing. So two sides meet, one side makes 3 or 4 conter-proposals and the other side says that neither proposal even begins to address the issues at hand. Both parties break up after 1 hour. After that the optimism meter is set to PROGRESS. Can somebody explain to me what PROGRESS was made today?

Yes, but let a vegetarian cook you that prime rib and see what you are left with.
- Lahey

this analogy is too vague. please be more specific. what i am asking you is at what point in history did playing hockey earn you money? it wasnt because of the players. the owners built the league and set it up so that both could make money. name 1 player that lost money last year. i can name over half of the owners losing money. average NHL player makes 9 million dollars to play hockey in his life aside from all the other perks (avg salary 2.3, avg time in NHL 4 years).

this analogy is too vague. please be more specific. what i am asking you is at what point in history did playing hockey earn you money? it wasnt because of the players. the owners built the league and set it up so that both could make money. name 1 player that lost money last year. i can name over half of the owners losing money. average NHL player makes 9 million dollars to play hockey in his life aside from all the other perks (avg salary 2.3, avg time in NHL 4 years).
- joshs

The day the owners decided to pay them

The NHLA players better get their heads out of Fehr butt hole... they keep talking about the fact that they can't "give back" and they are losing to much from the former 57% CBA. Wake up call losers, anything more than 0% of league revenue which is what you are getting today is better. The CBA at 57% is gone, its over, its not coming back, so start negotiating cause if you don't you will lose an entire season and maybe next.... and at the end of the day when you finally come back with head between you legs the revenue sharing that you will be getting will also drastically go down because the NHL will lose fans. I have always heard that jocks aren't that smart, but for gods sakes guys figure it out. IGGY you happy losing 7 million dollars in the last year of your contract? If you have 4 good earning years left that is 25% less what everyone will lose becuase of lost revenue. Just plain stupid

Pull the plug ek....it's over

Pull the plug EK.....it's over

I felt like an idiot looking but you're right -- we're almost there!
- Canada Cup

ZOMGZ! It looks like the Optimist-meter moved again and now it's broken!

Ummmm...it allows the NHL to reset the financial conditions, so that the Florida Panthers have at least a snowball's chance in hell of surviving?
- Atomic Wedgie

So what would reset the financial conditions to make the Panthers viable? 30% player share of revenues? 40%?

What would that number be if these lose fans who walk away after a lost year?

Did you notice that the League offer continued to peg the salary floor at $16 million below the cap? If they were serious about "saving the Panthers" they would find a way to de-couple or loosen the connection between cap and floor. (Set it as a % of the cap so it doesn't rise as fast) That would mean a lot more than a couple of % points in player salaries.

The day the owners decided to pay them
- Lahey

the owners are the league. the action of hockey is the product. the players are the meat.

ZOMGZ! It looks like the Optimist-meter moved again and now it's broken!
- HuileHab

I have this awful image of Ek's dog holding the stick with -- let's say his mouth -- while Ek snaps pictures

Yes, but let a vegetarian cook you that prime rib and see what you are left with.
- Lahey

I have this awful image of Ek's dog holding the stick with -- let's say his mouth -- while Ek snaps pictures
- Canada Cup

More regular season cancellations coming IMO, I just don't see how there can't be. When that happens...bets on how will Ek put a positive spin on that?

the owners are the league. the action of hockey is the product. the players are the meat.
- joshs

Whatever, if you are so concerned go watch the kids in your back alley play road hockey and see just how great the product is.