Obama should provide every team in bold with a bailout...
- mhp

Like pay Billions to bail them out, have tax payers pay for it, and only ask for a small % back from the teams, then calling it even?

Like pay Billions to bail them out, have tax payers pay for it, and only ask for a small % back from the teams, then calling it even?
- l3ig_l2ecl

except for the Isles...

nice. 35 grand a year to play pro hockey. should work.
- Fountain-San

200 players have already demonstrated that they are willing to play for peanuts, as long as it isn't the NHL.

Maybe his idea is just crazy enough to work.

Get some fake ID under the name Barry Gettman, set up a new league, and have guys sign for tiny amounts.

Brilliant.

nice. 35 grand a year to play pro hockey. should work.
- Fountain-San

Ovechkin will be the 1st to sign

Am I seeing this right? Nine of the thirteen teams in bold were expansion or relocation under Betteman?
- boonerbuck

Tampa Bay - expanded and entered the league before Bettman became Commissioner.

Florida - approval was given before Bettman became Commissioner.

Minnesota - you're going to say that expansion shouldn't have taken place?

Anaheim - see Florida.

San Jose - see Anaheim.

Phoenix, Carolina - Bettman doesn't decide when and where teams move. The other owners do.

Columbus - terrible team for 11 of its 12 years of existence. One (1) season above 82 points. Little difficult to attract fans with that kind of track record - even in Canada. Additionally, Bettman didn't decide where expansion teams would be located; the other owners did.

Nashville - Forbes says the team hasn't turned a profit post-lockout. The team says it turned a profit in '07-08 and '08-09 (or '08-09 and '09-10; prock can clarify this). Who to believe - the team, or an outside entity that can't actually look at the books? Hmm ... Also see the note above regarding who decides where expansion teams get located.

Facts. Some people always make sure they never get in way of an agenda.

200 players have already demonstrated that they are willing to play for peanuts, as long as it isn't the NHL.

Maybe his idea is just crazy enough to work.

Get some fake ID under the name Barry Gettman, set up a new league, and have guys sign for tiny amounts.

Brilliant.
- Atomic Wedgie

Not my idea. I can't believe this idea hasn't been floated before. I'm not saying it has a snowballs chance in hell but its a nice pie in the sky dream IMO.

There has been a lot of talk about decertification from the NHLPA.

I was wondering, if they did decertify, could a small group of players create a new union? Meaning guys like Roman Hamlick start up a union and have the NHL sign a CBA with them? which would then make it illegal for players to sue the NHL because they have a CBA in place?

I think that would be too funny.

So talking profits, Canadian teams account for 75% of league profit... Not too shabby....
- l3ig_l2ecl

In past years, that was like 127% without the Jets - yet again illustrating that Canadian franchises are underperforming relative to past years.

Tampa Bay - expanded and entered the league before Bettman became Commissioner.

Florida - approval was given before Bettman became Commissioner.

Minnesota - you're going to say that expansion shouldn't have taken place?

Anaheim - see Florida.

San Jose - see Anaheim.

Phoenix, Carolina - Bettman doesn't decide when and where teams move. The other owners do.

Columbus - terrible team for 11 of its 12 years of existence. One (1) season above 82 points. Little difficult to attract fans with that kind of track record - even in Canada. Additionally, Bettman didn't decide where expansion teams would be located; the other owners did.

Nashville - Forbes says the team hasn't turned a profit post-lockout. The team says it turned a profit in '07-08 and '08-09 (or '08-09 and '09-10; prock can clarify this). Who to believe - the team, or an outside entity that can't actually look at the books? Hmm ... Also see the note above regarding who decides where expansion teams get located.

Facts. Some people always make sure they never get in way of an agenda.
- Irish Blues

Should have never moved to Dallas.

Color me skeptical that it will prove to be a profitable situation
- Scoob

Yeah, I don't blame other teams fans for the skepticism, but what fan of any team wouldn't be excited about 2 immediate upgrades to their favorite team like Suter and Parise whether they needed them or not?

If these guys play well and help make the Wild contenders, I have no doubt the Wild will have made a good investment, BUT, as I said, if they fail to deliver, theres no doubt the move will prove disasterous for Craig Leopold.

Either way, I'm extremely pumped to see these guys on the ice... if that ever actually happens.

Not my idea. I can't believe this idea hasn't been floated before. I'm not saying it has a snowballs chance in hell but its a nice pie in the sky dream IMO.
- tmlfan69

No, son.

It's not.

200 players have already demonstrated that they are willing to play for peanuts, as long as it isn't the NHL.

Maybe his idea is just crazy enough to work.

Get some fake ID under the name Barry Gettman, set up a new league, and have guys sign for tiny amounts.

Brilliant.
- Atomic Wedgie

the natural rivalry between Regina and Saskatoon would be enough for me to get behind it.

I don't know. I'm only 28 yo. I don't remember how it was like back in the 80s, but when I watch videos of games Gretzky was playing, everyone seems like a turd compared to him.
I look at videos from the 60s, and it's hard to imagine it was entertaining.
In the end however, when it's what you have, people get use to it and fall in love with it.

I am up for AHL to replace the greedy NHLers. It would last about 15 days of hockey before the first NHLers cross the picket line. Within 2 months, the whole NHL would be back. The ones who arnt happy could stay in Russia for all I care.
- l3ig_l2ecl

thing is alot of the ahlers have nhl contracts and would not be able to play as a scab

In past years, that was like 127% without the Jets - yet again illustrating that Canadian franchises are underperforming relative to past years.
- Irish Blues

Because the big 2 arent making the playoffs
If the Leafs would make them, I wonder how crazy their revenue would jump up.

Should have never moved to Dallas.



- glove_was_stuck

agreed but they had the same problem in bloomington that the jets and nordiques did.

Is it normal the nhl got out a calendar starting on december 15th ?

Did I miss something or are the games cancelled in december go all the way to that date

So basically i is time for a WHA type of league consisting of all the Canadian Teams and those American cities in the Northeast.

Time to get rid of the sunbelt teams.

agreed but they had the same problem in bloomington that the jets and nordiques did.
- Fountain-San

They certainly did.

this is where i think you are wrong

the players need the owners

the owners dont need the players.

sure they would love to see their asset flourish (that being the teams) but they do not rely on the money generated by these clubs as their primary source of income. this is why the owners dont actually NEED hockey, from a business standpoint of course.

the owners dont need anything.. so long as they dont mind being the bad guy shutting the league down (which obviously they are okay with) then there is nothing the players can do.
- Dozzer

How in the world do the owners not need the players? These are the best hockey players in the world playing in the best hockey league in the world. You don't pay NHL prices to see AHL or QMJHL games do you? The NHL is a partnership, or should be. We pay the prices we pay to see the best hockey in the world, plain and simple. If you want to pay NHL prices for less than NHL quality, then go on and do it. I for one will not

There has been a lot of talk about decertification from the NHLPA.

I was wondering, if they did decertify, could a small group of players create a new union? Meaning guys like Roman Hamlick start up a union and have the NHL sign a CBA with them? which would then make it illegal for players to sue the NHL because they have a CBA in place?

I think that would be too funny.
- l3ig_l2ecl

It's a tricky question, because labour laws vary from province to province. And they are of course different in the US.

But to make a sweeping overly-simple general statement, in most places, to obtain union certification you need to demonstrate that at least 50% of the workers want to certify.

thing is alot of the ahlers have nhl contracts and would not be able to play as a scab
- CaptainK

But they could simply cross the picket line and play.

Is it normal the nhl got out a calendar starting on december 15th ?

Did I miss something or are the games cancelled in december go all the way to that date
- Alexzanki

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/...star-weekend.html?cmp=rss

You missed it.

Because the big 2 arent making the playoffs
If the Leafs would make them, I wonder how crazy their revenue would jump up.
- l3ig_l2ecl

Let's keep this discussion realistic though, let's not get carried away.

So basically i is time for a WHA type of league consisting of all the Canadian Teams and those American cities in the Northeast.

Time to get rid of the sunbelt teams.
- willey101

Contract 6. Relocate 2. 24 team league. 2 Conferences. 2 Divisions of 6 teams.

Go ahead NHLPA, please decertify.

Should have never moved to Dallas.
- glove_was_stuck

Almost 20 years later and still haven't gotten over it...