I can see the players balking on the 5 year term limit. I really don't know why the NHL needs that in there. The 5% variance takes care of the back diving contracts they want to eliminate.
- MJL

Not arguing with you here, but just asking for your opinion. Why are the players against a term limit on contracts? If there is a term limit of 5 years then at the very least they can negotiate a new contract every 5 years, if not less. Virtually 100% of the time, a new contract equals a RAISE. Except for maybe very late in their career. Instead of being locked into an 8yr plus contract for a certain dollar amount, why wouldnt it be preferable to be in a 5 yr deal for that amount and then sign another contract for even more dollars as salaries always rise.

(UPDATE 10:59 AM) @Real_ESPNLeBrun: Reports from outside of boardroom confirm Bettman removed his belt from his pants and began to swing it wildly at Fehr...all a part of the process.
- The-O-G

Gut laugh!

It's likely a small group of elected reps that have been given the authority to accept a deal or reject it. That group can then hold a vote with all members to see where they stand.

Anyway, that would be my guess.
- l3ig_l2ecl

sh*ts crazy. i wouldnt want some guy makin 7 mil a year for the next 7 years deciding my fate if i was on a 2 year 500 thousand dollar deal.
id like to cast my vote

Realistically I think there's a 50-50 shot this gets done in time to salvage a season.
- The-O-G

Wow, are you EK Jr?

Not arguing with you here, but just asking for your opinion. Why are the players against a term limit on contracts? If there is a term limit of 5 years then at the very least they can negotiate a new contract every 5 years, if not less. Virtually 100% of the time, a new contract equals a RAISE. Except for maybe very late in their career. Instead of being locked into an 8yr plus contract for a certain dollar amount, why wouldnt it be preferable to be in a 5 yr deal for that amount and then sign another contract for even more dollars as salaries always rise.
- Donnie27J

Scott Gomez!!!

Did you get the hanging beads entrance as well?
- MnGump

of course

Not arguing with you here, but just asking for your opinion. Why are the players against a term limit on contracts? If there is a term limit of 5 years then at the very least they can negotiate a new contract every 5 years, if not less. Virtually 100% of the time, a new contract equals a RAISE. Except for maybe very late in their career. Instead of being locked into an 8yr plus contract for a certain dollar amount, why wouldnt it be preferable to be in a 5 yr deal for that amount and then sign another contract for even more dollars as salaries always rise.
- Donnie27J

it gets rid of the retiring contracts where they can get paid an obscene amount up front and nothing near the end.
5 year contracts mean they have to actually play the whole contract to get the majority of the money

I want Fehr and Bettman to have the rocky finish where they punch each other at the same time.
- derfmred

I'm betting it would be much more like a Semin-esque slapfest.

So how can any deal be reached with Jeremy Jacobs sitting in the meetings with about $200M in signed contracts on his books, no doubt yelling "rollback" and likely "bed pan" every 5 minutes.

When the gear stops working, the only release he has is the joy of grabbing cash back out of young people's hands.

Not arguing with you here, but just asking for your opinion. Why are the players against a term limit on contracts? If there is a term limit of 5 years then at the very least they can negotiate a new contract every 5 years, if not less. Virtually 100% of the time, a new contract equals a RAISE. Except for maybe very late in their career. Instead of being locked into an 8yr plus contract for a certain dollar amount, why wouldnt it be preferable to be in a 5 yr deal for that amount and then sign another contract for even more dollars as salaries always rise.
- Donnie27J

I'd imagine the constant threat of some sort of career ending injury may make a guy take an 8 year deal with possibly less total money overall than take a 4 year deal, where at the end of the 4 years, you could negotiate a new deal and do better than the total of the 8 year deal you passed on.

If after year 3 you get concussed for good... you'd wish you'd have taken the 8 year deal.

it gets rid of the retiring contracts where they can get paid an obscene amount up front and nothing near the end.
5 year contracts mean they have to actually play the whole contract to get the majority of the money
- Oilhab

If you play the whole contract, wouldn't you get ALL the money?

WOO HOO I HAD A POST DELETED,, THATS A FIRST!

Wow does Bob Mac really annoy me.

Not arguing with you here, but just asking for your opinion. Why are the players against a term limit on contracts? If there is a term limit of 5 years then at the very least they can negotiate a new contract every 5 years, if not less. Virtually 100% of the time, a new contract equals a RAISE. Except for maybe very late in their career. Instead of being locked into an 8yr plus contract for a certain dollar amount, why wouldnt it be preferable to be in a 5 yr deal for that amount and then sign another contract for even more dollars as salaries always rise.
- Donnie27J

tell that to the guy who signed luongo, lecavalier, gomez, drury, horcoff, redden, dipietro.
etc etc

if u control the market parameters, it makes it tougher for these ridiculous contracts to happen. even with a bunch of competition for said player driving up market value. which is what would prob happen again in a few years.

i thought the owners would move to 7 years (for all contracts..not just resignings), and mostly just concentrate on free agency age and contract variance. but i suppose they gave some more on the make whole dollars.
we give more on this, but less on that.

If you play the whole contract, wouldn't you get ALL the money?
- stashu

But why would you want to play in your 40's, when you can sign a 15 year deal when you are 25, get paid the majority of what you would get paid when you are in your late 30's as a signing bonus and then retire at 35 and only leave a couple mil on the table.

Not arguing with you here, but just asking for your opinion. Why are the players against a term limit on contracts? If there is a term limit of 5 years then at the very least they can negotiate a new contract every 5 years, if not less. Virtually 100% of the time, a new contract equals a RAISE. Except for maybe very late in their career. Instead of being locked into an 8yr plus contract for a certain dollar amount, why wouldnt it be preferable to be in a 5 yr deal for that amount and then sign another contract for even more dollars as salaries always rise.
- Donnie27J

Rick DiPietro also likes long term contracts!!!

I'd imagine the constant threat of some sort of career ending injury may make a guy take an 8 year deal with possibly less total money overall than take a 4 year deal, where at the end of the 4 years, you could negotiate a new deal and do better than the total of the 8 year deal you passed on.

If after year 3 you get concussed for good... you'd wish you'd have taken the 8 year deal.
- eayost

Thing is, is that there are very few long deals out there and that if you re-sign you can get 7 years max. I don't see why it's such a big deal? Especially when there are 700 votes.

because nobody watches their sport (in comparison to the Big 3)
- Homer

How did the NHL generate over 3B in revenue last year then?

it gets rid of the retiring contracts where they can get paid an obscene amount up front and nothing near the end.
- Oilhab

So just say "if the player is on a 1-way contract and not in the NHL, he counts against the cap at the difference between his cap number and his salary for that year" and be done with it. Then, it doesn't matter how long a contract is because you ensure that "$ paid to the player while playing in the NHL" = "$ incurred against the cap" in all situations and front-loading doesn't create cap savings that is never required to be paid back (as was the case in the 2005 CBA).

No need for silly rules with unintended consequences - just a simple, straight-up, "fine, go tie your hands by giving out a 13-year deal ... but if you do and it blows up, it's your problem to deal with" solution.

5 year contracts mean they have to actually play the whole contract to get the majority of the money
- Oilhab

This assumes that players actually play harder when given shorter contracts / there's a "contract year" effect in performance. Research on the topic is inconclusive at best (if anything, changing teams has more of an effect on performance than where a player is at in his contract), and I, you and others could point to numerous instances where guys don't perform even on 1-year or 2-year deals.

Oh you have GOT to be kidding me MJL.

It is no secret ALL athletes in ANY sport are vastly overpaid (ok maybe except for the scrubs makin 625k).

You can't possibly think anyone deserves to be handed a $125 million to merely play a game, right?

RIGHT??
- Giroux_Is_God

When that game generatd billions in revenue, yes. Your mistake is calling it a game when it's a business.

Thing is, is that there are very few long deals out there and that if you re-sign you can get 7 years max. I don't see why it's such a big deal? Especially when there are 700 votes.
- HipHopisDead

It's not a big deal.

I find it to be like Guns. People are fighting to keep them around. However, do you really need them? No. It's all about the fact that you can have them, not about actually having them.

How did the NHL generate over 3B in revenue last year then?
- MJL

CANADA

Do you think if Bettman offered 50% on the league's first offer that the PA would have ever gone to 50%?
- eayost

No I don't think so. I think it's pretty clear that both sides were willing to miss part of the Season to try and get the best deal then can for themselves.

Player states " whats in it for us?"

Ummm, lets see. You make thousands, if not millions a year to play a frickin GAME.

STFU.

The statement should be "whats in it for the fans?"- At least the NHL got that right...
- sjshrky27

YAAAA!!!!! and candy should fall from the sky every time crosby farts.

Are you (frank)ing kidding me?

How can a any human with a functioning brain think the way you do?

Dude, have you ever negotiated anything in your life?

Buy a car. It's 20k msrp. You need it to drop by 2k. Do you go to the sales guy and ask "I need 2 k off? NO, because he will say, I can only do 500. You might then be able to push $250 more.
Instead, you go, I need 4K off to make a deal. He looks and laughs. He can't. You then ask what can he do. So he gives you $1000. You tell him that wont do. You say you might be able with 3000 off. He goes talk to his boss, comes back and gives you the 2K you really wanted from the start. Worst case scenario is, he offeres 1K off, but gives you winter tires, fills up the gas, a first oil change on him, winter mats, etc...
- l3ig_l2ecl

I understand the process of a negotiation. But you clearly missed the point. A negotiation is give and take. Not seek and destroy. Which was the NHL's approach until the latter parts of this negotiation.

No no. I don't skip.

I just don't pay attention.

But if you must know, I a class called Intro to Pharmacy and Healthcare that I always slack off during...everyone does....it's a joke, really- that's at noon.

At 4 I have physics. Then I get to study!!

Currently, though, I'm sitting at a piano learning First Episode at Hienton, by Elton. What a beautiful song....

Anything else you'd care to know??
- Giroux_Is_God

are you single?