I can see that, but I think hockey players are two faced...to a point anyway. They always want to come of as the athletes that are most like me and you, IMO anyway. A good way to do that is to show us they understand they can get by on 1.8 million per season instead of 2.1 million per.....but when it comes to money that all goes out the window.
- Homer

I do agree with you. It's one of the reasons I have always loved and defended hockey, probably like most of you on this board.

But unfortunately those nice Canadian boys are becoming more and more like players from the other leagues on a lot of fronts, at least judging by some of their tweets recently. So I agree, they should literally put their money where their mouth is in this case. Or stop saying they're like the Average Joe and just say..."hey were better than all of you because we excel in a game so we should get paid much much more than you".

Reality is the majority of the fans... a very large majority... are sick of the NHLPA and their antics.
- robin_steele264

Agree. It seems that there are a few hot beds of PA supporters, mostly in union towns. But the rest of us are tired off this crap.

OK here is the REALITY of the 5 year term limit.

1) The owners will have to pay more money for shorter deals(?)

Maybe. The market and bidding competition will determine what the owners pay. (up to the single player limit) This is otherwise known as a player's "value". Historically less than 10% is the number of players affected I believe.

2) There will therefore be less money for everyone else...

-This argument only holds water because the previous deals were, in effect, intended to circumvent the cap Or mortgage the future for the present, to a greater or lesser extent and this can no longer happen. A 5% variance restriction does not solve this problem alone. (although it goes a long way)

The whole scenario above is also pure speculation. It might happen. It might not.

EVEN IF IT DOES... The PA gets the same 50% (presumably). All it means is that the shift of money will represent the true value of 1st liners compared to 3rd and 4th liners.

The PA has no problem with the fact that a Tim Horton's employee does not make what a pro hockey player makes... but now, apparently, they have a real problem with 1st liners making even more and 4th liners make even less.

The argument is exactly the same. The Tim Horton's employee is not able to attract 6 figures, and the 4th liners are not able to attract 8 figures.

Have a nice day.

Did he play Sid in Sid and Nancy? I forget.
- Aetherial

<------- Yes. My avatar.

So you keep saying. Your argument only works if all of the NHL teams are signing stars to massive deals, or doing so frequently. In reality, there are currently 14 teams in the NHL that have no contracts longer than 7 years. Quality middle class NHL players can sign with those teams.

There are only 7 teams that have more than 1 player signed for more than 7 years. This is a practice only being conducted by a minority of owners. If some of the owners really want to keep paying ridiculous amounts to top players then they will pay for it with lack of depth in their team.

If Pittsburgh want to waste $27M of their cap on 3 star players then they can waive bye bye to their depth players, because they have plenty of places to go.
- niedermayer27

It's not just my argument, it's the argument of many. Travis Yost discussed the same argument in his blog today. The deals don't have to be massive. The Cap hits just have to be elevated due to the contract limits. There is at least 50 players that are signed to a deal of 6 years or longer. Now not all star players will apply, because some are RFA's. If you're talking about a 60M Upper Limit, and if max salary stays at 20% of the Upper limit. There's the potential of a player with 12M Cap hit. And that eats up a lot of that 60M. There is no longer the ability to offer the player longer term and security, in exchange for the player taking less money, or taking less money on the back end to lower the Cap. So what are the top players going to do? Are they going to take less? There's only 30 teams. And how many top players? Now they're all not going to get max contracts. As actually very few are going to be able to command that. But for sure a lot of top players are going to have elevated Cap hits due to the term limits if it is in the CBA.

Take the Flyers for example. Claude Giroux is signed for the bargain rate of 3.75M a year for this Season and next. What's going to happen when he is due to re-signed? I would think he's going to want to cash in. He'll still be an RFA when his deal expires. So he can get 7 years. But still, I don't see him taking low years on the back end in a deal that short. So he's likely to have an elevated Cap hit. Maybe he'll be a nice guy and take less for the team. But I wouldn't count on it. Now the Flyers need to add a top defenseman. those two players are going to take a large chunk of Cap space. Add in Bryzgalov. Where are the Flyers going to make cuts at?

<------- Yes. My avatar.
- bloatedmosquito

I thought so, but it doesn't look like him? Then I was trying to remember what the actual Sid Vicious looked like and thought your avatar may be him.

<------- Yes. My avatar.
- bloatedmosquito

I think my favorite Gary Oldman roles are from True Romance and Dracula.

I thought so, but it doesn't look like him? Then I was trying to remember what the actual Sid Vicious looked like and thought your avatar may be him.
- Aetherial

Oldman did a good job, but the look is a bit off:



I kind of like Gary's 'look' better. A bit more vicious.

How come everyone is ignoring MJL?

I think my favorite Gary Oldman roles are from True Romance and Dracula.
- Domidives

pffffft guess you never saw Lost In Space

I think my favorite Gary Oldman roles are from True Romance and Dracula.
- Domidives

No matter who you side with this is funny

Who is watching MNF?

In regards to you believing that there will be no season at all?
- nateca44

I think there will be a season, I just dont think what that link was about will catch on at all and means nothing

Who is watching MNF?
- Cheeseballin

lots of people

lots of people
- Homer

you silly boy you

- bloatedmosquito

That's the one......

You must have thought it was white boy day!

you silly boy you
- Cheeseballin

- Flyfreaky

ROFL! That was MJL right?

ROFL! That was MJL right?
- Aetherial

He just got word that Fehr and Bettman are dating...

He just got word that Fehr and Bettman are dating...
- Flyfreaky

HA

- Flyfreaky

your theory on the contract length is wrong. the player criticism is that with 5-year limits, star players' cap hits will skyrocket. and that in turn will leave less for the middle and lower tiers.

now that said, (frank) all the tiers. it's like the union is saying that it's going to cannibalize itself.

I did my own poll on hockeybuzz. Question asked was who do you support, players or owners. 80% of respondents said players.

When will the NHL realize the majority of us support the players?

I did my own poll on hockeybuzz. Question asked was who do you support, players or owners. 80% of respondents said players.

When will the NHL realize the majority of us support the players?
- Scooby_Doo

By those results, you have a pretty small poll.