The city is how big? Compared to most cities in the NHL, calling Edmonton a big city (in comparison to the ones in the league) is either a joke or a reflection of your intelligence.

I never said anything was bad about living in Edmonton. Im just saying it ranks near the bottom of options for most players, and there isnt much good about living their either.
- systemtool

Hey get off your high horse Edmonton is bigger than some of your American NHL cities now as it is over 1 million (including surrounding areas). We have everything Toronto has minus the bad Attitude and Bad population problems ( Dense-city or is it Density). We are no backwater hick village. There is a reason Edmonton is turning into a perferred NHL destination (Great area to raise kids, People who know and care about the game, oh ya the big one no provincial sales tax are just a couple of reasons not to mention everyday fans can buy tickets to the game and have just a single owners) Players do seem to perfer these options.

Here is my take on Bettman.

1) No Commish who is in the league as long as he has been can make all the right decisions. Sometimes, he has to make wrong decisions in order to balance out the league.

2) Bettman has been in charge as league salaries have grown 100 fold for the players...and the owners.

3) Bettman has seen competitive balance restored to the league.

4) Bettman has seen the game expand to the US, thus allowing for bigger marketing and TV rights. Take away the small market teams in non-traditional markets and that funding dries up.

People can complain about the commish, but he has done a great job in growing the league. If the players don't think they have a fair deal now, Bettman should show them the league salaries from the 80's.

Players would not have collective rights negotiated on their behalf by the PA. They would have individual rights negotiated on their behalf by agents. I think impacts on players would be same as on franchises - those with market power do much better and the guys at bottom would do much worse.

Someone like Crosby could see a huge pay raise.
- Canada Cup

Yes it would create a much wider gap between the star salaries and the average player.

And if Crosby gets hurt and can't play... He's cut. Bye.

They also wouldn't have things like gauranteed contracts.

They'd be chewed up and spit out at the teams whim.

Top players? Sure they'll cash in.... But the other 80-85% might not be so happy.
- robin_steele264

I mentioned that already about guaranteed contracts as the only real possible downside.

Like I said, until the owners show the ability to control themselves and their spending, 70-80% of the players should still be over paid. You would think that spending would be more tempered under a salary cap than a free for all. But if a salary cap cant prevent Gomez, Horcoff and Komisarek contracts, then a free for all isnt going to be the end of the world for them. They'll get let go, and another dumbass will stand in line to over pay for them.

They also wouldn't have things like gauranteed contracts.

They'd be chewed up and spit out at the teams whim.

Top players? Sure they'll cash in.... But the other 80-85% might not be so happy.
- robin_steele264

Contracts would need to be honoured so I don't agree with first point but certainly agree with the last one (maybe not 80% screwed but certainly guys on the bottom).

Yes it would create a much wider gap between the star salaries and the average player.

And if Crosby gets hurt and can't play... He's cut. Bye.
- robin_steele264

My guess is that it depends on the contract he negotiates.

Didn't they trade for carter and richards???? Correct me if I'm wrong but you said spending money. They didn't spend, they traded. Big difference than going out and spending money and buying a championship, which is typically done through going out and signing free agents to big $$$.
- ruttager17

Correct: and if I am correct the major pieces or some of the major pieces going back to the other teams were players they drafted. Simmonds and Schenn come to mind.

Contracts would need to be honoured so I don't agree with first point but certainly agree with the last one (maybe not 80% screwed but certainly guys on the bottom).
- Canada Cup

As long as the player was part of the team it would have to be honoured. If they cut him, they dont have to pay him, unless there is something in his contract that states otherwise that the owners agreed to at signing.

Contracts would need to be honoured so I don't agree with first point but certainly agree with the last one (maybe not 80% screwed but certainly guys on the bottom).
- Canada Cup

Contracts need to be honored?

Like the NFL?

Players would not have collective rights negotiated on their behalf by the PA. They would have individual rights negotiated on their behalf by agents. I think impacts on players would be same as on franchises - those with market power do much better and the guys at bottom would do much worse.

Someone like Crosby could see a huge pay raise.
- Canada Cup

If they decertify, the players can kiss their cushy lifestyle goodbye. Let's looks at what the owners could do:

1) Eliminate the Pension plan and put them on a 401K
2) Liquidate the money currently in the pension plan to pay for losses incurred. Look at how corporate america has done this.
3) Charge the players what ever the owners wanted for health benefits
4) Eliminate all the 'perks' in the CBA regarding hotels, per diem's, and travel standards.
5) Ban Agents from any interaction with a team.
6) Eliminate minimum wage, arbitration, waivers, and FREE AGENCY

if the players want to decertify, let them at their own risk. They might be carrying their own bags on trips when they finally get back on the ice.

As long as the player was part of the team it would have to be honoured. If they cut him, they dont have to pay him, unless there is something in his contract that states otherwise that the owners agreed to at signing.
- systemtool

The Colts cut Peyton Manning just after singing him to a 100M $ deal.

Yes it would create a much wider gap between the star salaries and the average player.

And if Crosby gets hurt and can't play... He's cut. Bye.
- robin_steele264

I doubt Crosby signs anything that doesnt guarantee him a ton of money. The elite players can pull that off.

Good. There should be a wider gap between star and average player salaries.

Contracts need to be honored?

Like the NFL?
- robin_steele264

Like any other legal contract, yes. NFL governed by a collective agreement which negotiated away guaranteed contracts.

Like any other legal contract, yes. NFL governed by a collective agreement which negotiated away guaranteed contracts.
- Canada Cup

You don't think without a cba teams wouldn't cover their asses?


Star players could likely negotiate some gaurantees. But most would not. And if the team wants them gone, they are gone.

The Colts cut Peyton Manning just after singing him to a 100M $ deal.
- robin_steele264

There was more to that. They cut him because they didnt want to have to pay almost 50 million in bonuses.

Furthermore, it bring us back to the point made. That another team stepped and paid him a ton of money to play.

Like any other legal contract, yes. NFL governed by a collective agreement which negotiated away guaranteed contracts.
- Canada Cup

I can be fired from my job, not sure about you...

So the 8th highest spending team means they arent one of the top spending teams?


Why are you not mentioning the Red Sox, Phillies and Yankees? Odd...but you mention the Marlins.
- systemtool

Ok, Yankees highest payroll in 2009 Phillies 13th highest payroll in 2008, red sox 2nd highest payroll in 2007, St louis 11th highest payroll in 2006, White sox 13th highest payroll in 2005, red sox 2nd highest in 2004, marlins 20th in 2003, angels 15th in 2002, diamondbacks 8th in 2001, ...... so the last 12 championships have only been won 3 times by those in the top two payrolls in the league, even better the 9 that have been won have been lower than 7th in the league. And of those 12 championships the average place of the payroll to win a championship was 9.5. So I mentioned the Red Sox, Phillies, and Yankess but odd it just made your so called facts look a bit flawed......Odd you mentioned the Phillies cause they won in 2009 with the 13th highest payroll. Since then they have gone from 7th-4th-2nd-2nd, raising their payroll every year and huh,,,,,,whats that. no more championships to show for it. Yes very odd i didnt mention philly, i was trying not to embarrass you

Then chew on this.

If the NHLPA is gone, the cap is gone. Which would also mean there no longer is a draft. So all players who would be draft eligible would be FA's. Teams will have to buy their players, and success, so only the strongest will survive. The Oilers would not be the strongest. They cant even get themselves a new arena.

Also, the reason there are only so many teams with a legit shot in those sports you mentioned is because those teams are the ones spending the big money.
- systemtool

Ummm you do realise that the system you are talking about is the MLB system and yes there is a MLB draft(they draft high schoolers and Kids from university) in fact a kid from Sherwood park was drafted by the Blue Jays a few years back. But it take so long to get to the Majors( A ball then Double A then Triple A before they get a sniff at the majors) unless its a super talented kid and he goes straight to Triple A ball.

If they decertify, the players can kiss their cushy lifestyle goodbye. Let's looks at what the owners could do:

1) Eliminate the Pension plan and put them on a 401K
2) Liquidate the money currently in the pension plan to pay for losses incurred. Look at how corporate america has done this.
3) Charge the players what ever the owners wanted for health benefits
4) Eliminate all the 'perks' in the CBA regarding hotels, per diem's, and travel standards.
5) Ban Agents from any interaction with a team.
6) Eliminate minimum wage, arbitration, waivers, and FREE AGENCY

if the players want to decertify, let them at their own risk. They might be carrying their own bags on trips when they finally get back on the ice.
- dgutzman

That's pretty much wrong from 1 to 6. All those points would have to be negotiated individually with players. How could you ever ban agents?

Ok, Yankees highest payroll in 2009 Phillies 13th highest payroll in 2008, red sox 2nd highest payroll in 2007, St louis 11th highest payroll in 2006, White sox 13th highest payroll in 2005, red sox 2nd highest in 2004, marlins 20th in 2003, angels 15th in 2002, diamondbacks 8th in 2001, ...... so the last 12 championships have only been won 3 times by those in the top two payrolls in the league, even better the 9 that have been won have been lower than 7th in the league. And of those 12 championships the average place of the payroll to win a championship was 9.5. So I mentioned the Red Sox, Phillies, and Yankess but odd it just made your so called facts look a bit flawed......Odd you mentioned the Phillies cause they won in 2009 with the 13th highest payroll. Since then they have gone from 7th-4th-2nd-2nd, raising there payroll every year and huh,,,,,,whats that. no more championships to show for it. Yes very odd i didnt mention philly, i was trying not to embarrass you
- ruttager17

So you went the long way to prove that spending money will bring your team more success than playing the billy bean budget game.

Well done.

That's pretty much wrong from 1 to 6. All those points would have to be negotiated individually with players. How could you ever ban agents?
- Canada Cup

Don't ban them... Just refuse to negotiate with them.

You don't think without a cba teams wouldn't cover their asses?


Star players could likely negotiate some gaurantees. But most would not. And if the team wants them gone, they are gone.
- robin_steele264

I agree. It all comes down to your individual negotiating position.

I agree. It all comes down to your individual negotiating position.
- Canada Cup

I don't think this wouldn't favor most players who aspire to play in the NHL.


Let's just hope these idiots get a deal done right after Canada wins gold and RNH gets his tournament MVP award.

That's pretty much wrong from 1 to 6. All those points would have to be negotiated individually with players. How could you ever ban agents?
- Canada Cup

Very Simple. An owner could state that x, y, and z individuals are not allowed inside of the building. Benefit plans can not be negotiated on a player by player basis. That violates fair pay laws. But the owners could say X is the new pension policy (401K) that we offer as a company. Or the league could impose that policy. The league could still say that the 30 teams are 'divisions' of the NHL and thus, an overall policy could be putt in place.

Don't ban them... Just refuse to negotiate with them.
- robin_steele264

Problem is, these teams could have refused to pay out the absurd contracts ...especially with a salary cap aiding them, and yet they still found a way to (frank) it up and over pay these guys.