Richard's blog is 100% correct in its interpretation of what is happening right now.

You have to look at what Daly said in relation to Fehr's comments. Fehr has signaled that they want to reconvene the moderate owners and players negotiation group. This is essentially an unconditional surrender by the players. Remember the moderate owners offered a take it or leave it proposal. But, Fehr and the players came back and said we will take the economic offer but we want to negotiate term and transition.

Bettman had his own press conference and slammed Fehr for being misleading and irresponsible. So, this is now the players sending a signal that they would like to go back to "take it or leave it."

These negotiations have been a walking corpse since the Bettman presser. I don't know when they will play hockey but Fehr and the PA are toast. The only questions that remain has to do with Bettman deciding if he will allow them to surrender on honorable terms. Or, is he intent on humiliating Fehr. I hope for the sake of the game he gracefully accepts Fehr's sword of surrender.

You just have to love this quote. It tells you everything you need to know.


"Any time you are preventing the fans from watching the sport they dearly love, which provides the business that we're all involved in, that's not a good thing," said Fehr. "And it needs to be ended as soon as possible. We certainly hope we can do that. We certainly want to tell the fans we're doing everything we can to do it. ...
"Hopefully it'll be over soon. That's what we're trying to do."

89 of 750+ players are on deals longer than five years, but they'll hold out for this? The better players in the league will always get their money.
- LeftCoaster

The NHLPA is concerned about future player deals. And how many players are currently signed to a deal longer than 5 years doesn't matter. You're correct in stating that the better players in the League will always get their money. That's why the NHLPA is concerned about it.

You just have to love this quote. It tells you everything you need to know.


"Any time you are preventing the fans from watching the sport they dearly love, which provides the business that we're all involved in, that's not a good thing," said Fehr. "And it needs to be ended as soon as possible. We certainly hope we can do that. We certainly want to tell the fans we're doing everything we can to do it. ...
"Hopefully it'll be over soon. That's what we're trying to do."
- spatso

Maybee Fehr believes his own lies...

When the negotiations went sour, after the NHL put the 100 million on the table, the five moderate owners packed up and left town. If the NHL was negotiating in bad faith, it would have been hawks in the room, not moderate owners. The reason for the owners like Larry Tanenbaum and Ron Burkle being there to make the final arrangements to put the proper face on the end of the lockout. Once that money hit the table, there was a deal. It was Fehr who decided to do the bait and switch at the last second. Bad faith bargaining at it's worst! His press conference was disingenuous and the Bettman press conference seemed like it crackled with true emotion. I don't blame the NHL for saying no more to this kind of negotiating. From that point forward, the owners have stiffened their resolve and I believe them, if they decide to let the rest of the season go. If it pissed me off, as a fan, then it must have really pissed off the owners to put an end to this blackmail.

From this point forward, I don't want a deal. I'm so pissed at the players union, that I want decertification and I want them to take a hard fall. They deserve what they have coming.
- PrinceLH

Once that money hit the table there was a proposal and an offer on the table. Nothing more. There was no deal. That is one of the biggest misconceptions in this entire ordeal. The players were not there to make a deal. They were there to try and move the process along. The NHLPA was very clear about that. There was not going to be a deal made by the PA without their Executive Director involved. And the NHLPA had every right to come back with a counter proposal. And doing so is not even remotely close to bad faith bargaining.
The press Conferences from both sides was pure PR.

Nobody talks about this one item. The NHL protects their weak teams, because they forced them to anti up hundreds of millions of dollars, just to join the NHL. They're not just going to drop them, due to a bad business model. When the league received this money, it was split up among the teams and put into their operating revenue. Where did the operating revenue go? To the players. Before the last CBA, the player's share was at 73% of league revenue's. That is ludicrous. Now the tab has come in, because the weak teams can't compete, due to the high cap floor. Now the players don't want to contribute to fixing the problem. It's just give me more, all of the time.


- PrinceLH

All of the operating revenue was given to the players? You're correct the 75% that the players were getting before the last CBA was ludicrous. They took a 24% rollback. Now the players are agreeing to move towards a 50/50 split of Revenue. And you're seriously going to state that the players aren't willing to contribute to fixing the problem? And it's just give me more? Someone has the facts incredibly twisted.

The model doesn't work! There are only 4 teams that contribute 80% of the Revenue Sharing. And the players want them to kick in some more? Screw you bastards, and the horse you rode in on. It's caused so much inflation, in a market like Toronto, that an average fan can't afford to see a game anymore. Without that ridiculous 40 million in transfer payments, from the Leafs, the league might as well fold.
- PrinceLH

Yes absolutely they should contribute more. Who caused the problems? The Owners or the players? But you perfectly okay with the players kicking in some more?

Add Joffrey Lupul to that list, when he went off about not getting his reservations at a restaurant at the ACC. Entitlement! That's all it is! It's all about me, what I perceive as what I am worth. To me, your worth next to nothing. You play a game that 99.9999% would play for nothing. Do you add any great works of art or literature to the world? Do you create great music, invent new drugs? Do you do surgery and save lives? No, you play a childs game, for mega millions and you whine. You get no respect from me!
- PrinceLH

If you played Hockey in a League that generated over 3 B in revenue, and you were a major reason why the League took in that revenue, you would not choose to play for nothing.
You need to look at it as a business. One that generated large amounts of money

For who the top 5% of the players because that is the only ones it affects.
You will never see a 2nd third or 4thliner get a deal over 5 years. You will never see a second pairing and below defenseman get a deal over 5 years. and only the elite of the goalies get long term contracts. Like I said 95% of the players are not effected by the contract length. Then when they do get a long term contract the Players ussually end up demanding a trade out of dodge before the contract is over. For past examples Heatly, Nash, Louongo, Pronger. Funny thing is all of these guys had contracts in the 5 year plus catagory. Can you what Tambo would do is Belanger demanded a trade? He would be gone in a non second or be playing in the AHL for another team not connected to the Oilers. Ala Sour-ray.
- longbottom

No the top 5% of players is not the only ones who it affects. A 3 or 4th liner or a 2nd pair defenseman doesn't need to get a deal over 5 years for this to affect those players.

Richard's blog is 100% correct in its interpretation of what is happening right now.

You have to look at what Daly said in relation to Fehr's comments. Fehr has signaled that they want to reconvene the moderate owners and players negotiation group. This is essentially an unconditional surrender by the players. Remember the moderate owners offered a take it or leave it proposal. But, Fehr and the players came back and said we will take the economic offer but we want to negotiate term and transition.

Bettman had his own press conference and slammed Fehr for being misleading and irresponsible. So, this is now the players sending a signal that they would like to go back to "take it or leave it."

These negotiations have been a walking corpse since the Bettman presser. I don't know when they will play hockey but Fehr and the PA are toast. The only questions that remain has to do with Bettman deciding if he will allow them to surrender on honorable terms. Or, is he intent on humiliating Fehr. I hope for the sake of the game he gracefully accepts Fehr's sword of surrender.
- spatso

Really? Why would the NHLPA need those moderate Owners to come back to the negotiation table if they were going to surrender and take the NHL's take it or leave it offer?
They don't. They want the Moderate Owners to come back because it moved the process along the last time. And they're hoping it will again. The NHLPA is not done negotiating.

If the NHL could've humiliated Fehr in these negotiations, they would've done so already.

They want longer contracts... and an amnesty clause to buy out past failed long term contracts (all money off the books mind you).

Between 300 make whole, amnesty clause, pension, and all the "signing bonuses" paid out due to recent signings.

They would still be at roughly 57 revenue share if they get all this, would they not ?
- Thesource

I have not seen the breakdown of how the 300M will be paid out and distributed. Nor have I seen how it will affect the actual percentage due to those payments. I'd like to see that info if anyone has it.

Once that money hit the table there was a proposal and an offer on the table. Nothing more. There was no deal. That is one of the biggest misconceptions in this entire ordeal. The players were not there to make a deal. They were there to try and move the process along. The NHLPA was very clear about that. There was not going to be a deal made by the PA without their Executive Director involved. And the NHLPA had every right to come back with a counter proposal. And doing so is not even remotely close to bad faith bargaining.
The press Conferences from both sides was pure PR.
- MJL

EVERYWHERE I GO YOUR THERE. Dude... FIVE POSTS IN A ROW. I don't even disagree with you as staunchly as others do but give it a break man...

Nobody has a problem with the Owners trying to run a more profitable business. I wish they would actually focus on what they really need to change instead of thinking that taking from the players is going to automatically change anything.
The players aren't given anything. They earn what they get. And they're paid to play Hockey, not due to their education level.
The NHLPA doesn't feel that the length of contracts only affects a small percentage of the membership.
- MJL

Earn it in Euro then...see ya (frank) face.

What did owners give up...7% from 50% last time. Isn't that a far comment since you keep saying that the players gave up these "billions" last time.

Really? Why would the NHLPA need those moderate Owners to come back to the negotiation table if they were going to surrender and take the NHL's take it or leave it offer?
They don't. They want the Moderate Owners to come back because it moved the process along the last time. And they're hoping it will again. The NHLPA is not done negotiating.

If the NHL could've humiliated Fehr in these negotiations, they would've done so already.
- MJL

Perhaps you forget. It was the moderate owners that said they wanted a yes/no to their offer. It was the moderate owners that told the players that having Fehr reopen issues for discussion was a deal breaker.

Now the proposal is moderate owners (including Jacobs), players, plus Fehr and Bettman. Fehr is trying to negotiate the surrender ceremony, not the final terms.

The owners need to settle the in house problems such as controlling crazy contracts. They bring that crap on themselves. The players shouldn't have to save the owners from themselves.
- yttrohs

Ignorant statement.

They are guy. The whole 50/50 split with the points the league needs to prevent the contracts that got the teams in the mess they are in IS trying to settle their "in house problems"

Players are only concerned with themselves and their bottom line.

A previous poster made a good point about the NHL being a lower end sport in the USA and they need MORE of a partnership from the players.

The NHL passed their financial papers to the PA,and never do we hear that the PA disputes the facts that many teams are losing money hand over fist.

The PA agrees to go to 50/50, but only with guarantees of NEVER having salary go down, and only after years into the CBA. So players should make/keep their money while the teams continue to lose theirs.

The league will cover contracts and added pension money...they have been taking the losses for years while players have been making money like they never have before.

All that is left is the court battle now...and that is a battle that I really believe the players as a whole will wish they never went into. The top end guys will make out like bandits while the rest will "languish" if they get to decertify.

Have fun PA...the union is not there for you all, just the top 10%.

No that's not bad faith. That is negotiating. What's bad faith is telling the players that if you bring your Executive Director back into the process, then the deal is off the table.
Offering counter proposals and trying to get a better deal is not bush league. It is negotiating. The players are trying to get the most for anything? They're the only side doing any giving.
- MJL

Get a NHL rep to back that statement up...Daly said no one ever said that.

Stop the lies...MORE transition money...MORE pension...moderate forecasts saying the money to the players will equal out within a short few years so that they will never lose a dime...

Players only will 50/50 if they are guaranteed to never have salary go down, even if revenue does. AND not right away.

The players are not giving...they are only keeping status quo.

Jesus Christ MJL you are like a bad rash.

Jesus Christ MJL you are like a bad rash.
- robin_steele264

More like herpes

More like herpes
- RichardHertz

Nah... Even Herpes go away from time to time.

Perhaps you forget. It was the moderate owners that said they wanted a yes/no to their offer. It was the moderate owners that told the players that having Fehr reopen issues for discussion was a deal breaker.

Now the proposal is moderate owners (including Jacobs), players, plus Fehr and Bettman. Fehr is trying to negotiate the surrender ceremony, not the final terms.
- spatso

The Moderate Owners don't get to decide how the NHLPA responds. And they certainly don't get to decide who is present in negotiations for the NHLPA. That is all negotiating in bad faith.

Do you honestly believe that Fehr and the NHLPA is asking for the moderate Owners to come back to the negotiations so they can say hey, will take the offer you made in that meeting?

There is no question that the NHLPA is not done negotiating. That is why they're asking for those Owners to come back. Not to "surrender"

Nah... Even Herpes go away from time to time.
- steveb12344

The Moderate Owners don't get to decide how the NHLPA responds. And they certainly don't get to decide who is present in negotiations for the NHLPA. That is all negotiating in bad faith.

Do you honestly believe that Fehr and the NHLPA is asking for the moderate Owners to come back to the negotiations so they can say hey, will take the offer you made in that meeting?

There is no question that the NHLPA is not done negotiating. That is why they're asking for those Owners to come back. Not to "surrender"
- MJL

Go away. Please just go away.

The Moderate Owners don't get to decide how the NHLPA responds. And they certainly don't get to decide who is present in negotiations for the NHLPA. That is all negotiating in bad faith.

Do you honestly believe that Fehr and the NHLPA is asking for the moderate Owners to come back to the negotiations so they can say hey, will take the offer you made in that meeting?

There is no question that the NHLPA is not done negotiating. That is why they're asking for those Owners to come back. Not to "surrender"
- MJL

Yeah. They negotiated in bad faith after giving an extra 100M to transition and 50M to pension...terrible owners not begging to give more...

you are a fool M...

The Moderate Owners don't get to decide how the NHLPA responds. And they certainly don't get to decide who is present in negotiations for the NHLPA. That is all negotiating in bad faith.

Do you honestly believe that Fehr and the NHLPA is asking for the moderate Owners to come back to the negotiations so they can say hey, will take the offer you made in that meeting?

There is no question that the NHLPA is not done negotiating. That is why they're asking for those Owners to come back. Not to "surrender"
- MJL

The NHLPA needs to learn basic math. They have given up over a billion dollars in lost salary already this year.

Yeah. They negotiated in bad faith after giving an extra 100M to transition and 50M to pension...terrible owners not begging to give more...

you are a fool M...
- OilHorse

I must confess that at this point, I have suspicions that MJL is connected to the NHLPA in some way.

Who else would devote so much time, and drink so much Kool-aid?

The NHLPA needs to learn basic math. They have given up over a billion dollars in lost salary already this year.
- RichardHertz

But Fehr got them an extra $300 million in transition money.

It was all worth it.