Richard Cloutier: CBA Goes Nuclear: NHLPA to Decertify

(frank) the NHL - Anyone interested in having a mass jersey burning?

Great blog again Richard!!
Agreed on all points!

It would send the game back to late 60's again for sure

I understand the disaster it would be for the PA to decertify. But is it really bad enough to use shoah (holocaust) to demonstrate this? Yes, holocaust means 'calamity' or can refer to great destruction, but really? And just after holocaust awareness week?

In short, they feel like they got hammered last time around, and have vowed not to let that happen again.

that's what makes the players so stupid--they can't see anything more than 6 inches from their faces.

EVERYONE got (frank)ing hammered last time.

all the players can talk about is what they've given and what they've been asked to give. they never allude to what they currently HAVE and what they had in the past.

it's like 2 guys investing equally in a business, one's been walking away with 57%-75% of the year end net, and whining like a (frank)ing girl every time his partner asks for an equal share.

that's what makes the players so stupid--they can't see anything more than 6 inches from their faces.

EVERYONE got (frank)ing hammered last time.

all the players can talk about is what they've given and what they've been asked to give. they never allude to what they currently HAVE and what they had in the past.

it's like 2 guys investing equally in a business, one's been walking away with 57%-75% of the year end net, and whining like a (frank)ing girl every time his partner asks for an equal share.
- DoubleDown

Or it's like a broken business model where close to 65% of your franchises are going broke and instead of trying to fix the business model with revenue sharing like the most successful leagues in North America do you go out and blame the employees who bring in all the customers. REPEAT EVERY 5 YEARS

This is like a movie studio making 30 movies, 16 of them bomb and they blame the actors for the studio losing money and want money back.

I understand the disaster it would be for the PA to decertify. But is it really bad enough to use shoah (holocaust) to demonstrate this? Yes, holocaust means 'calamity' or can refer to great destruction, but really? And just after holocaust awareness week?
- dlachine

I think you need to relax alittle bit, we get enough PC bull at work and in life. I don't think he meant any disrespect.

I think the owners finally have a reason to get serious. When 10 of the teams franchise values go from millions to 0, my guess is that the owners now have to negotiate a fair deal. No more " bend over NHLPA and take it again"

As a hockey fan. I would welcome 10 less teams and 200 less players. The quality of hockey would go WAY up.

Or it's like a broken business model where close to 65% of your franchises are going broke and instead of trying to fix the business model with revenue sharing like the most successful leagues in North America do you go out and blame the employees who bring in all the customers. REPEAT EVERY 5 YEARS

This is like a movie studio making 30 movies, 16 of them bomb and they blame the actors for the studio losing money and want money back.
- tuna99

so you're saying that business owners who are paying their employees an obscene amount and losing money should dig deeper into their own pockets to prop themselves up rather than paying their employees less?

(frank) the NHL - Anyone interested in having a mass jersey burning?
- BigDre

Let me dig up my Pronger Jersey......

so you're saying that business owners who are paying their employees an obscene amount and losing money should dig deeper into their own pockets to prop themselves up rather than paying their employees less?
- DoubleDown

Who's fault is it that they are loosing money? Are the players doing anything to prevent teams from making money? Cut loose the southern teams that are a drag on the league and lets get back to hockey. This revenue sharing idea is crazy. If i own a Mcdonald's that makes money, would I have to give money to the owner of a Mcdoald's in a neighbouring town if he looses money. Hell No!!!!

so you're saying that business owners who are paying their employees an obscene amount and losing money should dig deeper into their own pockets to prop themselves up rather than paying their employees less?
- DoubleDown

How long has every small market team in the N HL claimed they are losing money - the Oilers since the late 80's, Ottawa since their inception - at some point it's either a complete lie or the business model is broken. If it is broken, you look to other successful business models to see how to make your business profitable - and the answer is revenue sharing.

If you don't want to actually fix the problem then blame the players and ask them for monay back. It solves nothing, is this CBA really going to take away the financial problems of Tampa, Phoenix, Columbus - of course not, it won't move the needle at all.

The owners stance on this is completely short sighted, they are blaming the talent for the profit problems - this is like Sony blaming Tom Cruise for their movies losing money

decertify sure sounds great to me!

open it up to the highest bidder!

Go Leafs Chequebook Go!

How long has every small market team in the N HL claimed they are losing money - the Oilers since the late 80's, Ottawa since their inception - at some point it's either a complete lie or the business model is broken. If it is broken, you look to other successful business models to see how to make your business profitable - and the answer is revenue sharing.

If you don't want to actually fix the problem then blame the players and ask them for monay back. It solves nothing, is this CBA really going to take away the financial problems of Tampa, Phoenix, Columbus - of course not, it won't move the needle at all.

The owners stance on this is completely short sighted, they are blaming the talent for the profit problems - this is like Sony blaming Tom Cruise for their movies losing money
- tuna99

there ahave been medium and large market teams that have lost money. those Canadian teams lost money when the CAD was worth 60 cents US. and any team outside of Montreal, Toronto and NY is vulnerable to losing money if they don't put a competitive team on the ice. look at Chicago 6-7 years ago. Look at what happened to Dallas and Colorado as soon as that annual playoff run dissipated. Look at Pittsburgh before they had the 2 best players in the world.

anyway, i'm really not following you. teams are losing money and you're saying it has nothing to do with how much they're forced to pay their players.

Who's fault is it that they are loosing money? Are the players doing anything to prevent teams from making money? Cut loose the southern teams that are a drag on the league and lets get back to hockey. This revenue sharing idea is crazy. If i own a Mcdonald's that makes money, would I have to give money to the owner of a Mcdoald's in a neighbouring town if he looses money. Hell No!!!!
- yttrohs

Double edge sword to some degree. I suspect that if you are an owner of a 30 team league you probably get better dollars in from your sponsors compared to if it were a 22 or 24 team league.

There is just so much wrong with the league that I don't see it ever being the league that Bettman and the owners want it to be.

How long has every small market team in the N HL claimed they are losing money ... Ottawa since their inception...
- tuna99

Incorrect. Since the last lockout the Sens lost money in 08-09 and 09-10...otherwise profitable and do not believe it was ever claimed otherwise.

there ahave been medium and large market teams that have lost money. those Canadian teams lost money when the CAD was worth 60 cents US. and any team outside of Montreal, Toronto and NY is vulnerable to losing money if they don't put a competitive team on the ice. look at Chicago 6-7 years ago. Look at what happened to Dallas and Colorado as soon as that annual playoff run dissipated. Look at Pittsburgh before they had the 2 best players in the world.

anyway, i'm really not following you. teams are losing money and you're saying it has nothing to do with how much they're forced to pay their players.
- DoubleDown

They cut salaries 24% in 2005 and did it make a lick of difference - every small market team came out of the lockout complaining they were still losing money.
there are small market teams in the NFL - never hear a peep out of them losing money.

And your argument is 100% correct - NY teams, all Canadian market teams, even Chicago is at risk of losing money - the answer to this is revenue sharing. The owners have proven over the last 20 years they cannot control their spending or make a profit in this league despite revenue growing over 1 BILLION in 7 years - if you can't make money off of that the business model is broken.

Incorrect. Since the last lockout the Sens lost money in 08-09 and 09-10...otherwise profitable and do not believe it was ever claimed otherwise.
- dawgzhouse

In the pre-seaosn in 2005 Melnyk came out and said unless the Sens won 2 rounds of hockey he would lose money - this is after a 24% roll back in salaries and a full season of lost hokey.

If the Sens have lost money despite being a top 10 revenue generating team and have the 9th most valuable NHL brand, and being pretty much sold out every game since 2005 - this must mean something - it's that the business model is broken and the answer is revenue sharing and this cannot really be debated.

Richard Cloutier: CBA Goes Nuclear: NHLPA to Decertify
- Maxbone

I'm on your side about this decertification BS. If the dollar slipped back down to 90 cents you would have to wonder if teams like Calgary, Edmonton, Jets & Ottawa could come close to mustering a contending team & could lose fan support. I for one dont want to go back to pre 2004 where the only way we got a playoff run was because the stars all alligned & the hockey Gods decided to tease us in 7th heaven of the Stanley Cup final. What many dont realize was that the incredible growth the NHL saw was after the 04-05 lockout & when the Cap came to being. It finally gave a parity to all NHL teams that parlayed that into economic & fan growth. I wonder if the 370 players who will likely be out of jobs want to vote on this? If they dont know their agents should be educating them.

Good Blog Richard!!!

In the pre-seaosn in 2005 Melnyk came out and said unless the Sens won 2 rounds of hockey he would lose money - this is after a 24% roll back in salaries and a full season of lost hokey.

If the Sens have lost money despite being a top 10 revenue generating team and have the 9th most valuable NHL brand, and being pretty much sold out every game since 2005 - this must mean something - it's that the business model is broken and the answer is revenue sharing and this cannot really be debated.
- tuna99

Wasn't that because of front loaded salaries?

Richard Cloutier: CBA Goes Nuclear: NHLPA to Decertify
- Maxbone

That means the Oilers can fire Horcoff ,cheer up

So the players are willing to cut their nose off to spite their face! Uh huh! Have at it and so long NHL, who cares anymore, the greed is overwhelming and I have zero respect for any of then anymore, double that feeling for Crosby.

so were making the giant leap and assumption the league who franchises all the NHL teams won't implement the aspects of the CBA into their own ...call it... league rules or (franchise rules)? They would just stand there and let it all fall apart? They might not be able to control absolutely everything but you really think they would just stand by and let this doom and gloom situation happen?

Wasn't that because of front loaded salaries?
- Lahey

Nope, they cut salaries by trading Hossa and De Vries and adding Heatley at a reduced rate.