With September just around the corner, hockey is close. Traverse City tourney starts the 6th, meaning that players will be on the ice on the fifth. In addition, per Forever Blueshirts, training camp opens the 12th, which is around where i expected, as camp usually starts about a week after the tourney begins. September 1 is a key date, as the NHL could elect to opt-out of the CBA, starting the path towards a possible lockout.
MSG is not showing the Traverse City tourney again, as reported by Larry Brooks. Of course, this season is the one where MSG should be broadcasting, given the talent of the rookies. FOX Sports Go will be live-streaming the games, as they did last season. Vince Z. Mercogliano reported yesterday that the Rangers will be live-streaming the games as well, which is good news for all of us.
Traverse City viewing option:
For the #NYR fans who are worried about not being able to watch the Traverse City Tournament... I asked the Rangers and they said the games will be live-streamed. A link should be coming next week. https://t.co/lVTVcFyVnz
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) August 29, 2019
NHL will decline to re-open the CBA:
Based on progressive discussions with the NHLPA, expect the NHL to announce within a day or two it’s intent to decline its option to re-open the CBA.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) August 29, 2019
A few good columns on the CBA. The first by Pension Plan Puppets (https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2019/8/28/20834236/nhl-cba-news-nhlpa-cba-opt-out-nhl-collective-bargaining-agreement-when-is-the-next-nhl-lockout) and the second in The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/1158788/2019/08/26/lockout-talk-why-each-side-might-and-might-not-want-to-opt-out-of-the-nhls-cba-as-the-deadlines-quickly-approach/). Darren Dreger reported that from what he hears, the NHL will NOT reopen the CBA. thereby not opting-out of the final two years of the CBA, which is currently set to expire in the fall of 2022. Elliotte Friedman provided the official word Friday. While this is good news, it's only mildly surprising.
The players' executive committee -- and others who wish to attend -- meets Wednesday in Chicago. There is believed to be momentum in talks. It is possible that if a deal cannot be done by the 15th, both sides will agree to move the NHLPA's deadline to later date
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 30, 2019
Here’s Gary Bettman on the NHL’s decision not to reopen CBA pic.twitter.com/2ISaqpjF3Y
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) August 30, 2019
First, the league is making money and the addition of Seattle adds to the coffers. Second, the NHL’s national U.S. television deal is up for renewal in 2021, which happens to be the same year the league’s 32nd franchise begins playing in Seattle. The rumor is there is substantive interest to spread the wealth in terms of number of vehicles to air hockey, which will only increase the revenue. A forthcoming lockout would not help that endeavor. Third, other than the use of signing bonuses as a way to buyout proof deals, not many sticking points issues seem to exist from the league's perspective. The cap is rising, but it rose less than expected this year and escrow is a player's association, not league issue. One sticking point for the owners could be the rise in second and third contracts for players off of their ELC and the lack of bridge deals for elite players, resulting in holdouts, as we are seeing with Mitch Marner etc. Fourth, and maybe most important, the burden now sits with the NHLPA. If they elect to re-open the CBA, likely to address the escrow clause, which is draconian to a certain extent, playing in the Olympics and a possible World Cup, they look like the bad ones and league management come out smelling like a rose, since they didn't elect to opt-out of the deal.
The escrow clause is the sticking point. As mentioned in The Athletic column: "In order to ensure a 50-50 revenue split with the owners, players see a portion of their salary withheld each season in order to compensate for any shortfall in revenue growth...It can take years to get a reimbursement, and often it amounts to pennies on the dollar, partly because the players have not shied from exercising their annual escalator option to increase the salary cap. (The cap increasing more quickly than revenues = more escrow. Roughly half of the increase in the NHL’s escrow-retention percentage is due to the rise in the upper limit.)"
If looking for one cause celebre that can bring down the peace in the league, this is it. Many players because the escrow should be zero and nothing should be taken out of their contracts for escrow. If the NHLPA decides to exercise their opt out, escrow will be the reason why. Add in the lack of clarity over Hockey Related Revenue, including the players not seeing any of the expansion fee dollars received by the league, and you can see why maintaining the status quo may not be the direction in which the NHLPA goes. In addition, the Athletic notes the following, which could be a major sticking point and drive a wedge between the two sides. "What if, for example, the league wanted to fiddle with the RFA rules or change the requirements for arbitration eligibility as a way to constrain salary inflation, essentially imposing term limits on second and third contracts by funneling more RFAs towards arbitration?"
Stay tuned. The next two weeks or so will be very key for the league moving forward. Will we have a semblance of labor peace until 2022 or is a lockout on the horizon?