Eklund: What are the Players Willing to Do?

Eklund: What are the Players Willing to Do?
- Eklund

I thought players salaries were really based on sharing league revenue. If the season is shortened and there aren't fans in the stands then revenue will be down significantly. Wouldn't that automatically reduce players salaries?

I thought players salaries were really based on sharing league revenue. If the season is shortened and there aren't fans in the stands then revenue will be down significantly. Wouldn't that automatically reduce players salaries?
- Queenie_5_hole

The answer is "maybe?!?!"

Apparently the new CBA they signed is kinda vague (like the MLB agreement) so the owners are trying to position it as such, while the NHLPA is saying "You already agreed to pay us X% - and we aren't willing to go under it. Sucks to be you if revenues are less."

It's going to be interesting.

And by "interesting", I mean "ugly."

I thought players salaries were really based on sharing league revenue. If the season is shortened and there aren't fans in the stands then revenue will be down significantly. Wouldn't that automatically reduce players salaries?
- Queenie_5_hole

Player salaries aren't really based on anything other than what they can negotiate and comparable players/contracts around the league. The upper limit of the cap is based on league revenue and, obviously, when the cap rises so do player salaries. I'd assume salaries dip for the next year or so and maybe stay stagnant for awhile after that. It's going to be a few years before organizations financially recover from the pandemic.

The CBA/cap VS. current salaries/contracts are two different things. Im not sure what is written about salaries being reduced due to shortened seasons

Player salaries aren't really based on anything other than what they can negotiate and comparable players/contracts around the league. The upper limit of the cap is based on league revenue and, obviously, when the cap rises so do player salaries. I'd assume salaries dip for the next year or so and maybe stay stagnant for awhile after that. It's going to be a few years before organizations financially recover from the pandemic.
- eichiefs9

I think he was talking about the escrow

The answer is "maybe?!?!"

Apparently the new CBA they signed is kinda vague (like the MLB agreement) so the owners are trying to position it as such, while the NHLPA is saying "You already agreed to pay us X% - and we aren't willing to go under it. Sucks to be you if revenues are less."

It's going to be interesting.

And by "interesting", I mean "ugly."
- Atomic Wedgie

Makes you wonder if we could lose the entire season.... Seems pretty unlikely but not impossible.

We aren't playing hockey any time soon I'm afraid to say.

Lets start with what has been officially stated. Want to start Jan/ Feb and be done by end of June as to not impact following season. That means maybe 50 to 60 games plus playoffs. If home venues open it will be limited capacity.

Players did owners and league a solid but finishing out last season in the bubble. By all reports very few are likely willing to go back to a bubble format for a season.

Players being asked to play in a bubble and take a pay cut on top of it likely isn't going to fly.

All things point to this abbreviated scheduled getting scrapped, next season starts 11 months from now. Where the money is pointing.

I think he was talking about the escrow
- Alexzanki

He didn't mention that, but regardless...isn't escrow related to HRR? If HRR goes down, I assume that the amount of player salaries held in escrow goes down as well. Maybe guys that already have contracts make out on that, but the new contracts this offseason and next are probably going to be lower than normal. I think we've already seen that with most of the deals signed for high(er) end players so far.

Why would there be fans in the stands in Spring but a bubble for the playoffs in October? The gate revenue is really important in the regular season but the higher revenue for the playoffs isn't? The situation with the virus will be better a few months from now but not a year from now? Does your pet dog write these blogs by randomly tapping keys?

Another idea to add revenue would be virtual seat tickets. They have developed the camera and technology to broadcast games via a VR Headset. The reason Mark Zuckerberg purchased Oculus Rift wasn't so much for video gaming but broadcasting games Via VR. Wear your VR at home and watch the game from inside the arena.
The concept is great, anyone who owns a headset can watch any game from almost the best seats in the house in any venue or event. I would pay to watch games that way like a pay per view event but feel like you are there. I have seen a sampling of it thru a VR event program on my PSVR. Watched an NBA game courtside from the comfort of my couch.

Another idea to add revenue would be virtual seat tickets. They have developed the camera and technology to broadcast games via a VR Headset. The reason Mark Zuckerberg purchased Oculus Rift wasn't so much for video gaming but broadcasting games Via VR. Wear your VR at home and watch the game from inside the arena.
The concept is great, anyone who owns a headset can watch any game from almost the best seats in the house in any venue or event. I would pay to watch games that way like a pay per view event but feel like you are there. I have seen a sampling of it thru a VR event program on my PSVR. Watched an NBA game courtside from the comfort of my couch.
- JonnyGar

Cool idea, but I don't think you're going to see any significant revenue from that.

Maybe I'm way off-base here, but I don't think enough people already own VR headsets that have the desire to spend money to watch games. There's a significant barrier to entry for people who don't own the hardware and, for the people that do already own the equipment, I'd be willing to bet that there isn't a huge subset of owners that are going to shell out money to watch NHL games (depending on what the cost is, of course).

I'd love to try watching a game that way, but I'm sure as hell not shelling out hundreds of dollars for VR hardware that I have no other use for and paying to watch hockey that I can watch on TV for free. Even if the "ticket" cost is low, I'm still not paying to watch most games that way. Maybe a handful over the course of a season, if that.

It is becoming obvious the next season will not start until fall of 2021 [or later] unless players agree to participate in bubbles again, includive a significant pay-cut. There is no feasible alternative format which will be economically palatable to ownership, especially if NBC uses available out-clauses to cancel the unwanted final season of their TV deal.

Please fix your site.
I’m red exted to a pop up site within a minute every time I come here and can’t get back. NO other sites do this. It is not my phone or iPad. It is your site and it is very annoying. I’m almost done with it. I bet I’m not the only one.

Fall of 2021 at the earliest. Sorry to be a pessimist but reality wins. I do not see the players taking the pay cut or bubble environment.

Ek should almost be a billionaire by now with all the garbage pop ups and redirects. Its more annoying than all the garbage (fake news) rumors!

Smell my ban...

Cut the season to 56 games, and keep that the standard for now on. 82 games is to much imo.

Ek should almost be a billionaire by now with all the garbage pop ups and redirects. Its more annoying than all the garbage (fake news) rumors!

Smell my ban...
- jmo16

Aren't you located in NO WHINING town?

Please fix your site.
I’m red exted to a pop up site within a minute every time I come here and can’t get back. NO other sites do this. It is not my phone or iPad. It is your site and it is very annoying. I’m almost done with it. I bet I’m not the only one.
- Dr. Leaf

Nope, you are. Get a pop up blocker

Nope, you are. Get a pop up blocker
- Tweaterben

I’m not. Others have complained about it too.
I go to hundreds of other sites. A lot of them hockey sites. No other site has this happen. And it isn’t to an ad from the site.

I’m not. Others have complained about it too.
I go to hundreds of other sites. A lot of them hockey sites. No other site has this happen. And it isn’t to an ad from the site.
- Dr. Leaf

No problem with a season ticket

We aren't playing hockey any time soon I'm afraid to say.

Lets start with what has been officially stated. Want to start Jan/ Feb and be done by end of June as to not impact following season. That means maybe 50 to 60 games plus playoffs. If home venues open it will be limited capacity.

Players did owners and league a solid but finishing out last season in the bubble. By all reports very few are likely willing to go back to a bubble format for a season.

Players being asked to play in a bubble and take a pay cut on top of it likely isn't going to fly.

All things point to this abbreviated scheduled getting scrapped, next season starts 11 months from now. Where the money is pointing.
- Gerk

That would be league suicide -- especially if the NBA (and a few months later, MLB) decides to go forward and the NHL does not.

There will be a season even if there is a percentage of players who decide to forego it.

Please tell me you didn't actually pay for that garbage. There is no way in hell it can be worth it.

A vaccine by January 1st could change things dramatically. Keep our hopes up. An 82 game schedule is out of the question. A shortened season would be fine. We’ve already dealt with that many times in 30 years