It appears the National Hockey League through Gary Bettman is entrenched in its position. They have now proposed a 2-week moratorium on CBA negotiations. This certainly does not sound good from a fan's point of view. However, it is surely a move by the league to put pressure on the NHLPA hierarchy from the rank and file.
Ideally, the league wants to get the players worried about losing the season in the hopes that pressure from their membership will result in a quicker deal. Ideally the League would like to get back to playing as soon as possible so that revenues and partnerships can be preserved.
Word is getting out, that the NHL has reached the edge of what they are willing to offer and no more ground is to be given, hence the proposed hiatus.
In the end, I believe NHLPA Head Donald Fehr will not flush this season down the drain. I believe, he is simply being as patient as possible, and is looking to make the deal at the last possible moment. He is waiting for the tipping point, the moment at which the season is likely to be cancelled. Fehr will accept the deal on the table at this tipping point, in the hopes that it is the best deal on offer since negotiations began.
Remember that in 1995, the NHL began a lockout-shortened season on January 20th. This means that the precedent for the last possible moment to get a deal will be around January 1 allowing for a quick training camp, allowing games to begin in late January. This means we potentially have another month and a half of posturing and negotiating to wait out.
It's the same philosophy used at nearly every trade deadline in every sport. Some teams like to get trades done early to gel with more time. Selling teams often want to wait so that the final bid that they accept will be the most valuable bid possible.
The funny thing is that this entire lockout is about minority parties on either side. A minority of players that have existing contracts that are looking to protect said contracts and a minority of owners at the absolute bottom of the league structure in terms of revenue generation.
I guarantee that the Maple Leafs, Habs, Canucks, Rangers, Wings, Hawks and Flyers want to play. They've already got the 50-50 deal they wanted with other concessions regarding contract terms. It's the bottom tier revenue teams that are fighting this battle. These are the teams that no one cares about preventing those that do care from having their games to watch.
On the players' side, it's been the needs of the wealthy players that have been discussed. These are players with long term, very rich contracts. There has been no discussion of the 500 or so players that do not have contracts beyond 2013.
In the end, I still feel a deal will get done. Donald Fehr must understand what the lost season of 2004 meant to the players in terms of money that was never recouped. I can't imagine he feels it will be good to lose another. Beyond that, he must surely know that the chances of growing league revenues on the back of another cancelled season would surely hurt future revenue growth for the players to share in with the League. Better just to wait to the last possible moment, sign the deal, then get back to hockey with the best possible terms for his players and return to growing the game.
Ideally, the league wants to get the players worried about losing the season in the hopes that pressure from their membership will result in a quicker deal. Ideally the League would like to get back to playing as soon as possible so that revenues and partnerships can be preserved.
Word is getting out, that the NHL has reached the edge of what they are willing to offer and no more ground is to be given, hence the proposed hiatus.
In the end, I believe NHLPA Head Donald Fehr will not flush this season down the drain. I believe, he is simply being as patient as possible, and is looking to make the deal at the last possible moment. He is waiting for the tipping point, the moment at which the season is likely to be cancelled. Fehr will accept the deal on the table at this tipping point, in the hopes that it is the best deal on offer since negotiations began.
Remember that in 1995, the NHL began a lockout-shortened season on January 20th. This means that the precedent for the last possible moment to get a deal will be around January 1 allowing for a quick training camp, allowing games to begin in late January. This means we potentially have another month and a half of posturing and negotiating to wait out.
It's the same philosophy used at nearly every trade deadline in every sport. Some teams like to get trades done early to gel with more time. Selling teams often want to wait so that the final bid that they accept will be the most valuable bid possible.
The funny thing is that this entire lockout is about minority parties on either side. A minority of players that have existing contracts that are looking to protect said contracts and a minority of owners at the absolute bottom of the league structure in terms of revenue generation.
I guarantee that the Maple Leafs, Habs, Canucks, Rangers, Wings, Hawks and Flyers want to play. They've already got the 50-50 deal they wanted with other concessions regarding contract terms. It's the bottom tier revenue teams that are fighting this battle. These are the teams that no one cares about preventing those that do care from having their games to watch.
On the players' side, it's been the needs of the wealthy players that have been discussed. These are players with long term, very rich contracts. There has been no discussion of the 500 or so players that do not have contracts beyond 2013.
In the end, I still feel a deal will get done. Donald Fehr must understand what the lost season of 2004 meant to the players in terms of money that was never recouped. I can't imagine he feels it will be good to lose another. Beyond that, he must surely know that the chances of growing league revenues on the back of another cancelled season would surely hurt future revenue growth for the players to share in with the League. Better just to wait to the last possible moment, sign the deal, then get back to hockey with the best possible terms for his players and return to growing the game.
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