MikeJordan23 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 Apparently they came to a 45 Mil agreement. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 Link, because our TSM brothers and sisters deserve more than some lame one-sentence announcement with no source cited... NEW YORK -- There might be an NHL season, after all. The NHL and the players association will meet in New York on Saturday after the league requested the sides get together again. The union denied an online report Friday night that an agreement had been reached on a $45 million salary cap. An NHLPA spokesman told the Associated Press in an e-mail that the report was "absolutely false." On Wednesday, commissioner Gary Bettman canceled the season, saying it was too late to play any semblance of a schedule. That made the NHL the first major North American sports league to lose a full season to a labor dispute. Advertisement Or did it? "I think the timing has always been to get an agreement so that we can play," said New Jersey Devils president Lou Lamoriello, who has taken part in previous negotiations. "Right now, it's still get an agreement, and then if we get an agreement, then can we play? "I think it's a little different than it was before." In a statement released Friday night, the players association said the NHL made the offer late Thursday night to get together. There was no immediate word on who would take part in the meeting. "The way everything has transpired, nothing surprises me," said Lamoriello, who declined to say whether he would be in attendance. NHL chief legal officer Bill Daly was involved in a closed-door meeting Friday evening and declined to comment. There hadn't been any official contact between the NHL and the players association since Tuesday night, when the sides traded what they said were final offers. All proposals were rejected, and Bettman went ahead and canceled the season Wednesday at a news conference that was scheduled two days earlier. "I don't think anything was premature. It was a necessity," Lamoriello said. "It didn't appear to be going anywhere and there was too much jockeying going on. "Right now, there's a chance of people getting down to possibly getting this done." Bettman said in a letter to NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow on Tuesday that the league's salary-cap proposal of $42.5 million was as far as he could go and that there was no time or flexibility for negotiation. Goodenow sent a letter back, proposing a soft cap at $49 million that could be exceeded by as much as 10 percent by teams twice during the course of the six-year deal. It appeared there was momentum toward reaching a deal and that the season had a chance to be saved, since the sides were only $6.5 million apart on their cap numbers. But talking ceased after each side sent two letters to the other on Tuesday night. There were big breakthroughs Monday in Niagara Falls, N.Y., when the NHL agreed to drop its demand that player costs be linked to league revenues, and the union, in turn, came off its steadfast opposition to a salary cap. "We got through the philosophical end of it, so there's a better chance, but I think there is still a lot of work that has to be done and it still takes some time," Lamoriello said. Bettman said the NHL couldn't afford the union's final proposal and said if all 30 teams spent $49 million on player costs, then more money would be paid out to players than last season. Rumors began to swirl on Thursday, once the realization set in that the season had indeed been canceled. "A lot of players, owners, managers saw how close the two negotiating teams got to a deal and I think people are just exploring if that can be explored any more," agent Pat Morris said Friday. "I don't know if it'll have a successful conclusion." One report had Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux joining forces to try to get talks restarted. But while Gretzky, the managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes, said he spoke to Lemieux -- the Pittsburgh Penguins' player-owner -- he said they didn't discuss getting negotiations restarted. Bettman has said that teams lost more than $1.8 billion over 10 years -- the last time a collective bargaining agreement was reached. The previous lockout cut the 1994-95 season down to 48 games per team. NHL clubs claim to have lost $273 million in 2002-03 and $224 million last season. Bettman said that a deal would have to be in the drafting stages by the end of last weekend if there was going to be time to play a 28-game season and a standard 16-team postseason. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeJordan23 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 Link, because our TSM brothers and sisters deserve more than some lame one-sentence announcement with no source cited... You could've just given a link instead of adding the slick remark. But whatever. (For the record I gave ESPN News as a source) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 Doesn't count. You need THE LINK! But whatever, it is the NHL after all... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeJordan23 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 Doesn't count. You need THE LINK! But whatever, it is the NHL after all... True indeed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nl5xsk1 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 Good to see two die-hard, passionate hockey fans like kkk and MJ23 dropping the hockey knowledge. Damn, I hope this actually comes to fruition. The NHL and PA are still denying the report, so there's still a chance that Bettman and Goodenow can fuck this up. But, fingers are crossed that this actually happens. Of course, one has to wonder why Mario and the Great One didn't get more involved a few months ago. The next great announcement should be the hiring of Gretzky as new commisioner and Bobby Orr as the new NHLPA head. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted February 19, 2005 That sounds more like a wrestling angle than an NHL front office shakeup Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DerangedHermit 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 That sounds more like a wrestling angle than an NHL front office shakeup I heard Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Bret Hart will form a new Hart Foundation! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 "Spend over the cap, will ya? That's it! You're facing Tie Domi!" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smh810 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 EJ Hradek just said on ESPNews that if /when they get the deal finalized this weekend the projected start date for the 28 game season would be around March 3rd. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fökai 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 Wayne Gretzky is coming back to lead the Invasion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest LooneyTune Report post Posted February 19, 2005 28 game season? I guess it's better than nothing, although it opens a window for a shitty team to get lucky by breaking even with the points and potentially winning the Stanley Cup. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dogbert 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 Stick a fork in it, men. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted February 19, 2005 Wow, they managed to make a bad situation WORSE. Make both sides look like flipping idiots (well, moreso than petulant millionaires can look without assistance) AND give a season that no fan will give two shits about. Have a team win the Stanley Cup and nobody will take them seriously. BRILLIANT! -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fökai 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 According to a few writers covering the story (interviewed by PTI and ESPN), the real snafu in the agreement wasn't the amount of the cap - it was the salary floor. The players wanted a $25 million floor, while the owners offered.... ...well, if you guessed absolutely nothing, you are correct. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 According to ESPN, the season is re-cancelled. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Failed Mascot Report post Posted February 19, 2005 According to ESPN, the season is re-cancelled. Good. I don't need crappy Bruins action pre-empting Red Sox games and making me look to 15 different stations before finding it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted February 19, 2005 Wayne Gretzky is coming back to lead the Invasion. Seriously how am I supposed to take these "new" 80s Oilers seriously when they could only sign the backup goalie and the fourth line? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Failed Mascot Report post Posted February 19, 2005 Something to vote on at ESPN.com http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation...g?event_id=1187 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treble 0 Report post Posted February 20, 2005 The only thing I liked about the season finally being cancelled is that they couldn't get my hopes up again. So much for that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lightning Flik 0 Report post Posted February 20, 2005 Hey, we've still got till March 3rd people. Don't get your hopes up yet on them going "HEY! We lied about cancelling the season." ...if there was an NHL season this year, I'd bet that it'd be the small market teams that explode into the playoffs and win. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steve J. Rogers 0 Report post Posted February 20, 2005 The only thing I liked about the season finally being cancelled is that they couldn't get my hopes up again. So much for that. Explain to me what just happened? Suddenly the players realized "Hey we ought to be playing" and Gretzky is spouting off that the Cup ought to be played for so one last ditch effort to salvage something And what happens? Sounds like the owners are more concerned about 05-06! No progress, no new proposals, no new talks scheduled. 6 HOURS and it came to THAT? RIP NHL's casual fan base here in the States. Good luck guys because NASCAR, Golf and Tennis have climbed up ahead of you Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dogbert 0 Report post Posted February 20, 2005 You know what? Screw these guys. Thanks to pure, unadulterated greed, the National Hockey League is dead. Not in trouble, not on life support, not in need of a miracle. Dead. Dead dead dead. Defunct, deceased, no longer in existence, has passed on, croaked, kicked the bucket, bit the bullet, breathed its last. The NHL will never play another game again. Oh sure, it will come back with replacement players, but nobody will care, so why bother? Fold it now, Bettman. Don't give us fans any reason to hope anymore. Just shoot, shovel, and shut up so we can all find something else to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted February 20, 2005 RIP NHL's casual fan base here in the States. Good luck guys because NASCAR, Golf and Tennis have climbed up ahead of you NASCAR, and Golf were already more popular sports. NASCAR arguably since 1979. Golf since 1997. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted February 20, 2005 And that's really a damn shame when watching a car drive round and round 500 times is more popular than the NHL. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted February 20, 2005 RIP NHL's casual fan base here in the States. Good luck guys because NASCAR, Golf and Tennis have climbed up ahead of you NASCAR, and Golf were already more popular sports. NASCAR arguably since 1979. Golf since 1997. 1979? I'm not too sure about that. I don't think NASCAR had widespread national appeal that early. Hockey outdrew the NBA in the 70s and 80s in some towns. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nl5xsk1 0 Report post Posted February 20, 2005 According to ESPN, the season is re-cancelled. Good. I don't need crappy Bruins action pre-empting Red Sox games and making me look to 15 different stations before finding it. Words can't express how much I hope you're being sarcastic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Failed Mascot Report post Posted February 20, 2005 If I ever become U.S. president then I'm outlawing NASCAR and all the other racing sports like it. No wasting fuel on my watch! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted February 20, 2005 Outlawing NASCAR would also mean that those super-speedy pit crew guys would start some sort of national chain that would put Jiffy Lube, et al, to SHAME. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted February 20, 2005 RIP NHL's casual fan base here in the States. Good luck guys because NASCAR, Golf and Tennis have climbed up ahead of you NASCAR, and Golf were already more popular sports. NASCAR arguably since 1979. Golf since 1997. 1979? I'm not too sure about that. I don't think NASCAR had widespread national appeal that early. Hockey outdrew the NBA in the 70s and 80s in some towns. Maybe you're right. I do still wonder if the NHL should of ever been grouped with the other 3 in the United States? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
