A man who recently died in Ottawa asked for his obit to say that Bettman and Goodenow are skunks for not letting him watch the NHL in his last days, and that Gretzky should take over as NHL commissioner.
Gretzky would be good for the League. At least he knows hockey - because Bettman sure doesn’t …
I kind of like Gretzky where he is… :P
Yeah, I can see how you would be OK with the status quo ;)
Yanny, you bring up a great point - Dryden as commish would be ideal. Lawyer, politician AND former player (for the Habs no less … no bias, really!) … how much better does it get? Usually, “former player” is mutually exclusive from the other two …
Also, what happens if a club exceeds $50M? It can’t be a “weak” penalty like loss of a draft pick … the Rangers will probably gladly pay any luxury tax, and buy any draft picks anyway ;) How about your team loses one point - ie, a point gained from winning or tying a game - for every $1000 you’re over? THAT would prove incentive to keep salaries down!
However, with a salary cap, another (major) issue is full disclosure of contracts. A big problem in the CFL is although most teams submit salary info to the League that is low enough to remain under a cap, a lot of players are paid incentives otherwise … I’m not sure how, but it’s basically income that the team decided not to include when telling the League how much they’re paying so-and-so … hence, the salary cap is useless.
According to what I read, it’s a 50 million hard cap.
However, with a salary cap, another (major) issue is full disclosure of contracts. A big problem in the CFL is although most teams submit salary info to the League that is low enough to remain under a cap, a lot of players are paid incentives otherwise … I’m not sure how, but it’s basically income that the team decided not to include when telling the League how much they’re paying so-and-so … hence, the salary cap is useless.
usually cars, university/private school fees, houses, etc.
Yeah, that’ll do it …
Anyway, I don’t get why they don’t just declare the season lost - because it honestly is - and get over themselves. I’m sick of the news story about “The NHL and NHLPA still have not got anywhere in negotiations”. It’s all I’ve been hearing on sports channels for the past 4 and a half months. I say, declare the season to be done with, since clearly the NHL is not interested in saving it; let the sportscasters talk about something else; and let CBC start broadcasting the CHL, instead of worrying about the NHL coming back mid-season, and instead of playing boring movies each Saturday! I miss being able to find hockey on the TV Saturday night, with ease! And it was always a Canadian team, too :(
On another note, I doubt the Oiler’s governor is lying when he says that the team will have to be sold or suspended if no salary cap is introduced. I can believe that - and I don’t see how anyone can’t, or how anyone can see it as “Sabre rattling”. This should come as a hint. In one of the more important markets - at least, a market where hockey is IMPORTANT to fans, rather than a novelty - a team is in dire trouble and may be forced to leave for (yet another) market where hockey is a novelty.
Bettman should summon up the balls to admit that he’s royally boned the NHL by placing teams in locations in which they can’t survive and draw little to no interest. I believe that is the fundamental reason that the league is SUCH a mess (both on the ice AND off) nowadays.
On a related note - did anyone see SNL last night?
I love the way that they tied in the strike with Canada’s move to legalize gay marriages . . .
This is what happens when they cancel hockey in Canada.
I saw that CC. Pretty funny stuff.
Didn’t see it … how’d they do it?
it’s gone man…gone…
If they were to cancel a complete season of the NFL I would end my life…so to your hockey fans, my deepest condolences…what do you think this will do revenue wise to some of the teams that were on the bubble to begin with?
Most hockey fans are aligned with the owners and less pissed about the season being canceled than they are about the players holding up the negociating process.
But the season’s not over. Read my blog for updates: njdevs.blogspot.com
