Red Wings

[WingsFan]

lol Frank I like your avatar, reminds me of Catholics vs Criminals days :-).

The NHL, as it currently is, is destined for spectacular failure.

Yes it is, only not so spectacular

[Tony G]

NHL, NHLPA have tentative agreement


Updated: January 6, 2013, 5:32 AM ET
By Katie Strang | ESPNNewYork.com

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NEW YORK -- The lockout appears to finally be over. A tentative agreement has been reached between the NHL and NHLPA, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN.com.
The announcement was made after the two sides hashed out their remaining differences for more than 16 hours at a hotel in midtown Manhattan, spelling the end to a lockout that has persisted for almost four months and cost more than half the regular season.
A source told ESPNNewYork.com that the emphasis should be placed on the word "tentative." That source said there is still work to be done but there has been a verbal agreement between the two sides on the major points.
The tentative agreement includes a 10-year CBA with a mutual opt-out clause after 8 years, contract term limits at seven years (eight years for a team to re-sign its own players) and a 2013-14 salary cap of $64.3 million, a source confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com.

[WingsFan]

Bettman's days are numbered, this buffoon tried to make the NHL be the NBA! He has no idea who watches or wants hockey! He is is merely the advocate of the owners who want to push the players to increase their bottom line as much as possible.

[CaptainBlue]

NHL, NHLPA have tentative agreement


Updated: January 6, 2013, 5:32 AM ET
By Katie Strang | ESPNNewYork.com

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NEW YORK -- The lockout appears to finally be over. A tentative agreement has been reached between the NHL and NHLPA, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN.com.
The announcement was made after the two sides hashed out their remaining differences for more than 16 hours at a hotel in midtown Manhattan, spelling the end to a lockout that has persisted for almost four months and cost more than half the regular season.
A source told ESPNNewYork.com that the emphasis should be placed on the word "tentative." That source said there is still work to be done but there has been a verbal agreement between the two sides on the major points.
The tentative agreement includes a 10-year CBA with a mutual opt-out clause after 8 years, contract term limits at seven years (eight years for a team to re-sign its own players) and a 2013-14 salary cap of $64.3 million, a source confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com.

Here's a little more info:

NHL lockout: Tentive deal in place to end lockout; drop that puck!
By Brian Stubits | Blogger
January 6, 2013 5:18 am ET

After nearly four months of labor updates and no hockey, a new collective bargaining agreement has been (tentatively) reached.

"We have reached an agreement of a framework of a new CBA," Gary Bettman said in the wee hours of Sunday morning, music to every hockey fans' ears.

"Any process like this is difficult; it can be long," Donald Fehr echoed. "We have the framework of a deal."

After a 16-hour long negotiation session that started early Saturday ended around 5 a.m. ET came the news we have all been waiting 113 days for; there is a deal -- tentatively -- in place and hockey is coming back. There was much rejoicing.

With only a few days left to get a deal done or to have another season get canceled altogether for the second time in eight years, the NHL and NHLPA started working toward harder than at any point in the process with a few marathon sessions in a row. The resurge in meetings and the optimism that began to flow freely on Saturday was largely due to the presence of federal mediator Scot Beckenbaugh. If you're looking for a lockout hero, the person who saved us from the burning building that was the NHL, he's as good a bet as any.

It's worth reminding everybody at this point that a deal is not officially done, it still has to be raitied by everybody involved, the i's have to be dotted and the t's have to be crossed. But you might as well bust out the sweater from the depths of your closet and celebrate.

Not every detail of the new CBA will be known for a little while, but some of the key details that were the big sticking points have been revealed and the new CBA is taking shape. Perhaps the best news in all of it for hockey fans? The length is going to be 10 years with an opt out after eight. More from Elliotte Friedman:

Elliotte Friedman@FriedgeHNIC
Have no idea what info is out there, so here's what CBA looks like: 10 yrs (opt-out after 8), cap is $64.3M in 2013-14. Contract info...
6 Jan 13 ReplyRetweetFavorite
Elliotte Friedman@FriedgeHNIC
Two sides settled on contract lengths of 7 years (other free agents), 8 (your own).
6 Jan 13 ReplyRetweetFavorite
Some of the other facets we already knew such as the split of the hockey-related revenue down to 50/50 between the players and the owners with the $300 million money in the "Make Whole" proposal from the owners to pay the players the full value of their contract. Hey, does anybody remember when we all believed that the HRR split was going to be the toughest issue in the negotiations?

As to other details, such as when the season will start and how many games it will contain; we'll have to wait and see, but there's a shot it will be 50 games instead of the previously speculated 48. Figure there will be a week of training camps and then it will be game on. At long last, it will be game on.

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/blog/eye-on-hockey/21505643/nhl-lockout-tentive-deal-in-place-to-end-lockout-drop-that-puck

About damn time. Let's go Red Wings!

[Tony G]

So since he is the advocate of the owners, and the owners have the say in his firing, what would lead you to believe he will be gone soon?

[WingsFan]

I said they would play in Jan from the start, but its still really good hear! Bettman is going to go down in history as the worst commissioner in major league sports history. He has alienated more fans then he has attracted. His dream of putting teams in the Southern U.S. is half the reason the NHL is in this mess in the first place.



Tony, from what I have been reading, Bettman represents the interests of a small group of "hawkish" owners that want to impose draconian conditions on players. Mr I hates him almost as much as I do. The NHL has tried to paint Fehr with the dishonest brush, but the veteran sports negotiator has received high marks from baseball officials for his integrity during the negotiating process (source: New York Times). Baseball officials have never accused Fehr of being someone who would twist the truth while trying to work out a new deal (source: ESPN.com).

[WingsFan]

NHL Lockout: Why Gary Bettman's Days as Commish Look to Be Numbered

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1471531-nhl-lockout-why-gary-bettmans-days-as-commish-look-to-be-numbered

[Tony G]

Most of that BR story seems based on there not being a season this year.

[WingsFan]

NHL lockout ends around 5 a.m. ET; 'Framework' in place

Whenever it happens, bank on a full day of hockey with all 30 times in rivalry matchups. That'd be a start for the league on its long road of rebuilding relationships with fans and sponsors.

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2013-01-06/nhl-lockout-news-2012-lockout-over-reports-cba-negotiations-16-hours-new-york

[WingsFan]

Most of that BR story seems based on there not being a season this year.

I admit wishful thinking, but yes my post (by about one hour) was also based on (if) there not being a season this year.

[FVD]

lol Frank I like your avatar, reminds me of Catholics vs Criminals days :-).




Yes it is, only not so spectacular

Thanks, I laughed when i saw it and thought it was time for a change anyways.

I guess I'm glad its over but now I have to watch the red wings for the first time without Nick since I was a teenager and it sucks.

[Dr. Emmett.L.Brown]

I have to watch the red wings for the first time without Nick since I was a teenager and it sucks.

The times they are a changin'

[Dr. Emmett.L.Brown]

[lions&tigers&wings...yea]

I believe Bettman has to step down and retire now...that's the only way he gets removed. The owners like him, or at least enough of them that I don't think they would out-right fire him.

However, I think he will retire because of the fact he has cancelled more games as a commissioner than the Florida Panthers or any other of the 90's expansion teams have played in their history.

[chemiclord]

You think Bettman has so much pride in himself that these missed games bother him?

As long as the owners are willing to cut him a check, Bettman will happily take it.