Detroit Red Wings & the NHL

[Mike]

I still think this played into Holland not breaking the bank for high profile FAs. If the cap is rolled back a lot of teams are in big trouble.

[Optimus Prime]

Detroit News, makes sense, parity along the lines of the other Majors.

"In the end, financials will drive this deal," said Michael LeRoy, a professor of labor relations and law at the University of Illinois, who has written extensively on work stoppages in the major sports leagues.

"And, given that, September 15 is still plenty of time."

The owners seem intent on accomplishing what their peers in the NBA and NFL obtained in their most recent negotiations.

Both leagues began reducing the players' share from 57 percent, just like the NHL.

The 2011 negotiations in the NBA resulted in the players' share of the revenue reduced to 51.2 percent immediately, with the distribution essentially bouncing between 49 percent and 51 percent throughout the contract.

NFL players, after a lockout in 2011, now receive 48.5 percent of the revenue.

In Major League Baseball, the players currently receive about 54.5 percent.

"The current NHL negotiations are framed by two events, the lockout of 2005 and the NFL lockout," LeRoy said. "You can expect the NHL revenue numbers and percentages to track along similar lines."

During the 2004 and 2005 negotiations, the NHL players, led by their executive director Bob Goodenow, stubbornly resisted a salary cap pegged to revenue. They eventually yielded to almost everything the owners demanded, and Goodenow resigned five days after the agreement was ratified, amid a hail of criticism from the players.

The result was a reduction of the players' share of revenue from an estimated 76 percent.

In the current negotiations, the owners clearly intend to drive the players' share down to about 50 percent — hence, the opening gambit of 46 percent.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz23jKYUatY

[Optimus Prime]

Detroit News, makes sense, parity along the lines of the other Majors. Although hard accounting analysis reflects 43% not 46% as touted by the owners.

"In the end, financials will drive this deal," said Michael LeRoy, a professor of labor relations and law at the University of Illinois, who has written extensively on work stoppages in the major sports leagues.

"And, given that, September 15 is still plenty of time."

The owners seem intent on accomplishing what their peers in the NBA and NFL obtained in their most recent negotiations.

Both leagues began reducing the players' share from 57 percent, just like the NHL.

The 2011 negotiations in the NBA resulted in the players' share of the revenue reduced to 51.2 percent immediately, with the distribution essentially bouncing between 49 percent and 51 percent throughout the contract.

NFL players, after a lockout in 2011, now receive 48.5 percent of the revenue.

In Major League Baseball, the players currently receive about 54.5 percent.

"The current NHL negotiations are framed by two events, the lockout of 2005 and the NFL lockout," LeRoy said. "You can expect the NHL revenue numbers and percentages to track along similar lines."

During the 2004 and 2005 negotiations, the NHL players, led by their executive director Bob Goodenow, stubbornly resisted a salary cap pegged to revenue. They eventually yielded to almost everything the owners demanded, and Goodenow resigned five days after the agreement was ratified, amid a hail of criticism from the players.

The result was a reduction of the players' share of revenue from an estimated 76 percent.

In the current negotiations, the owners clearly intend to drive the players' share down to about 50 percent — hence, the opening gambit of 46 percent.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz23jKYUatY

[Optimus Prime]

Without a single doubt, the greatest hockey ever played, PERIOD. check it out.


Many consider the 1987 Canada Cup to be the best hockey tournament ever played, and for good reason. The games were hotly contested; a rare best-on-best battle for hockey supremacy, and the political and social climate of the age was reflected on and off the ice. The Cold War was still icy and the NHL's European invasion was still in its early stages, so many of the best players in the tournament were relative unknowns in North America, which added to the intrigue.

Many names were known internationally, however, and some were even feared. The Soviet's Big Red Machine was powered by the world reknowned KLM Line (Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov) and star defender Vyacheslav Fetisov. The Swedes had speed in Kent Nilsson and Mats Naslund. The Finns had Jari Kurri and Esa Tikkanen. The Americans had four future Hall of Famers (Joe Mullen, Pat LaFontaine, Rod Langway, Phil Housley), five if you count soon-to-be elected Chris Chelios. And the relatively lesser-known Czechs introduced the world to a wildly unorthodox goaltender named Dominik Hasek. Meanwhile, the Canadians were so stacked it was scary; Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Dale Hawerchuk, Ray Bourque, Grant Fuhr and an emerging new star by the name of Mario Lemieux were just the headliners. Canada was so deep there was no room on the roster for future Hall of Famer Scott Stevens. When the Canadians clashed with the Soviets in an epic three game final, the hockey world stood still and held its breath, exhaling only after Gretzky found Lemieux one last time.

ESPN Classic is replaying all of Canada's games from the incomparable 1987 Canada Cup Tournament, 25 years to the day the games were actually played. The stirring three game final between Canada and the Soviet Union will be replayed on TSN. See the schedule below!

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?id=73743

[Optimus Prime]

Get on board boys, might be the only hockey you will see in the near future. The two greatest players in my time work some magic against the mighty Soviets( who play together 11 months of the year as a team) as apposed to NHL all-stars assembled over 4 weeks.

A young 21-year old Lemieux playing with a 26-year old Gretzky in his prime proved unstoppable playing against the greatness system hockey nation on earth, the USSR. Wayner by his own admission thinks it was his greatest game ever.





LEMIEUX AND GRETZKY UNITE IN GAME 2 OF CANADA CUP ON TSN

[I]To mark the 25th anniversary of one of the greatest hockey tournaments of all time, TSN is delivering re-broadcasts of all the 1987 Canada Cup Final.

The games are all digitally re-mastered with each game featuring a marquee panel of Team Canada coach Mike Keenan, Team Canada defenceman and Hockey Hall of Fame member Larry Murphy and Team Soviet Union centre and Hockey Hall of Fame member Igor Larionov.

Coverage continues with Game 2 tonight on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt.

You can also chat with Hall of Famer and former Team Canada defenceman Larry Murphy on TSN.ca's In-Game blog during the third and final game on TSN, Thursday at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt!

Game 2 - 66 + 99 = Win!

When two of the greatest players in hockey history get a chance to weave their magic as one, the result is a thing of beauty.

With Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux playing regularly on the same line for the first time, Canada came out on top in four-and-a-half periods of firewagon hockey to be savoured for the ages. Many believed it was the best game ever played.

At 10:07 of the second overtime period, Lemieux's third goal of the game - all assisted by Gretzky - gave Canada a 6-5 win, tied the series at one and set up a dramatic winner-take-all Game 3 in Hamilton.

"We were really down in the dressing room (before overtime)," said Gretzky. "Two games in a row we had blown the lead in the final minutes and had to play overtime in two games we should have won."

Gretzky tallied five assists in what he called the best game he has ever played. Besides Lemieux's goals, The Great One set up Doug Gilmour and Paul Coffey with sparkling plays.

"Gretzky is like an invisible man," said Soviet assistant coach Igor Dmitriev. "He appears out of nowhere, passes to nowhere and a goal is scored."[/I]

BTW, point of interest: Wayner had been double and even triple shifted to the point of exhaustion, The Great One, having no choice in the matter, urinated on the bench in his hockey pants as he temporarily lost muscle control.

[*JD*]

Hey O.P.- Get to work and get the season starting on time!

[Optimus Prime]

Unreal JD, 6 years of record NHL profit, league revenues grow from 2.1 to 3.2 billion and the owners now want to fix their impulsive behavior at the expense of player salaries!

[Mike]

It's insane.

[lineygoblue]

Bettman will not rest until he has killed the NHL.

[Optimus Prime]

Game 3 of the FINAL goes tonight.

1987 CANADA CUP WRAPS UP WITH GAME 3 ON TSN

To mark the 25th anniversary of one of the greatest hockey tournaments of all time, TSN is delivering re-broadcasts of all the Final games from the 1987 Canada Cup.

The games are all digitally re-mastered with each game featuring a marquee panel of Team Canada coach Mike Keenan, Team Canada defenceman and Hockey Hall of Fame member Larry Murphy and Team Soviet Union centre and Hockey Hall of Fame member Igor Larionov.

Coverage concludes with Game 3 tonight on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. You can also chat live with Larry Murphy on TSN.ca's In-Game blog during the broadcast.

Game 3 - Hockey At Its Best

Wayne Gretzky skated down the left wing boards, the puck on his stick secure as a baby in a cradle. Once inisde the Soviet blue line, he dropped it to a trailing Mario Lemieux. The Magnificent One glided in, took one look and fired, high glove side.

The clock at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton said there was 1:26 left in the third period before the game was finished, but everyone could see the truth.

It was over.

Lemieux's goal gave Canada a 6-5 win over the Soviet Union in the deciding game of the best-of-three Canada Cup Final and the country's third Canada Cup title in four tries.

"I had lots of time, more than a second," Lemieux said of his winning goal. "The top shelf was open and I just put it there."

Lemieux's marker still stands as one of the greatest Canadian goals ever. Right up there with Paul Henderson's Summit Series winner in 1972 and more recently, Sidney Crosby's golden overtime goal against the United States at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

"This was exceptional hockey," said Soviet head coach Viktor Tikhonov of the final series. "The performance by both teams elevated the game of hockey by another grade. They were the best hockey games I have ever seen."

There could not be a more fitting end to the 1987 Canada Cup. Of Mario Lemieux's tournament-leading 11 goals, nine were assisted by Wayne Gretzky who finished as the scoring leader with 21 points.

[Mike]

Wish I had TSN.

[Optimus Prime]

Mike you can watch them online in the US at:

http://watch.tsn.ca/#clip759520

Select the Video Library TAB, then select Hockey Canada Events On-Demand.

Game # 1 & 2 of the final are available now.

[CaptainBlue]

Bettman will not rest until he has killed the NHL.

Buttman is a joke. How he still has a job is beyond me. I hope the players hold out as long as possible to get a good deal. As happy as I was to have football last season, I think in the long run it might've been had the players held out. The deal they got was terrible for not only them, but the teams too. A flat salary cap for three years is ridiculous.

[Hannibal]

How Gary Bettman still had a job 10 years ago was beyond anyone. How he still has a job now has reached a new level of mystery. It's harder to explain than the origin of life on Earth.

[CaptainBlue]

I didn't even think of it at the time, but I'm guessing this lockout was a part of the reason Lidstrom retired. I don't recall him saying anything about it, but I'm sure he knew it was going to happen. When your in your 40s it's hard to come back after a lengthy lockout.