Detroit Red Wings & the NHL

[geo weidl]

Bettman shows emotion in defending NHL stance

13/09/2012 4:25:00 PM
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Reiterating that the NHL season won't start until there is a new collective bargaining agreement, Gary Bettman offered a impassioned defence Thursday of the league's stance.

"Listen, nobody wants to make a deal and play hockey more than I do, OK," the NHL commissioner told a news conference when asked what he might say to fans dreading the prospect of a lockout. "This is what I do. This is what my life is about in terms of how I spend most of my waking hours.
"This is really hard. And so you only get involved in this situation when you understand what the issues are and you know you're doing the right thing for the long-term stability of our game and our sport.

http://sports.sympatico.ca/news/bettman_shows_emotion_in_defending_nhl_stance/ba54c0af

Bettman noted the average player salary had gone from US$1.45 million to $2.55 million in seven years.
Did I not see two or three major signings in the last week with big money and long term commitments? WTF!

"The fact of the matter is we believe as a league, we are paying out too much money," said Bettman.
Here is one for you bettman, GET THE FUCK OUT OF PHOENIX! The league has been subsidizing this joke of a franchise long enough, sell it to either Hamilton, Quebec, even Toronto could support a second team, anywhere but phoenix.

[CaptainBlue]

How much did Butthole's salary go up?

[Mike]

The owners are dumb enough to shell out $90 million contracts for the likes of Parise and Suter then complain that salaries are too high. Good job, douchebags.

[Optimus Prime]

Here is the gist:

The two sides exchanged new proposals Wednesday and Fehr said there were no developments since then.

The last lockout wiped out the entire 2004-05 season.

Owners asked players to cut their share of hockey-related revenue during a six-year proposal. Current industry revenue is pegged at US$3.3 billion annually.

Initially, owners sought to drop the percentage given to players to 43 per cent from the current 57 per cent. They have since amended that to a six-year proposal that starts at 49 per cent and drops to 47 per cent.

The NHLPA is offering a package that starts at 54.3 per cent and ends at 52.7 per cent.

Bettman disputed the suggestion that the NHL had given the players' association a "take it or leave it proposal."

[geo weidl]

[Optimus Prime]

"At midnight on Saturday the NHL will be shutting down the league until there's a new CBA. John Lu reports."

There is absolutely no reason for this, they could continue to play the season while they draft a new agreement.

[Tom W]

With MLB, NFL, CFB and a national election coming up, most people couldn't care less about the death of the NHL- most unfortunate.

[Mike]

Absolute idiocy.

[Optimus Prime]

Thanks to Devellano, we have an articulate summary of the owners' position.

RED WINGS FINED UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT FOR DEVELLANO COMMENTS

The Detroit Red Wings have been fined an undisclosed amount by the NHL for comments made by senior vice president Jim Devellano in an interview that was published earlier this week.

The fine is reportedly in the range of $250,000.

"The Detroit Red Wings' organization and the League agree that the comments made by Mr. Devellano are neither appropriate, nor authorized, nor permissible under the League's By-Laws," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. "Such comments are neither constructive nor helpful to the negotiations."

Devellano held an exclusive interview with Scott Harrigan of Island Sports News, where he discussed the lockout and collective bargaining talks.

"It's very complicated and way too much for the average Joe to understand, but having said that, I will tell you this," said Devellano. "The owners can basically be viewed as the Ranch, and the players, and me included, are the cattle. The owners own the Ranch and allow the players to eat there. That's the way its always been and that the way it will be forever. And the owners simply aren't going to let a union push them around. It's not going to happen."

Devellano also said that players should take 43 per cent of the revenue, instead of the current 57 per cent, and let the owners manage the rest of their expenses.

"Yes, they are billionaires," Devellano said. "Good on them, they deserve it, but they also make their employees millionaires. Not a bad tradeoff for a guy like (Milan) Lucic getting what, $6 million a year? I mean good on him too, but he should be grateful. Understand, though, that these players want for nothing ... it's first class this, first class that, meal allowances, travel money on the road, the whole shebang."

The 69-year-old Devellano served as general manager of the Red Wings from 1982-90 and 1994-97, remaining in the club's front office since then. Prior to that, the Toronto native served as director of scouting and assistant GM for the New York Islanders, helping mold the dynasty which won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-83.

[lineygoblue]

Problem is, Devellano is right.

[Hannibal]

He is absolutely right. The public seems to be against the owners, but there are no "exploited" people here and no underdogs.

[lineygoblue]

The only thing Devellano left out is that the league is too big. It needs to lose 6-8 teams, especially those in the warm climates.

[Rob F]

Jimmy D fined for speaking the truth.

Good job, Bettman!

NOT!

[Optimus Prime]

Looks like these assclowns might just be getting serious.


NHL OFFERS 50/50 SPLIT ON HRR IN PROPOSAL FOR NHLPA
The NHL put a new offer on the bargaining table for the NHL Players' Association on Tuesday morning, which includes a 50/50 split of hockey-related revenue across the board and contingent on an 82-game season beginning Nov. 2.

"We hope we've given our best shot," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

Bettman added that the offer calls for no salary rollback and the revised schedule - if implemented - would see every team play an extra game every five weeks.

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr said the offer - which is at least six years in length - is an "excellent start" and he would go over it with his membership in a 5pm et conference call.

Negotiations resumed Tuesday in Toronto in the NHL's labour dispute with the NHL Players Association - the first in five days following two days of meetings in New York last week. Key negotiators Bettman, Bill Daly and Donald and Steve Fehr were in attendance as both sides looked to start bridging the gap on core economic issues.

Both sides have communicated regularly since the lockout began on Sept. 15, but with little to no progress so far as the meetings have focused on non-core economic discussions.

Neither side had formally tabled an offer since Sept. 12.

Click on to TSN.ca for more details as they follow.

[Optimus Prime]

TSN's Bob MCKENZIE: NHL PROPOSAL WASN'T MET WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASM

The first official NHLPA reaction to the NHL offer is in -- NHLPA executive director Don Fehr sent a letter to all players and agents last night -- and not unexpectedly the league's proposal wasn't met with great enthusiasm.

In the letter, which breaks down a summary of the NHL offer, Fehr writes the following:

- "Simply put, the owners' new proposal, while not quite as Draconian as their previous proposals, still represents enormous reductions in player salaries and individual contracting rights. As you will see, at the 5 per cent industry growth rate the owners predict, the salary reduction over six years exceeds $1.6 billion. What do the owners offer in return?"

- "The proposal does represent movement from their last negotiating position, but still represents very large, immediate and continuing concessions by players to owners, in salary and benefits (the Players' Share) and in individual player contracting rules."

On some of the specific aspects of the NHL proposal:

- "They want to "clarify" HRR definition and rules. It is not immediately clear what this means, but so far all of their ideas in this regard have had the effect of reducing HRR, and thereby lowering salaries."

- "The Players' Share is reduced to 50 per cent from 57 per cent immediately -- this season. This is a reduction in the share of 12.3 per cent. On last year's revenue numbers, this would mean that players' salaries would be cut by about $231 million."

- "The proposal includes a "Make Whole" provision, to compensate players for the anticipated reduction in absolute dollars from last year (2011-12), to this year and next year. However, it would work like this. The Players Share in subsequent years would be reduced so that this "Make Whole" payment would be made. It is players paying players, not owners paying players. That is, players are "made whole" for reduced salaries in one year by reducing their salaries in later years."

- "Finally, they also proposed that the players could appeal supplemental or commissioner discipline to a neutral arbitration, on a "clearly erroneous" standard, which, as a practical manner, makes it very unlikely that any decision would be overturned."

The final two paragraphs of the letter sums up where Fehr believes the process is at and reinforces the players' position on all issues:

- "We do not yet know whether this proposal is a serious attempt to negotiate an agreement, or just another step down the road. The next several days will be, in large part, an effort to discover the answer to that question."

- "Bear in mind the approach that the Players have taken to these negotiations. It is:

- Given the enormous concessions players made in the last round, plus 7 years of record revenue reaching $3.3 billion last season, there is no reason for a reduction in the amount the players receive.

- Players are willing to take reduced share going forward so that the NHL can grow out of whatever problems some franchises face.

- The player contracting rights secured in the last negotiations should be, at minimum, maintained.

- Revenue sharing needs to be enhanced and structured so as to encourage revenue growth by the receiving teams.

- The overall agreement has to be fair and equitable for both parties. Bargaining is both give and take."