NHL sends CBA termination notice!

[Per]

Unions aren't only about pay. Unions also provide leverage to ensure that the working environment is safe for the workers.

Unfortunately, the NHLPA has failed spectacularly in this regard; re: lobbying for more consistent and stringent refereeing to crack down on cheap shots, head shots, and intents to injure (even if "wearing down" an opponent, wacking and hacking at injuries or creating minor injuries).

I think a player's union is a necessity, no matter how much they get paid. Ask some of the guys who played before the PA came along what life was like.

That said, I prefer collaborative business-labour approaches (like what they have in Germany) vice the Bob Goodenow/Cape Breton Coal Miner school of militant confrontationalism. Here's hoping both sides approach this as partners instead of enemies.

Porp's point is part of the key to the league's success going forward: more inclusion and collaboration on matters of mutual interest and domain. Player safety, rule changes, consistency and rationale in suspensions - these are all things in which the players have just as much stake as the owners and GMs. Two problems: Bettman hates letting the PA have a say in anything and will say no to any further inclusion outright; and the players have to achieve some coherency in what they want on those fronts. Easy to say 'protect the players' until one of their own gets a 35-game suspension. Feher has to herd the cats if they want to achieve anything meaningful in those areas, let alone escrow and salary cap.

Imagine a CBA where rule changes were a true collaborative effort; refs were clearly instructed at the beginning of the season and then left to a 3rd party for performance scrutiny and sanctions; and a mutually agreed-upon arbitrator rule on suspensions and fines. I wonder what the product on the ice would look like. I think I'd like it a lot better than what we're seeing now.

Agreed. And a union done right is a thing of beauty. I mean, if it weren't for the strong unions in Sweden, that organises more than 80% of the workforce, I doubt I'd have 35 paid vacation days and unlimited sick days.

[rats19]

Done buying seasons tickets? Surely not able to stay away from cc comrades...roger

[Topper]

Unions started radically and violently, lately they have become gay.

Pink is a lighter shade of red.

[Fred]

I read some place...can't recall where the Cap will go up this summer and then under the new CBA the Cap percentage will likely go down in which case all players salaries would be decreased pro rata. This would then leave more Cap space.... any one hear similar ?

[Zedlee]

I read some place...can't recall where the Cap will go up this summer and then under the new CBA the Cap percentage will likely go down in which case all players salaries would be decreased pro rata. This would then leave more Cap space.... any one hear similar ?

The owners want the players share to drop from 57% to around 50% (same as NFL and NBA). If that happens, then the cap will go down, not up. CAP = (total revenues x players share)/30 teams. Whatever the % ends up being, the players will have to take a pro rata haircut. Again. This could get ugly.

[Fred]

I understand if they drop the profit share from 57% to 50% salaries would go down pro rata. But is the bench mark the current Cap Level or the declared Cap level this summer ie say they annouce an increase of the Cap from the current $64 mill to a new $70 mill before the new CBA comes in where will that leave the new Cap.

If the new Cap is in place then the post new CBA would I think give teams a Salary cap of $61 million
If it's on the old Cap it would be a $56 million.

I think

[Zedlee]

I understand if they drop the profit share from 57% to 50% salaries would go down pro rata. But is the bench mark the current Cap Level or the declared Cap level this summer ie say they annouce an increase of the Cap from the current $64 mill to a new $70 mill before the new CBA comes in where will that leave the new Cap.

If the new Cap is in place then the post new CBA would I think give teams a Salary cap of $61 million
If it's on the old Cap it would be a $56 million.

I think

I "think" that everything is on the table; ie the cap will be determined by what gets negotiated in the new CBA.

[tantalum]

Don't be so sure that because the players share goes down from 57% to 50% that the cap goes down. The players will be fighting for a piece of other revenue streams. The major one will be expansion revenues which they currently wouldn't see a penny from.

It's also the best case scenario for the owners if they get 50%. They won't and would be stupid to not budge and miss any part of a new season (or anymore than a week or two). Moving to 50% isn't going to lower the cap enough for those low cap and or financially struggling teams to all of a sudden be successful at the gate. The owners have to also balance the reduction in players share not just against those other revenue streams but what earlier free agency does for their franchise because this time around they will have to actually give up a little bit in this negotiation.

I also don't believe the league will hang franchises out to dry by dropping the cap some huge amount and not having some sort of rollback on player salaries and buy out amnesty...the things they did last time around.

[Fred]

This puts it better than I did

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the salary cap goes up to $69-$72 million over the summer, but then declines under the next CBA, it could return to around the current rate of $64.3 million, which also means existing salaries could be rolled back to achieve that decline.

[Arachnid]

Fight! Fight! Fight!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/h ... le2449267/

77.3 (temp) > 61 mil (reality) this league is fucked, the fans even more so....this makes no sense whatsoever...who the fuck is captaining this leaky boat?!

[clem]

Taylor interviewed Linden about the CBA (as well as Krutov) yesterday. Linden said he wouldn’t be surprised if a couple months of the season were lost, because many US owners lose money early in the season. Owners that wouldn't be in a hurry to sign a new agreement (too much competition in their markets from other sports).

http://www.teamradio.ca/news/trevor-linden-on-cba-negotiations-krutov-canucks/

[Aaronp18]

Renaud P Lavoie (@RenLavoieRDS)
2012-07-13 6:54 PM
NHL proposal to players: 1-reduce players hockey related revenues to 46% from 57 %. 2-10 seasons in NHL before being UFA

Renaud P Lavoie (@RenLavoieRDS)
2012-07-13 6:56 PM
3-contracts limites to 5 years 4-no more salary arbitration. 5- entry-level contract 5 years instead of 3

Adam Proteau (@Proteautype)
2012-07-13 7:34 PM
"The moment the proposal was presented, every player in the room knew Gary had just written off 1st 3 months of the season." - an NHL agent

Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie)
2012-07-13 8:12 PM
Post has learned proposal calls for ceiling to be set $4M above midpoint, floor $8M under

Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie)
2012-07-13 8:13 PM
Post has learned proposal would eliminate signing bonuses and mandate same salary in each season with 5-yr term limit

I'm sure the players are enamoured.

[Hockey Widow]

Funny how the NHL got what they wanted last time, busted up the NHLPA they did. Now they want more. I read somewhere that the PA may recommend extending the current CBA one more year as long as the NHL agrees to continue to negotiate in good faith.

Of course Bettman opens with the worst case scenario from a players view point but it is the opening shot. If he is however entrenched in his position I think the next labour stoppage could be another long one.

[Aaronp18]

Of course Bettman opens with the worst case scenario from a players view point but it is the opening shot. If he is however entrenched in his position I think the next labour stoppage could be another long one.

Yeah, here's hoping he's negotiating like a realtor.

Pick a price you'd be happy with and lets start 10% below that so that we can come up to it!

[Strangelove]

Bright side: If a lockout happens we would have a few more months to talk about ridiculous trade proposals!