NHL ready to make another offer?
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
NHL ready to make another offer?
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Bill Daly, the NHL’s deputy commissioner, hinted Monday that the league may be willing to make the next offer in a labor battle with players that has caused the first two weeks of the season to be canceled.
The Big Four _ NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Daly, and players’ union executives Don and Steve Fehr _ are scheduled to meet Tuesday in Toronto.
In the NHL’s latest proposal, made about a month ago, the players would receive 49 percent of the hockey-related revenue in the first year of a proposed six-year collective-bargaining agreement. The players would receive 48 percent in the second year and 47 percent in the last four years.
The players had requested 53 to 54 percent of the revenue.
The NHLPA has not countered the owners’ last proposal. The league has repeatedly said it wants the players’ union to make the next move.
If the players’ union doesn’t make a counter-offer, will the NHL continue to sit back and wait, or would it make another proposal to spur some action?
"We obviously feel there is an urgency to get to an agreement and to save our season,” Daly said in an e-mail to The Inquirer. “So while not ideal, we will have to keep all options open on how to best proceed.”
That sounds as if the NHL is growing tired of waiting around for the NHLPA.
Having missed their first pay checks on Monday, NHL players may have a bit more urgency as their union heads back to the bargaining table Tuesday.
Then again, the players are scheduled to receive escrow checks this month that will pay them 8.5 percent of their 2011-12 salaries. For the average salary of $2.5 million, that translates to a little over $200,000.
The first two weeks of the regular season, which was scheduled to start last Thursday, have been canceled, and unless something dramatic happens in the next few days, more games are expected to be wiped out by the end of this week.
If hockey is not played in 2012-13, it will be the second time in nine years that the entire season was canceled. If that happens, the NHL will go from being a minor sport to being a laughingstock that doesn't even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as the NFL, MLB and NBA.
If Bettman and Don Fehr can live with that as their legacy, well, so be it.
PR spin. The NHL commissioned a focus group, led by top GOP strategist Frank Luntz, to aid its lockout public-relations campaign, it was reported by Deadspin.
Ah, this lockout is getting more devious by the minute.
Briere, Giroux, excel. Flyers teammates Danny Briere and Claude Giroux, who used to be housemates in Haddonfield, are off to impressive starts for Germany’s Eisbaren Berlin. They have combined for 13 points in two games, with Briere collecting three goals and four assists, and Giroux adding a goal and five assists.
Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov is 1-2 for CSKA Moscow, compiling a 3.01 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in the KHL.
Phantoms update. The Adirondack Phantoms, who have nine players on their roster who spent time with the Flyers last season, are off to a 1-1 start and don’t play again until Friday in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Brayden Schenn leads the Phantoms with two goals; he has played mostly on a line with Sean Couturier (two points) and Matt Ford. In the third period of Sunday’s 4-0 loss in Springfield, Zac Rinaldo replaced Ford on that unit.
Schenn had both of his goals in the Phantoms’ season-opening, 6-3 win over visiting Portland before a sellout crowd of 4,801 on Saturday.
Perhaps the biggest surprise thus far: Rinaldo has no penalty minutes in two games. He was second in the NHL with 232 minutes last season.
Adirondack’s Harry Zolnierczyk, who played in 37 games with the Flyers last season, took a stick to the face in the second period Sunday and left the game. He did not return, but a Phantoms official said the injury was not serious.
Lavy in Trenton. Coach Peter Laviolette will be among the Flyers' brass who will help coach the ECHL Titans during their practice Tuesday morning at 10. It is closed to the public.
Contact Sam Carchidi at scarchidi@phillynews.com. Follow on Twitter @BroadStBull.
Sam, you should write about the last lockout and this one. Here's the difference.. at least the last one felt like it was for the betterment of the league. The owners wanted parity with the salary cap, the fans (love it or hate it) also got a new gimmick with the shootout. The fans bought back in because it felt like hockey got better. This lockout, is disgusting. Neither side is winning the PR battle, they are both losing. Fans are angry. As has been written, millionaires fighting millionaires at the expense of the fans, and also the people that make their living in other roles with the NHL.. all the way to the parking attendants. If they can fix it before any further gaems are canceled, people will forget. Any more.. and I am not so sure.— Freddy- Whenever the players return, and you have the best in the world (clearly, have you seen KHL hockey?) throwing themselves into the game like their lives depend on it, the game will be as irresistible as ever.
I'm a Flyers fan. Whoever is on that team I want to see do well. But ultimately it's the players who play with such recklessness and insanity that makes this game so great.
So I'm on the players' side. They can do whatever they need to get a deal that satisfies them. When they do, and they go back out there and block shots with their eye sockets, I'll be watching. - Well said Freddy. You are a wise man and have the Tonner's respect and admiration. Hopefully Buttman reads your words.
- Darth Bettman's evil plan of destroying NHL hockey is well underway.— Mike Boryla
- I happen to believe that the NHL as done pretty well under
Bettman.New teams = more jobs for the players,entry fees for
the owners,that was probably flip in salaries for ...the players,or for some teams,help them stay afloat.Snider probably gave that money to Lindros,Leclair,or whoever they were signing at the time,Snider did not pocket those entry
fees...Of course the product was diluted on the ice,but we
did not see players complain... or owners.With 3 work stoppage under his belt(Bettman)he is facing someone with
4 work stoppage on his record (Fehr)not much better if you ask me.The game has never been so popular in the US,and even Canada and around the world,the league is showcasing is product at the Olympics,with the winter classic,Bettman is not the evil of all evil here.When I hear players criticize Bettman after creating more jobs for them,and lets
not talk about salaries during his tenure as Commissioner.
The NHLPA is lucky that I am not in the Commish position...
see below and that would be a starting point to me.
The players need to understand that what their about to lose
will never be recouped,the younger one's maybe the older players never,ill-advise in my estimation.Jeremy Jacobs,owner
of the Boston Bruins has a fortune estimated at 2 billion
dollars...he did not make this money with the Bruins.
Who do we think will survive this work stoppage better...
the owners will,they do not need the NHL to make their money,end of story.Bettman's record is not perfect,but I happen to think that it's a positive one.— Mean mean stride,mean mean pride - I'll be back no matter what. Also, if the players aren't winning the PR battle, you have no business being a fan anyway. The players sacrifice time and health. The owners throw millions away for their vanity. If there's a labor dispute, it's always the bosses' fault.— HandNik
- There was an article in Sunday's Inquirer about the lockout, and some clown (a season ticket holder) actually said it was the owners that took ALL (his word) the risk. I dare him to say that Keith Primeau or Chris Pronger face-to-face.
I, for one, will be back when it's over. But, the longer it goes on, the more it will hurt the league, and the more casual or fringe fans it will lose. I would like to see the league contract a little bit, but only because I think it over-expanded, not because revenue is down due to a decreased fan base.— uncle meat - Don't even care anymore no more of my money will go to them, now I have to consider not paying the parent company for thier great ownership, I may have to go the way of verizon because Comcast has lost my support in regards to thier ownership acumen, gave up my Eagles tix years ago and will probably not renew my Phillies tix next year, Ownerships have become a friken joke....— Taxman
- Gary Bettman is an absolute Joke. Roger Goodell is also an absolute joke, but Bettman makes goodell look like Pete Rosell. what a disgrace. the owners are the greedy ones here. don't blame the players. the players deserve the money, they play the game. not the people sitting up in the owners box eating caviar. the players ought to just start their own , player owned, league.— Ryan
- Ryan,a player owned league...that I would love to see.
The players or former pro hockey players who invest in hockey teams,do it at a junior level...Why you ask? Simple,
the junior players get paid around a 100$ a week to play in
their leagues,do the math.Lemieux(Pittsburgh)came to the NHL in the ownership departement,because he was owed money...millions of money...Gretzky(Phoenix)became part owner of the Coyotes,but relinquished is ownership shares
when they filed for bankruptcy...seems like he could not
stomach taking a financial risk...would we say.
If you ever see a player/former player run hockey league
see the light of day,I would love to see the...CBA !!!— Mean mean stride,mean mean pride - dear uncle: The owners do take all the financial risk. The payers choose to play and can do whatever they wish to protect themselves gear wise. It's the mentality of the players themselves that is causing these injuries. No owner ever concussed Keith Primeau. You take the hits to the head out of the game and you stop the concussions. All the bulls**t the players whine about the "risk" they take goes out the window. Their wounds are self inflicted.
Every occupation has risk that the employee takes. I am supposed to feel sorry for Keith Primeau (good guy) because of the problems another player caused him while getting paid millions of dollars? If my co-workers ran whacked me in the head repeatedly (and probably deservedly so :) it would be up to me to stop it or walk away. And I assure you I don't get paid millions of dollars or work a few hours a day for 7 months a year.
The owners will prevail. Anything close to 50% and the players should settle, they ain't getting any more than that for sure.— LJ14 - If your co-workers whacked you in the head repeatedly you would probably be suing them for everything they are worth. I can't believe you actually compared that to guys playing a contact sport. — FatEagle
- dear uncle: The owners do take all the financial risk. The payers choose to play and can do whatever they wish to protect themselves gear wise. It's the mentality of the players themselves that is causing these injuries. No owner ever concussed Keith Primeau. You take the hits to the head out of the game and you stop the concussions. All the bulls**t the players whine about the "risk" they take goes out the window. Their wounds are self inflicted.Every occupation has risk that the employee takes. I am supposed to feel sorry for Keith Primeau (good guy) because of the problems another player caused him while getting paid millions of dollars? If my co-workers ran whacked me in the head repeatedly (and probably deservedly so :) it would be up to me to stop it or walk away. And I assure you I don't get paid millions of dollars or work a few hours a day for 7 months a year.The owners will prevail. Anything close to 50% and the players should settle, they ain't getting any more than that for sure. (HTML deleted)— LJ14
- 1-2, 3.01 and .897 in the KHL? Need we say more?— drunk13
- LJ14, I'm sorry but you're an idiot.— janiscortese
- Players, counter with 50% on the agreement that Bettman immediately resigns.— Sidewinder7
- No need for the Flyers to rush back to playing: Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov is 1-2 for CSKA Moscow, compiling a 3.01 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in the KHL.
— Phlyers Phan - Do it!! GET IT DONE!!!— dogman5
- The more I hear "experts" on sports talk radio and internet predict a settlement, the more I want the lockout to cause the entire loss of the 2012-13 season simply so the know-it-alls will be proven wrong.— Ashburn072
- We need to wait for one thing: Perhaps Bryz will act on his contention that Russian players may want to defect to the KHL this year. I cant think of a better idea to help the Flyers make the moves they need to make to help improve themselves.— Blick
- Donald Fehr is the toolbag here. Why NHL players think they deserve what they get is beyond me. The NHL will have to retract teams at some point and this is going to expedite it. That means less jobs all the way around.— LGbalsac
- The lack of urgency to get a deal done by Bettman is what kills me.— Horse
- There's financial risk on both sides but if the owners don't cough up hundreds of millions that it takes to run a team (think players salaries, coaches, staff, arena personnel, etc.) the players don't make millions and well the teams above water without enough talented players don't get a return on their investment. That being said they should really split the middle with the revenue and just say 49% players and 51% owners. The owners take the bigger risk when signing a player so give them that extra percent. Just think if you sign and don't live up to the contract then the owners are stuck with your salary to a degree unless they can peddle you off on someone else. In the NFL, they can waive you in a heart beat. I say if the players want more than 50% then eliminate the guaranteed contract (minus injuries of course which wouldn't be right). Think a la Scott Gomez or Chris Drury. Imagine if the Flyers did get one of those duds instead of Briere!— Hockey Head
- Hockey Head,let me take some of your ideas a bit further.
A player at the junior level,gets paid about 100$ a week
give and take,they sign a pro contract and they already make
in the 6 numbers...way to much for a non-proven talent.
I say,1st year 1,000 $ a game NHL,AHL,ECHL,whatever league
they play in,2nd year 2,000$ a game,3rd year 4,000$ a game
constantly doubling their salary every year,and that would be for every player 1st pick overall or 7 rounder,every
player no exception...if they want more,let them tell there
agents to go and find them a endorsement deal.That introduction contract would last 3 years,then a negotiated contract caped at 3 years/and lucrative contracts,millions
for the best players,again,proven talent.Some of them (players) would be tempted to play somewhere else but why
not take a steady climb in the best league in the world,best
doctors,best organizations and so on.Draconian,yes of course,but I believe that the younger players could be thrown under the bus...they already have been in the last
CBA...remember.At 19 years of age,making 82,ooo$then 164,000$
then 328,000$in 3 years is not a bad start in live at 21 years of age with maybe more on the way,if you have taken care of yourself and proven yourself.Claude Giroux comes to mind here,with some insight...comes from a good family,polite kid,good person...but no bookworm,doubt that he would of been making that type of money anywhere else at that age in the real world.
— Mean mean stride,mean mean pride - The only person make $ out of this lockout is Donald "lockout" Fehr.— Just_Recently_Banned
- If the players wanted, they could all go somewhere else and play. the owners have some logos and tradition. they are talentless leaches. ef them.— ChampAnderson
- Winter Classic goes as scheduled, followed by truncated season, followed by Rangers vs Kings in Stanley Cup finals......and oh I forgot, Bryz still stinks....— Mike Boryla
- I kinda hope both sides hold out long enough so that there is a 48 game season just like back in '95. Seriously, that was the best regular season ever. Every game mattered so the teams played them like it was playoff hockey. It would be well worth the wait.— riles1875
