Good-bye, NHL season?
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
Good-bye, NHL season?
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
The NHL season seems on the verge of being canceled after talks with federal mediators broke off on Thursday without any progress.
The mediators were dismissed for the time being, meaning they had two whole days to intervene.
Two.
"We are disappointed the mediation process was not successful," said Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner, on the 75th day of the lockout.
On Twitter, fans roasted the owners and players.
Tweeted Flyer_Bully: "....flyer fan for over 35 years now, and I'm done, they can all shove it."
ESPN reported that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman proposed to Donald Fehr, the NHLPA boss, a meeting between owners and players _ without league or players' association officials.
Fehr and the players are apparently considering it.
Fehr did not address the issue when he released a statement, saying the mediators "informed the parties they did not think it was productive to continue the discussions further today." He added that the mediators would "stay in contact" and "call the parties back together when they thought the time was right."
This would be the second NHL season canceled in the last nine years.
There are numerous issues on the table, including how to divide hockey-related revenue _ it reached a record $3.3 billion last season _ free agency, arbitration, and length of contracts.
The NHL's latest offer was a 50/50 split of hockey revenue and $211million toward the "make whole" provision, which goes toward players' salaries. The players would agree to a 50/50 divide if it included $393 million.
But even if that issue is resolved, Daly said in an email, there are many other areas in which the sides are far apart.
There is a Board of Governors meeting Wednesday, during which more games could be canceled. As it stands, games have been canceled through Dec. 14.
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
Cut the league back to 16 teams in cities where there is support of more than 12,000 fans. No TV deal will more than likely force a contraction, would be best for the game long term. Back to the '67 expansion line + 5 franchises.— Northcountry- The owners and players are absolutely disgusting. Another season cancelled is incomprehensible. My son was complaining that "my only clean shirts are Flyers shirts and I'm not going to wear them", because he (10) doesn't want to support the Flyers or the NHL. This family is done with the NHL for good.— beerleaguer
I truly miss the game and was hoping to forget the sorrows of the Birds...I guess I'll have to wait for Spring Training. Thanks NHL:(— cange/30- More ugly face time for Ed and his lovely new wife to be.— albrock
- The Stanley Cup transcends this stupid league... I'd love to see it awarded to a champ in another league. I'd be cool with it going to the KHL champ, Swedish Elite champ, Frozen Four winner, Memorial Cup winner... I'm not picky but I think it should have been awarded the last time the season was cancelled and should definitely be awarded this time.— hillbillybirdsfan
- who cares. I hope the players and owners lose tons of money.— joeynick
- What a surprise. I'm a Flyers fan for almost 40 years and I'm disgusted by this league. As much as it kills me to say this, if another season is lost then it might be time for me to move on.— Fly Guy
- What Bettman and the owners don't realize is that many of us have canceled the NHL. So it doesn't really matter what they decide or when they decide it, many are not spending another cent on them.— txflyer
- Even though both sides have their valid issues they want resolved, to lose an entire season is so crazy. Sometimes you get the impression in these negotiations that neither the owners or the players fear for the future of the league. If they really thought the fans were not coming back, this wouldn't even be an option, and they would be at the negotiating table every day...instead of every other week.— ryanrockzzz
Ladies and gentlemen, you are preaching to the choir.
Go here
http://flyers.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=35629
to make your feelings known to the Flyers or here
http://www.nhl.com/ice/feedback.htm
to make your feelings known to the NHL.— backhand
Thank God I still get to watch my son's AAA team. Bettman is THE WORST!
The surprise in my point of view is that the NHL has lasted this long. The old guard resented the idea of the expansion cycle that saw the Flyers enter the league with 5 other teams and its been a quiet civil war ever since.
There was reason for hope when Ballard and Wirtz passed on to the Big Bush League In The Sky, but the regionally popular league tried to compete with its three bigger cousins and hasn't yet figured out how to do that in a mutually beneficial way that doesn't cost them something in the process.
For my entertainment, I've tracked the history of pro sports in North America, and have learned that the early part of the 20th century saw leagues come and go like free agents do nowadays. The current leagues emerged from such chaos to become stronger.
If only the NHL could be smarter than it has been of late. It's too regional to be a 30-city circuit. It needs to concentrate on making the game profitable in traditional cities that have a history of hockey. They've got to make the Maple Leafs accept a team in Hamilton. They got to accept that they will never be the NFL or even the NBA. They should know what their niche is and develop it.— Atomic Fury- I agree with everything you stated but this:
"The old guard resented the idea of the expansion cycle that saw the Flyers enter the league with 5 other teams and its been a quiet civil war ever since."
The original six benefited handsomely from the first expansion in 1967. They may have held their noses at the thought of hockey in LaLa land, but they deposited the expansion fees readily enough.
Every expansion since has benefited the existing franchisees. That's why they intend to add two more teams, in Quebec City, and Markham, Ontario. Each of those franchises will result in a $200M franchise fee divided among the 30 existing franchisees (plus an indemnification fee to the Toronto Maple Leafs likely to be in the $100M range, which is one reason the Leafs are worth $1B).
The new league alignment the NHL proposed had four conferences with 8 teams in each western conference, but only 7 in the two eastern conferences. Each eastern conference would get one additional team from the expansion to bring them up to 8.
"Grow or Die" is their motto.
— backhand - this is the hockey version of democrats versus republicans and you know how that's moving along. NOT.— tmq
- Every time there is a glimmer of hope, it gets squashed like an annoying bug. I am very sick of this whole mess and just wonder why no one will work out a compromise. Its starting to me me sour on the whole sport, and this is the one sport I follow and love above all others. It is the most exciting, hard hitting and fun sport to watch (in my opinion) and the prospect of facing two lost seasons makes me sick.
BTW backhand, I have Bettman's number. It is toll free: 1-800-IMA DBAG.— ena1977
