Good-bye, NHL season?
The NHL season seems on the verge of being canceled after talks with federal mediators broke off on Thursday without any progress.
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.
How such a beautiful game as ice hockey can be connected to such a complete clusterfornication of a league as this I simply cannot understand.
The Berliners are probably jumping up and down in joy right now.
If I see our two guys hoisting the WRONG CUP over their heads, I will kiss the Flyers goodbye in all but my childhood memories. The past is the past.— janiscortese- Hockey should just shoot itself and put itself out of its misery. What a bunch of greedy fools. I use to love hockey, now I am sick and tired of this kind of stuff. Take hockey and shove it!!!— flyersfev
- Yeah. Welcome to Philadelphia. We used to have a really good hockey team. — janiscortese
- Jan: Yep, good for decades. I only hope they get a little better and win another Cup before I die.
- Hard as it is to say, I've been hoping that for a little too long, and I'm sick of it. — janiscortese
- 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 - This comment has been deleted.— Dutch10
- Bingo!
It only takes one side in a Federal mediation to dismiss the mediators and I'm certain you're right, the owners didn't like what they were hearing from the mediators and stormed out.
Read the Forbes article to find out why.
http://www.forbes.com/nhl-valuations/list/
Player salaries are not the cause of the problems that 17 teams are having.
— backhand - The NHL should have 24 total teams in its league. I get that its a worldwide sport, but its secondary in the US.
- don't miss it, my beer league is more exciting anyway...haven't heard yet..."man I really miss the NHL". Go away.— cleflyer
- The only positive thing for me personally, is that I don't have to rush home from *playing* hockey to catch the 4PM Pacific time start of Flyers games.
The cool thing about playing hockey is that for sixty minutes you're so focused on the game that nothing else intrudes into your consciousness. Even fat Gary Bettman. Otherwise, you *lose* consciousness. :-)
Having said that, I'd prefer to rush home to catch the start of Flyers games.
— backhand - It is past time for the NHLPA to decertify and have players sue the NHL in Federal Court to get injunctive relief from the illegal lockout. I suggest that they file in the 9th Circuit, since three NHL teams are in California, within the 9th Circuit's jurisdiction.
The NHL is trying to make up money they lost from bad business decisions by stealing from the players (who, once again sports fans, are willing to play under the terms of the just-expired CBA but the NHL refused).
Lobby your congressional delegation to repeal the anti-trust law exemptions granted to the NHL. This situation would not be occurring without those exemptions.
— backhand - I have been a Flyers Fan since day 1 and I really don't care anymore about the NHL or the Flyers, Thanks Ed, and stop sending me articles about how you support youth hockey in the area, what an insult.— mrh1955
- Good! I hope all the greedy players and all the greedy owners lose big time. Cannot wait until baseball Spring training.— oneway
- Good, I get my hockey fix watching my sin play. When's the NCAA tourney?— 2ndNlong
