Briere chastises Bettman's negotiations
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Briere chastises Bettman's negotiations
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Flyers center Danny Briere, his frustration growing, made highly critical remarks Tuesday about how Gary Bettman is handling the NHL’s negotiations with the players’ union.
Multiple reports on Monday said Bettman, the NHL commissioner, suggested the league would cancel the Jan. 1 Winter Classic in mid-November if a new collective-bargaining agreement wasn’t in place by then.
“Mid-November is what, a month and a half away?” Briere bristled after taking part in an informal Flyers practice in Voorhees on Tuesday. “Maybe if he spent less time worrying about who has the upper hand and maybe more time negotiating with the players, maybe more things would get done.”
The 2013 Winter Classic between Detroit and Toronto will be held at Michigan Stadium. Saving that money-making game - and all the goodwill and public relations it creates for the league - would seem to be a bargaining chip in the players’ favor.
The players view Bettman’s threat to cancel the Winter Classic early as a scare tactic because he doesn’t want them to use the game as leverage in negotiations for a new CBA.
“When we see these outside distractions, it’s like, ‘OK, let’s kind of talk (about issues),' ” said veteran winger Jody Shelley, one of a handful of Flyers who was on the ice at the Skate Zone. The threat to cancel the Winter Classic “is not the talk that we need to have right now.”
Both sides are locked in a stalemate on how to divide hockey-related revenue (HRR) and how much revenue sharing is needed to aid struggling franchises.
Representatives of the players and owners will meet Friday and have their first formal negotiating session since Sept. 12 _ three days before the CBA expired and the lockout began.
Friday's meeting in New York City is expected to center around non-core economic issues, such as length of contracts (the owners want a five-year maximum) and the NHL's desire to increase entry-level contracts from three to five years.
“We want to play; we want to get back on the ice,” Briere said. “Being in limbo is not fun, and I’m sure it’s the same thing on their side.”
Briere said more owners need to get involved, and he questioned why Bettman and Bill Daly, the NHL’s deputy commissioner, were the only people allowed to give the league’s point of view.
“Until there are more owners involved, I don’t think it will get anywhere,” he said.
The owners and front-office personnel have been given a gag order, which, if broken, could result in a fine of up to $1 million.
“It’s weird seeing owners not get involved or allowed to talk or say anything,” Briere said. “They’re very savvy businessmen to be where they are, and they’re not allowed to say a word.”
Breakaways. The Phantoms, directed by coach Terry Murray, will have their first on-ice workouts Saturday at 9:15 a.m. as their training camp opens in Voorhees and runs to Oct. 7. The sessions are free and open to the public, and several Flyers who have two-way contracts will be on the ice, including Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn, Eric Wellwood, Erik Gustafsson and Zac Rinaldo. Rinaldo said he wants to concentrate on scoring, not brawling…Schenn played for Murray when he coached the Los Angeles Kings…..The Phantoms will scrimmage Albany, the New Jersey Devils’ affiliate, at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Voorhees….For the first time since they began their informal workouts last week, the Flyers wore jerseys that said “NHLPA” on the front.....Briere is still undecided about whether he will play in Switzerland, or someplace else, during the lockout.
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
Hockey is a fringe sport and they are messing with the small fan base they have here in Philly.— ttulibacki- Wow, kid, your lack of knowledge is impressive. — Wes Hopkins
- The myth that Philly only has 19,000 hockey fans is misguided and worn out. — Repubrebirth
- Agree with Danny totally. As I have stated many times before, Bettman is working FOR the owners, even though he is the commish of the WHOLE league. Same with Goodell, Selig, Stern, et al.
Why are no talks scheduled???????— mrjarn - cheeseheadflyer-RIGHT ON!!!! Now we all wonder why the economy is going in the tank- corporate ownership majorly screwing the very people that make them their mind-blowing profits.— mrjarn
- Briere forfeits what, $6MM this year........and he's what 33, 34?? Not many of these left for Danny boy eh..........— Northcountry
- The players are not "...just as much a part of this"
That just isn't true. This is a cash grab by the owners who LOCKED them out, this is not a strike.
I wonder if some understand the difference well enough to be talking about giving up whole seasons the rest of us would have liked to have seen?— WestonF01 - Keyser Bettman. Even the resemblance is spot on.— Wes Hopkins
- Hockey needs to realize it's just a niche sport and can't expect the same benefits as, say, football or baseball, even basketball.— sabu000
- Are Gary Bettman and Roger Goodell related?— ChrisM
- Buttmon is saying that in no time at all we will have to cancel the Winter classic which will mean that the owners will have even less of a reason to have a season, so you players better cave in! Paaaaalllleeeeeeeeesssse you little baby.— NYPHILLYPHAN
- Whatever happened to meeting in the middle. It's called negotiation. Owners want 53% of HRR, Players offered them 47%. Why not split the diff and settle at 50% each ! Can't get more fair than a 50% share for each side.
Owners are trying to curb problems they created themselves by throwing around exhorbinate long-term contracts.
Gotta side with Labor on this one. The players are the game ! Too bad because this year's Flyers edition is so promising.— mortt1956 - Another year of inactivity....another year older. Time is of the essence for some players.— dogman5
