Shane Doan wants a new contract. He wants it before September 15. Or else, he's moving on.
His agent told the Sarah McClellan from The Arizona Republic that his client will sign his John Hancock on the bottom line of a new NHL contract before Cinderella turns into a pumpkin on September 15. The current NHL collective bargaining agreement expires on September 15.
It’s a curious strategy, in that Bross has been silent on all things relating to Shane Doan for the past couple of weeks. Doan has been an unrestricted free agent for nearly nine weeks. He’s been in constant contact with Phoenix GM, Don Maloney, as well as with prospective Coyotes buyer, Greg Jamison. Suddenly, Bross has spoken, on the record, and is now offering a firm date of when his client will sign his next contract. No word yet on which NHL team will be the lucky Shane Sweepstakes winner. All of that heavy lifting is still left to be done.
"Shane is going to sign a contract before the CBA expires on the 15th," said Doan's agent, Terry Bross. "(Ownership has to) be done before the 15th, otherwise we're signing somewhere because we don't know what the new CBA is going to look like, and I don't know if it's going to limit any scope of a contract, so we want to make sure we sign before then.
"I guess from that respect, time is ticking”.
Bross knows the rules of engagement. He knows that in the new CBA, the owners are adamantly pushing for shorter contract lengths. Especially on contracts designed for the 35+ segment of the NHL. In the past three weeks, Bross and Doan have seen NHL teams lock-up their youngsters to fat, long-term extensions. The Canes sign Skinner to a six year extension. The Flyers have inked Simmonds and Hartnell for six year extensions as well. Earlier this week, the Oilers signed Taylor Hall to a seven year extension.
For now, Doan will continue to sit in his Adirondack chair at his B.C. lake house with an iced tea in one hand and Buffalo’s four year, $30 million offer in the other.
One wonders: What if the Jamison purchase bid falls apart? Reports have confirmed that Jamison has raised every last penny of the $170 million franchise asking price that the NHL has place on the front lawn of the Jobing.com arena. If Jamison has the money, then, why hasn’t he flexed his pecs and pushed the NHL to close the sale. The sooner Jamison gets the front door keys to his new team, the sooner he can finalize his new multi-year contract extension with Doan.
There’s still time left on the clock in this epic game of “stall ball”. I feel like I’m watching the NCAA March Madness tourney and Princeton is running its notorious “four corner offense”. Their strategy is to push the ball up the floor, then slowly and methodically, pass the ball around the perimeter in an effort to kill the shot clock, all the while pulling defenders out of position. Then, with a half a tick left on the shot clock, the Princeton shooter knocks down a three-pointer from 22 feet behind the arc. From a tactical point of view, Princeton’s “stall ball” is an acceptable means of denying the other team touches and scoring chances. From the fan experience standpoint, its as exciting as watching the clothes spin endlessly around in circles inside the dryer at your local laundromat.
September is a week away. Doan’s kids are set to begin their new school year next week. There are 23 days until the present CBA expires.
Its high time for Bross and Doan to take their shot, before the clock ticks down to zeros.
What if the Jamison bid blows up into smithereens between now and September 15? Does that mean that Doan will accept Buffalo's most generous of offers?
Gary Bettman and his NHL team owner cronies are driving a hard line during the new CBA negotiations. More money for them. Less money for the players. The players gave back the owners 24% during the last work stoppage seven years ago. Now, the owners want more. What is this, an episode of The Sopranos? Tony and Pauley Walnuts want more slices of the pizza for themselves. Or, else.
Bettman and the owners have history on their side. Bettaman has locked the players out twice already during his tenure as commish of teh NHL. If a new CBA cannotbe hammered out by September 15, Bettman will have completed his Gordie Howe hat trick. Think he cares?
He has license to leverage the players because he is supremely confident that you, and millions of other like-minded rabid NHL fans, in his back pocket. You buried the hatched, swallowed your pride, and forgave him for the NHL owners' greed and irrational negotiation demands after the last two work stoppages. He's betting that, like lemmings over the cliff, you will rush to his support again in this most tenuous time for the NHL.
The problem? Bettman wants the biggest slice of pie.
“We believe we’re paying out more than we should be,” said commissioner Gary Bettman. “It’s as simple as that.”
You, the fan, were the focal point of his post-negotiating committe meeting in Toronto on Thursady.
“We recovered last time because we have the world's greatest fans,” Bettman said.
Insult? Biff in the head? Sincere gratitude? Hard to tell with Bettman. He and the owners are using you, and your love of the NHL against you, to attempt to jam the players for a bigger piece of the revenue pie. Bettman thinks that history can repeat itself. The NHL recovered from the last work stoppage because you and your friends, you loyal unbridled support, and more importantly, your charge cards and ATM cards.
You buy the mini packs, the foam fingers, the player jersies, and swag from your favourite NHL teams. You've learned to ignore the NCAA bowl games on New Year's Day and now embrace the Winter Classic experience. You can't keep your money in your pockets.
Thats why Bettman, the owners and Board of Governors want more of your hard earned money.
After the work stoppages in 1994-95, and again in 2004-05, you checked you disgust and anger at the arena doors. You said you wouldn't support the NHL again. You lied.
When the doors were locked and arena employees were laid off after the Calgary-Tampa Stanley Cup Finals, the NHL was a $2.1 billion game. Today, seven years hence, the NHL is a $3.3 BILLION industry. The growth potential is staggering. With stars like Crosby, Ovechkin, Stamkos, Malkin, Toews, and the like just now hitting their prime career years, and with more exciting young studs in the pipeline, the NHL standsto increase exponentially, sooner rather than later. Thanks to you, and your wallet.
On Thursday, Bettman through the players under the zamboni. He propped you and your buddies for your undying love for the game of hockey.
Bettman said there is a wide gap that exists between the two sides' respective views of the percentages of hockey-related revenue (HRR) each should receive.
"Whether or not we're talking about these contract or system issues, or if we're talking about revenue sharing, it's clear that we're at a point that it's going to be very difficult to move this process along until we deal with the fundamental economic issues," Commissioner Bettman said. "Certainly as it relates to the fundamental economic issue we are far apart both in terms of magnitude and structure. That is something we're trying to get a handle on."
thanks, nhl.com
My friend, Tim Panaccio from csnphilly.com hit the nail on the head: rolling back player salaries will not solve the problem. The solution is that owners like Ed Snider in Philly and Jeremy Jacobs in Boston should want to help their financially challenged bretheren in the smaller markets.
The NHLPA, under executive director Donald Fehr, wants revenue sharing to multiply by leaps and bounds so the 10 poorest teams can gain stability. Share the wealth a little more. Learn from the NFL and MLB.
Cutting player salaries doesn’t increase revenue sharing. It only lowers club costs. A player who signed a contract in good faith this summer for a $5 million cap hit shouldn’t have to see that reduced to $4 million next fall before he even plays a single game.
What we have here is two very different philosophies at play, and there is no common ground for these CBA talks to really gather steam.
They’re at a stalemate, already. Unless games are lost and paychecks don’t arrive and buildings remain dark, no one budges.
Are you ready to vote with your wallet this time?
If not, Bettman and the owners have you right where they want you.
Join the Discussion:
»