Tim Panaccio: Union Conference Call

Wow

No surprise, really. Fehr drew his line in the sand weeks ago and isn't going to cross it. Look back at how he approached negotiations when he headed up the MLBPA; he makes an offer and everything else is waiting for the owners to respond so he can say "yeah, um, ... that's just not good enough."

There's really only 3 questions left to be answered:

1. How far are the owners willing to bend?
2. If the owners aren't willing to bend all the way over to the players offer, how long before they pull the plug on 2012-13?
3. If '12-13 gets cancelled, do the players continue to hang together or do they start pressing for a new deal to avoid missing '13-14?

I would love for Fehr to come out and say that if the NHL will not negotiate any issue whatsoever, that the players are ready to make the lockout 2, 3...5 years...however long it takes. If a season is lost Fehr should be firm and say that he will not go to the table at all if Bettman is there because his 3 labour stopages clearly indicate that he does not look to keep hockey going as first priority.

I would love for Fehr to come out and say that if the NHL will not negotiate any issue whatsoever, that the players are ready to make the lockout 2, 3...5 years...however long it takes. If a season is lost Fehr should be firm and say that he will not go to the table at all if Bettman is there because his 3 labour stopages clearly indicate that he does not look to keep hockey going as first priority.
- I-own_da-Northwest

The moment Fehr does that, the owners declare an impasse and implement their desired CBA unilaterally and dare Fehr to go file a complaint with the NLRB.

The moment Fehr does that, the owners declare an impasse and implement their desired CBA unilaterally and dare Fehr to go file a complaint with the NLRB.
- Irish Blues

That'd be ok...can't physically force players to play...if they had any integrity at all they shouldn't give in to the nhl's power-trip

What this is about, is making sure the word gets out to union membership that are all on the same page and backing Donald Fehr's game plan.

And the Donald Fehr brainwashing, that took baseball to the brink of destruction in 1994, will indeed be the downfall of this once great professional hockey league.

That'd be ok...can't physically force players to play...if they had any integrity at all they shouldn't give in to the nhl's power-trip
- I-own_da-Northwest

If this is about integrity for the players, then they are more stupid then we thought. It should be about how much money they are losing and will never recover by missing a season. They should be negotiating off the NHL's latest offer. Fehr and the agents don't care about anyone but themselves. He's not doing his job for the lower income players with is more the the majority of the players. I hope Bettman holds his ground and Fehr gets fired for screwing the players.

That'd be ok...can't physically force players to play...if they had any integrity at all they shouldn't give in to the nhl's power-trip
- I-own_da-Northwest

You're right - the owners can't force the NHLPA to go play. They can, however, go get replacement players and have them play. There may not be a ton of guys who do it, and the quality of play might (would) really suck, but at that point the owners would be generating revenue that the union wouldn't be getting any part of.

And the Donald Fehr brainwashing, that took baseball to the brink of destruction in 1994, will indeed be the downfall of this once great professional hockey league.
- jbearx

Except for the fact that Baseball is alive, nor did it experience the downfall that you predict for the NHL. In fact Baseball has had Labor peace for about 18 years now, after 1994.

Except for the fact that Baseball is alive, nor did it experience the downfall that you predict for the NHL. In fact Baseball has had Labor peace for about 18 years now, after 1994.
- MJL

Baseball also only lost one (1) postseason, and it took the Steroid Era to bring back a lot of fans that had thrown in the towel on the game. The MLBPA also had pretty much everything it wanted after the strike ended; from there on out, each negotiation was simply a question of "what are we going to let the owners have?"

Baseball also only lost one (1) postseason, and it took the Steroid Era to bring back a lot of fans that had thrown in the towel on the game. The MLBPA also had pretty much everything it wanted after the strike ended; from there on out, each negotiation was simply a question of "what are we going to let the owners have?"
- Irish Blues

That was costly for the League. It really led to the demise of the Montreal Expos. They never really recovered from it, and were since relocated. The bottom line is that there is Labor peace in Baseball.

At this point, who gives a sh!t???

The NHL and it's players have screwed millions of people over already (fans, arena workers, restaurant and bar owners and their employees around the arenas, European hockey players who may have had a shot at making one of those rosters that NHL players are gobbling up like spoiled vultures, etc), so what's the point?

Screw us?

NO.

SCREW YOU, NHL & NHLPA.