Bettman keeps saying the owners keep giving.

You can't give what you never had Gary.....

They players had 57% they are giving 7% to get to 50/50.

The players have those long term contracts, Bettman will "give" $300 million of the $393 million those contracts are valued at? What a nice guy.

The players are the ones giving here.

2 of the 6 owners (Jacobs and Chipman) in the room the past few days signed young players to 6 year deals days before the CBA expired. Now they want them to be at max 5 years?

The owners are like women with a $30,000 job but a credit card limit of $45,000 on a shopping spree. Gary is like the husband trying to make sure he keeps her in check.

The players are not being greedy here and neither is Fehr.
- cracka

The league needs to change things to save themselves from each other, that's no secret. That was a fare deal from what I see, if they think they will do better they are delusional. I'm not saying the owners are not greedy, but to say the players aren't is just plain wrong. Them arguing the length of the new CBA is proof of their greed.

Don't believe it.
- bluecoconuts

I am getting this retweeted by Kevin Paul Dupont, who is a long time and very reputable reporter.

Coincidentally, he has also started a #VoteTheOffer hashtag on twitter.

I hope it takes off and the players think long and hard about forcing a vote. It may be the last chance to save this thing.

Great article. As a lifelong baseball fan, I have seen the work of Fehr in the past. As soon as he got on board with the NHLPA I knew we were in trouble. He doesn't care about the people or industry he represents, and he certainly doesn't care about hockey. There are a lot of people and parties responsible for the mess we are in now, but I believe, and always will, that nothing can be salvaged with Fehr involved.

Are these players that freaking stupid, they do not deserve the privelage of playing in the NHL, if these things being bandied about are true, they don't deserve to play, most of them are millionaires and their wage has increased from when they apprently "lost out", idiots, I had a small bit of see-ing it from the players side but that is now completely gone. I am with the owners 100%

Players, including Ryan Miller can go and F*&K OFF and when they do play again, get him out of Buffalo, freaking loser.

Bettman keeps saying the owners keep giving.

You can't give what you never had Gary.....

They players had 57% they are giving 7% to get to 50/50.

The players have those long term contracts, Bettman will "give" $300 million of the $393 million those contracts are valued at? What a nice guy.

The players are the ones giving here.

2 of the 6 owners (Jacobs and Chipman) in the room the past few days signed young players to 6 year deals days before the CBA expired. Now they want them to be at max 5 years?

The owners are like women with a $30,000 job but a credit card limit of $45,000 on a shopping spree. Gary is like the husband trying to make sure he keeps her in check.

The players are not being greedy here and neither is Fehr.
- cracka

your analogy is wrong. it's like a woman with a 30k job who has a mountain of debt paying for food and shelter for her 4 kids.

players are being greedy but more than that, they're being misled and fooled, quite easily. and they deserve everything that comes their way.

chick has a nice rack.
- Jack-artist

PLUS 1 umm I mean PLUS 2

Great article. As a lifelong baseball fan, I have seen the work of Fehr in the past. As soon as he got on board with the NHLPA I knew we were in trouble. He doesn't care about the people or industry he represents, and he certainly doesn't care about hockey. There are a lot of people and parties responsible for the mess we are in now, but I believe, and always will, that nothing can be salvaged with Fehr involved.
- bsblfan2002

I used to be a huge baseball fan and I simply stopped paying attention after '94. When the NHL players went out and coaxed Fehr out of retirement, I knew what we were in for. In the end, the players are the ones who brought Fehr into this and this is what they wanted.

Fehr is JUST WANT THE PLAYERS NEED.


Sorry Mr. Skywalker. Darth is not the bad guy. Unless you think that a 24% rollback last time was not enough or that it is NOT the GM's offering 126 year contracts or ... lets face it.... the last cancelled season was due to a money crisis.... this one is greed on the PART OF THE OWNERS

This is a lock out, not a strike.
- Beatle_john

you think the GM's WANT to hand out all that money and long term contracts? you don't think that maybe the players and agents have something to do with demanding those deals...."give me this much for this long or i'm going somewhere else"

give your head a shake. it's not greed on the owners part. this past CBA the players had WAAAYYYYYYY too much, and the owners want some back. i mean imagine, the guy who owns the team actually wants to make money.

since the last lockout, the players have gotten richer, by leaps and bounds, while there are still about 1/3 of the owners who are losing money.

tell me again who's greedy.

That was probably Lexington Steele deep inside your butt....as usual.
- Symba007

please do not insult me when I have to google the insult to undersatnd it,

I thought you meant the 1980s Detective show Remington Steele.

After Googling it.... i wonder how and why THAT was your choice of insult! )

you think the GM's WANT to hand out all that money and long term contracts? you don't think that maybe the players and agents have something to do with demanding those deals...."give me this much for this long or i'm going somewhere else"
give your head a shake. it's not greed on the owners part. this past CBA the players had WAAAYYYYYYY too much, and the owners want some back. i mean imagine, the guy who owns the team actually wants to make money.

since the last lockout, the players have gotten richer, by leaps and bounds, while there are still about 1/3 of the owners who are losing money.

tell me again who's greedy.
- sensarmy_11

WTF .... these are your words..... could you define why and how that is wrong???

Richard Cloutier: At Least We Know Who the Problem is Now
- Maxbone

Fehr has shown himself to be an outright LIAR! I watched Sid and Brad Richards faces as he spoke and a few times they looked confused.

He has now pissed of Larry Tannenbaum, Vinnick and Burkle. The players are (frank)ed!

GOOD!

WTF .... these are your words..... could you define why and how that is wrong???
- Beatle_john

i'm giving a hypothetical example. if you're honestly naive enough to think that the agents and players aren't telling teams EXACTLY what needs to be offered to get a contract done, then there's no point even talking to you.

do you really think gm's are like "wow, i think it's a great idea to offer a 15 year contract worth 100 million dollars, sounds like a bargain". more likely, the agents are saying "if you want my guy to sign with you, offer him 100million over 15 years"

again, just to be clear so you aren't confused, i'm not quoting an actual person

please do not insult me when I have to google the insult to undersatnd it,

I thought you meant the 1980s Detective show Remington Steele.

After Googling it.... i wonder how and why THAT was your choice of insult! )
- Beatle_john

I did the same thing. Disturbing. Sometimes, google is not your friend.

Fehr is JUST WANT THE PLAYERS NEED.


Sorry Mr. Skywalker. Darth is not the bad guy. Unless you think that a 24% rollback last time was not enough or that it is NOT the GM's offering 126 year contracts or ... lets face it.... the last cancelled season was due to a money crisis.... this one is greed on the PART OF THE OWNERS

This is a lock out, not a strike.
- Beatle_john

Yeah & maybe the players should starting looking in the mirror because they are the ones who for some reason think that they can outwit the owners - they blew it & even the moderate owners are now disgusted with NHLPA.

Keep thinking the NHL is bluffing, you'll soon find out the season will be wiped out and maybe the following as well if you don't get your heads out of your rear-ends.

Talk about a bunch of stupid players!!

Funny, I heard the same thing deep inside my butt.
- Beatle_john

Of course you did. Thats where your head is!

you think the GM's WANT to hand out all that money and long term contracts? you don't think that maybe the players and agents have something to do with demanding those deals...."give me this much for this long or i'm going somewhere else"

give your head a shake. it's not greed on the owners part. this past CBA the players had WAAAYYYYYYY too much, and the owners want some back. i mean imagine, the guy who owns the team actually wants to make money.

since the last lockout, the players have gotten richer, by leaps and bounds, while there are still about 1/3 of the owners who are losing money.

tell me again who's greedy.
- sensarmy_11

In addition, the NHL wants to create an Economic Bubble with cost certainty of all their expenses. This is the only way a 30 team league can continue with multiple multiple franchises in the wrong locations. Why should the players not get revenue from a second Toronto franchise rather than a Columbus.

There are no Economic Bubbles.

I am sure the owners want to make money..... but a Franchise is nothing more than buying a Starbucks.... if you want to beat out the mom and pop coffee shop across the street, you pay more for your employees and offer a special experience....

BUT ... here we have Starbucks vs Starbucks.... and if these two Franchises screw their Profits by bad ... nay Hideous Managment (NOTICE I AM SAYING PROFITS.... NOT COSTS) it is not the fault of the guy stirring the drinks.


the hill we will all die on....

Yeah & maybe the players should starting looking in the mirror because they are the ones who for some reason think that they can outwit the owners - they blew it & even the moderate owners are now disgusted with NHLPA.

Keep thinking the NHL is bluffing, you'll soon find out the season will be wiped out and maybe the following as well if you don't get your heads out of your rear-ends.

Talk about a bunch of stupid players!!
- newmy

Who said the NHL is bluffing???? Who said wiping out the season was bad thing??

I think the NHL needs to humble iyself and lose another season. They do not OWN hockey.

i'm giving a hypothetical example. if you're honestly naive enough to think that the agents and players aren't telling teams EXACTLY what needs to be offered to get a contract done, then there's no point even talking to you.

do you really think gm's are like "wow, i think it's a great idea to offer a 15 year contract worth 100 million dollars, sounds like a bargain". more likely, the agents are saying "if you want my guy to sign with you, offer him 100million over 15 years"

again, just to be clear so you aren't confused, i'm not quoting an actual person
- sensarmy_11

Hey -- cheers dude. Yo have your opinion, thats cool. But stop thinking yoru opinion is God's honest truth. We both know that the owners have taken away... lets just say 50%.... and then when the players agree to a 35% loss.... it is still a loss. The NHL offered nothing.

Hey Richard its YOU who really is the problem. How can you side with the NHL?? Lets see. You get drafted and must play their until your 28 years old and have no say where you cn play. You can not make more than 5 percent year after year and lose perhaps some of the best years of your career because the owners must be protected from themselves. Oh wait I forgot those HUGE contracts you just signed over the summer including the ones Jermey (A$$Hole) Jacobs' Bruins signed at the last minute we were just joking we only want to pay you 75 percent of the value of them.

I did the same thing. Disturbing. Sometimes, google is not your friend.
- tincup

Once tried "Barbie Movies" for my little girl..... not a good thing.

It would be VERY interesting if the league announced they will proceed with replacement players, or any players willing to leave the union. Tickets at 50% discount for the fans.

Outstanding analysis RC.
As at was with baseball, these negotiations are about Don Fehr winning and fanning HIS ego. It seems like he is perfectly willing to sacrifice the season, because its his way or no way. I hated him when he ran the MLBPA and his lack of good faith negotiating with the NHL only reinforces my disdain. His stall tactics are going to hurt many of his constituents where it matters the most, their wallets. More sacrifices to the altar of Don Fehr.
Ek has also been spot on when he says that even at 50/50, players will come out way ahead in the end. Also, a 10-year deal is heavily in the players favor as long-time stability has always led to higher salaries.
Finally Fehr is 64 years old, so conveniently he won't be around in five years to renegotiate a new deal. If he gave a damn about the sport, his legacy here should be about bringing long-term stability to the game and it players.

Two words. Replacement players. Avery, Stortini, ...... Yeah maybe not.

Hey Richard its YOU who really is the problem. How can you side with the NHL?? Lets see. You get drafted and must play their until your 28 years old and have no say where you cn play. You can not make more than 5 percent year after year and lose perhaps some of the best years of your career because the owners must be protected from themselves. Oh wait I forgot those HUGE contracts you just signed over the summer including the ones Jermey (A$$Hole) Jacobs' Bruins signed at the last minute we were just joking we only want to pay you 75 percent of the value of them.
- Brukie

Quiet you!

You do not belong in this pro-nhl narrative story...

Hey Richards (D!CK) Please tell me why the players should bend to the owners will? They agreed to 50/50. Thats them giving up 7 percent. Thats alot of money. Its the owners who should bend. Its the owners who put these franchises in Cities that can not support them and now the owners want the players to pay for their mistakes??