>All this talk of owners being scared of the NHLPA decertification card, think again
>This article sums up decertification pretty well: http://aol.sportingnews.c...hockey-strike-brown-v-nfl
>Fehr wants no salary cap AND a 30 team NHL -- this is not financially possible for the NHL -- players will have to choose between much smaller league and no-cap or more jobs with a 30 team NHL (or a few less)
>Decertification is no guarantee for the players that they will get the "win" they desperately want
- SnapitUpstairs

No salary cap makes the most sense but unlikley with a 30 team league....But Fehr and the Pa can't control how many teams are ultimately in the NHL.

On Twitter@Alimaglia

People got it backwards. Players are telling Fehr not to take the deal not Fehr telling the players. Also, I hate how Bettman keeps saying its a package deal, because your package smells of 6-8 owners promises you can not keep. Watching Gary address the media shows he's going to have to break several promises.
- roenick

Sources? Because every reputable reporter I've read/listened to said Fehr told then not to take it. Does it hurt when you pull facts out of your ass?

Sources? Because every reputable reporter I've read/listened to said Fehr told then not to take it. Does it hurt when you pull facts out of your ass?
- SpoiledByOil

I think the last sentance is uncalled for let's attempt to be adult here.

I think the last sentance is uncalled for let's attempt to be adult here.
- victorymc98

Well he pulled it from somewhere, and I'm going out on a limb and saying he pulled it out of his ass, because he definitely didn't hear it from the media

Fehr does NOT want to compromise. Fehr wants to beat the NHL to it's knees and win it all. Supposedly, when Fehr saw the NHL's last offer, he told the players, slow down a bit, the owners can do better. IN other words, every offer the NHL makes, we will turn down till they cry uncle and say, here you can have it all.

Fehr does NOT want to compromise. Fehr wants to beat the NHL to it's knees and win it all. Supposedly, when Fehr saw the NHL's last offer, he told the players, slow down a bit, the owners can do better. IN other words, every offer the NHL makes, we will turn down till they cry uncle and say, here you can have it all.
- Wingsfan61

I don't disagree, but all 30 owners will continue to make millions from their other business interests. Meanwhile, the 500+ NHL players who aren't playing in the AHL or didn't take some Euro player's job are doing what now, exactly?

Much easier to keep 30 on the same page than 700. Maybe I am going out on a limb, maybe I am wrong, but the players will crater first, even if this season is lost.

Negotiations aside, Fehr is, was and will always be a MAJOR LEAGUE A-HOLE.

Negotiations aside, Fehr is, was and will always be a MAJOR LEAGUE A-HOLE.
- philco28

Amen to that. He is a hired gun. An on call jack a$$. Im starting to laugh at this now. Seeing the million dollar stars of the NHL standing behind Fehr with their sad faces... Please.. they all need to GTFO of this mess. Hearing guys like Crosby and Miller chime in on this is like listening to movie stars talk government policy. Enough!! Word was Crosby was trying to help mediate this. Then Mr. Crosby why are you standing behind Fehr everytime he speaks!?!?! The human ego is truly amazing. Here is why the players are as just as much at fault here. Fehr knew the press conference was a dog and pony show. If they were really that close to a deal, why do that? Tell you why.. Fehr didnt want it done. He wants to draw this out. Make himself look like the grade A jack hole he is. And the GD NHLPA allowed him to do it. So Crosby, Miller and whoever else stands behind Fehr.. enjoy playing in the AAA Swiss league or the Polish Army league or where ever!!

Sources? Because every reputable reporter I've read/listened to said Fehr told then not to take it. Does it hurt when you pull facts out of your ass?
- SpoiledByOil

My source was media just like your source is the media. I believe I heard this I on the radio the other day.

Thanks to the other bloggers for not stepping down to his school yard talk.

My source was media just like your source is the media. I believe I heard this I on the radio the other day.

Thanks to the other bloggers for not stepping down to his school yard talk.
- fourfeathers

Its possible the league backed out after getting po'd over the Fehr (I love myself) media debacle where he annouced the deal was close. Its quite possible that both sides backed away as they continue the 4th grade sticking out their tongue at one another. I sure hope the voice mail report is wrong. How f'd up is that..

Amen to that. He is a hired gun. An on call jack a$$. Im starting to laugh at this now. Seeing the million dollar stars of the NHL standing behind Fehr with their sad faces... Please.. they all need to GTFO of this mess. Hearing guys like Crosby and Miller chime in on this is like listening to movie stars talk government policy. Enough!! Word was Crosby was trying to help mediate this. Then Mr. Crosby why are you standing behind Fehr everytime he speaks!?!?! The human ego is truly amazing. Here is why the players are as just as much at fault here. Fehr knew the press conference was a dog and pony show. If they were really that close to a deal, why do that? Tell you why.. Fehr didnt want it done. He wants to draw this out. Make himself look like the grade A jack hole he is. And the GD NHLPA allowed him to do it. So Crosby, Miller and whoever else stands behind Fehr.. enjoy playing in the AAA Swiss league or the Polish Army league or where ever!!
- z1990z

Let's be truthful about this, Fehr is a jerk, but Bettman is not much different - a conniving distasteful man with a bad image who brings his New York egotistical arrogance to the microphone every day of the week. And he lies as frequently as Fehr does - the media forgot to ask him last night why there has been 3 best and final offers presented to the NHLPA so far.

Fehr has the league side flummoxed - they don't know how to deal with him in order to get their way. And thats what it is all about - both sides trying to impose their will on the other.

Yup, I imagine there wasn't much more research done to see if it would actually work in Atlanta. Grab the expansion $ and run. The failure of the first team there could be explained away as an unfortunate coincidence.

And using that line of thinking, Gary screwed up badly. Sadam Hussein had a whack of money, Baghdad could have been an awesome location for an expansion team.
- RickJ

1. Even you know how utterly stupid your analogy is, so there's no reason to comment further on it.

2. Atlanta's original problem wasn't strictly lack of fan support. It was a crappy economy through the 70s, combined with the NHL-WHA war that weakened more than a few locations in the NHL - including everyone's darling "how could they move from there" location, Minnesota.

3. Atlanta had pretty strong fan support until Atlanta Spirit bought the team, started suing the crap out of each other, and the winning members actively tried to destroy the fan base. But, feel free to ignore what actually happened by substituting your own misinformed conclusions.

1. Even you know how utterly stupid your analogy is, so there's no reason to comment further on it.

2. Atlanta's original problem wasn't strictly lack of fan support. It was a crappy economy through the 70s, combined with the NHL-WHA war that weakened more than a few locations in the NHL - including everyone's darling "how could they move from there" location, Minnesota.

3. Atlanta had pretty strong fan support until Atlanta Spirit bought the team, started suing the crap out of each other, and the winning members actively tried to destroy the fan base. But, feel free to ignore what actually happened by substituting your own misinformed conclusions.
- Irish Blues

Misinformed? Better think again about your claim of "pretty strong fan support" ever in Atlanta. Maybe if the tickets were $10 each and/or included hot dogs and sodas. It isn't and never was a major league hockey market, period end of story.

I don't have the numbers but my guess is the annual revenues there weren't much greater than $40 - $45 million a season in their absolute best years. Another location that blew up in Bettman's face. But go ahead, if you say those 1000's of empty seats every night actually were paid for I will accept being corrected.

And then you can move on to explain how Florida and Phoenix are actually meaningful NHL entities and how misinformed about that that I am.

Misinformed? Better think again about your claim of "pretty strong fan support" ever in Atlanta. Maybe if the tickets were $10 each and/or included hot dogs and sodas. It isn't and never was a major league hockey market, period end of story.

I don't have the numbers but my guess is the annual revenues there weren't much greater than $40 - $45 million a season in their absolute best years. Another location that blew up in Bettman's face. But go ahead, if you say those 1000's of empty seats every night actually were paid for I will accept being corrected.

And then you can move on to explain how Florida and Phoenix are actually meaningful NHL entities and how misinformed about that that I am.
- RickJ

Agree with you here Rickey . The Braves don't even sell out , hell they don't even sell out in the Playoffs.

Amen to that. He is a hired gun. An on call jack a$$. Im starting to laugh at this now. Seeing the million dollar stars of the NHL standing behind Fehr with their sad faces... Please.. they all need to GTFO of this mess. Hearing guys like Crosby and Miller chime in on this is like listening to movie stars talk government policy. Enough!! Word was Crosby was trying to help mediate this. Then Mr. Crosby why are you standing behind Fehr everytime he speaks!?!?! The human ego is truly amazing. Here is why the players are as just as much at fault here. Fehr knew the press conference was a dog and pony show. If they were really that close to a deal, why do that? Tell you why.. Fehr didnt want it done. He wants to draw this out. Make himself look like the grade A jack hole he is. And the GD NHLPA allowed him to do it. So Crosby, Miller and whoever else stands behind Fehr.. enjoy playing in the AAA Swiss league or the Polish Army league or where ever!!
- z1990z

Been saying this since September: it's an ego-driven cockfight pitting the Fehrs vs Bettman and Daly...and the fans are getting PISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSED on.

My source was media just like your source is the media. I believe I heard this I on the radio the other day.

Thanks to the other bloggers for not stepping down to his school yard talk.
- fourfeathers

Heard on the radio, how convenient you can't prove that

1. Even you know how utterly stupid your analogy is, so there's no reason to comment further on it.

2. Atlanta's original problem wasn't strictly lack of fan support. It was a crappy economy through the 70s, combined with the NHL-WHA war that weakened more than a few locations in the NHL - including everyone's darling "how could they move from there" location, Minnesota.

3. Atlanta had pretty strong fan support until Atlanta Spirit bought the team, started suing the crap out of each other, and the winning members actively tried to destroy the fan base. But, feel free to ignore what actually happened by substituting your own misinformed conclusions.
- Irish Blues

The Stars moving from Minny had nothing to do with a bad economy and nothing to do with the WHA.

Atlanta has never had great success with any pro sports franchise.

Even the Braves, who were a perrenial playoff participants with a HOF pitching staff couldn't sell out in the post season.

Maybe you can explain since clearly your knowledge of NHL hockey is much superior to mine. I'm willing to learn. Please put some emphasis on the selection reasoning for the Atlanta Thrasher franchise.
- RickJ

I see Irish already answered regarding Atlanta and you still dont get it.

There was alot of different criteria for expansion teams.
1-They needed an owner that was willing to pony up the dough and was finacially stable enough to do so.
2- they needed to have an NHL caliber facility
3- they needed to have a TV market that was capable of growing the game and growing the fan base.
4- The Board of governors has to vote them in. Not Bettman.

People keep saying the bull crap about, move these guys out of X city to a Canadian City that will support it. Winnepeg and Quebec moved because they couldnt support a team. It had alot to do with Owners, buildings, and the Canadian Dollar. Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa all also came close to moving but Bettman fought hard and kept them there. Even Vancouver got help back then.

So yes there are some franchises stuggling. Some of it due to ownership, some due to bad arena deals and some of it due to the economy in the respective cities. Its all very fluid. I've heard some people say the Stars need moved. Ridiculous. Dallas is actually a great hockey City. There is a great minor hockey program there and the Stars have a lot of support. They have some ownership issues they went through that hurt them, but they will turn it around.

Everyone that blames Bettman needs to take their heads out of there ass and look at each individual situation. They are all unique and different. Sure, move a team back to Quebec City and Hamilton. What happens if the Canadian dollar goes back to .60 US? There will all of a sudden be a lot of struggling Canadian teams.

So do some actual digging into what each of these situations are and the history. Atlanta was doing fine until the owner ship situation blew up. Columbus has a lot of fan support, they just have been terrible at turning their picks into a good team. Florida is in a struggling economy. Phoenix has a stuggling economy, ownership issues and a crappy arena location (out of any of them Phoenix is in the worst situation and may be moved).

I see Irish already answered regarding Atlanta and you still dont get it.

There was alot of different criteria for expansion teams.
1-They needed an owner that was willing to pony up the dough and was finacially stable enough to do so.
2- they needed to have an NHL caliber facility
3- they needed to have a TV market that was capable of growing the game and growing the fan base.
4- The Board of governors has to vote them in. Not Bettman.

People keep saying the bull crap about, move these guys out of X city to a Canadian City that will support it. Winnepeg and Quebec moved because they couldnt support a team. It had alot to do with Owners, buildings, and the Canadian Dollar. Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa all also came close to moving but Bettman fought hard and kept them there. Even Vancouver got help back then.

So yes there are some franchises stuggling. Some of it due to ownership, some due to bad arena deals and some of it due to the economy in the respective cities. Its all very fluid. I've heard some people say the Stars need moved. Ridiculous. Dallas is actually a great hockey City. There is a great minor hockey program there and the Stars have a lot of support. They have some ownership issues they went through that hurt them, but they will turn it around.

Everyone that blames Bettman needs to take their heads out of there ass and look at each individual situation. They are all unique and different. Sure, move a team back to Quebec City and Hamilton. What happens if the Canadian dollar goes back to .60 US? There will all of a sudden be a lot of struggling Canadian teams.

So do some actual digging into what each of these situations are and the history. Atlanta was doing fine until the owner ship situation blew up. Columbus has a lot of fan support, they just have been terrible at turning their picks into a good team. Florida is in a struggling economy. Phoenix has a stuggling economy, ownership issues and a crappy arena location (out of any of them Phoenix is in the worst situation and may be moved).
- Iggysbff

Ownership often blows up because of red ink...

You make some good points but much of the expansion was based on growing population and a demographic that was thought to be able to support local teams...ie season ticket holders.

The disconnect is many places, even though growing population, they never could garner the corporate sponsorship.

As far as the Canadian dollar going back to .60 on the dollar.....Well that would mean the US economy could be stronger than now.

But it may not translate into as many bodies through the turnstyles as there is now with most Canadian teams doing really well.

The game has never had better overall revenue and ticket sales are near an all time but and it is a big but...

That doesn't translate into black ink instead of red for most franchises.

Seriously....Is Clendening that good? I haven't watched any ICE HOGS games this year, but the guy has been filling up the stat sheet...And Ben Smith has been on a tear as well...Hogs in first place...looking good too...Are we going to be looking at a Clendening Leddy PP with the Blackhawks any time soon? Or will they trade one of these two guys?

Danault with a 4 point game last night, and over 50% on faceoffs...

By the way....(frank) YOU FEHR!!!!!!

Sorry for the profanity JJ

Seriously....Is Clendening that good? I haven't watched any ICE HOGS games this year, but the guy has been filling up the stat sheet...And Ben Smith has been on a tear as well...Hogs in first place...looking good too...Are we going to be looking at a Clendening Leddy PP with the Blackhawks any time soon? Or will they trade one of these two guys?

Danault with a 4 point game last night, and over 50% on faceoffs...

By the way....(frank) YOU FEHR!!!!!!

Sorry for the profanity JJ
- captainserious