Question is how many? Us here at this site? Yes... The vast majority who go to the games to dance to Chelsea Dagger? Likely not. In fact I'm willing to bet that not only is there 90-100% STH renewal, the wait list won't shrink much and they'll again play to 109% capacity in 12-13.
- blackhawk24

There will be less renewals than last year but there is a long list, that will start to shrink....Still be sellouts to start but the Hawks have to win to keep the sellouts going in the future.

Donald Fehr wasn't brought in to tread lightly. He is almost a worst case scenario.
- Gunner Staal

Yup, it's gonna be a blood bath folks. I do not hold out much hope to see hockey at United Center come the 1st week of October.

I lived the baseball fiasco 18 years ago and hated that MF'er ever since.

I know Kopecky was criticized a lot when he was here, but I do miss him. Kopecky was a valuable bottom 6 forward that could fill many roles - centre, wing, PP, PK. He wasn't a star, but he was a great depth guy, I miss him more than Brouwer.
- DarthKane

aaahhhh No......

But when he isn't flopping around like a freshly caught Lake Michigan perch...Kesler is a force on both sides of the puck.
- Al

Not a fan of the flopping either. But it kind of shows how fiercly competitve he is and cares. He is ALWAYS looking for the mental and physical edge. The only reason I brought him up is the the large amount of bad chatter he is getting on the Canuck thread. But we get that here on Kane too. Doesn't mean anything.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/14723/rumblings-despite-mutual-interest-trading-rick-nash-to-red-wings-not-likely-to-happen



Temporary salary cap
In what has been a vastly under-the-radar story, a buzz item among NHL GMs these days is how they’re going to approach this summer with what will be a higher but temporary salary cap number.

Confused?

The collective bargaining agreement doesn’t expire until Sept. 15 at midnight ET.

But NHL teams have to conduct business under this current CBA until then. As per the current system, the salary cap is once again expected to rise as of June 30 from the current $64.3-million upper limit to as high as $68 million to $69 million, according guesstimates from some team executives.

That new cap number will only exist from June 30 to whenever a new CBA comes into effect.

The obvious issue is that most teams believe the cap will go down in the new CBA as owners try to scale back the players’ percentage of revenues (the players will have a mighty say in that, however).

So, you could have a situation where the cap is around $69 million for the summer and then much lower come the fall with a new CBA (again, the players will have a say in that.)

This will force teams to come up with their own internal cap number based solely on guesswork this summer, because the last thing a team wants is to have a $69-million payroll on Aug. 30 and then be told it needs to shed a chunk of it come the new CBA in the fall.

Either way, just another wrinkle for this summer’s free-agent market.
- Blackwater13

Figured that'd be a scenario. The shed a chunk of it could come in 2 different forms: Scaled back salaries, a one time buyout not counting against the cap.

Either way the May 15th decision to cut bait will loom large, as well as the June 30th cap limit and let's not forget the June 15th - June 30th buyout period.

Not a fan of the flopping either. But it kind of shows how fiercly competitve he is and cares. He is ALWAYS looking for the mental and physical edge. The only reason I brought him up is the the large amount of bad chatter he is getting on the Canuck thread. But we get that here on Kane too. Doesn't mean anything.
- ilinkhawk

Agree...

A hockey players' hockey players'.

On the Kaner/Rosy article.....Look (in full disclosure) I am just not the biggest Kane fan in the world. For the amount of coinage he is banking, I do not believe the full effort/results have been achieved. I will admit that he does seem to have grown up (albiet with some pressure from the uppers and oh yeah HIS DAD MOVING IN WITH HIM!!!!) but that maturity has not yet transformed into a $6M+/yr "star" player. So NO I would not advocate dangling him for just anyone to unload the salary. BUT he does have perhaps the most trade value that the team has and they do have a few others already here that play His game. Just say'n.

P.S. He is by far NOT the biggest 3-4 problems or more with this team......
- PuckkmeNOpuckU

Only Hawk player since Savard and then Roenick to score 60+ points every single one of their first 5 seasons... Kind of a big deal... Neither Hull or Stash did that...

The kid is a special player, arguably (not definitely for anyone with reading problems) the most talented US born player in the NHL. This team had a lot of issues this year with a lot of players and coaches and management moves. Barring fluke injury again, I see him back as a PPG player next year regardless of position continuing to improve in all aspects of the game. Lets keep the big picture in perspective here.

As I said earlier, with the exception of Toews and Seabrook and probably Keith I would listen if someone said they had a deal but the package better be cant miss good.

But when he isn't flopping around like a freshly caught Lake Michigan perch...Kesler is a force on both sides of the puck.
- Al

So is that the player (Kesler) influencing the team to be floppers or is it a dressing room culture/cancer that's infected Kesler?

Takes 2 to tango, as they say.

Not sure why it's always the unions fault: they are doing exactly what the owners are doing - looking out for their own self-interests.

And neither side is looking out for the fan's interest.
- StLBravesFan

Not sure so much about sports unions, but in general because they are inherently corrupt, drive production down and prices up, and try to put non-union competition out of business with their thuggish tactics.

Every player is different.

No one is saying he should retire, or even that he will.

I have heard from a good source some close to him are urging him to consider it, especially in light of the concussion that came with this injury. That's all.
- John Jaeckel

that and based on torres history and the nhl lack of changing the culture hoss could sue the nhl for 50 million or more and likely win so why risk playing

Yup, it's gonna be a blood bath folks. I do not hold out much hope to see hockey at United Center come the 1st week of October.

I lived the baseball fiasco 18 years ago and hated that MF'er ever since.
- blackhawk24

Tribune bought the Cubs for $32MM in 1980-something; sold them for over $800MM. I didn't do the math, but that's a pretty good return.

How much money will Reinsdorf and his partners make on the White Sox / Bulls when they finally get sold?

The idiot in LA sold the Dodgers for over $2 billion - BILLION.

Players get none of that.

Of course, in 15 years, when Hossa is maybe talking like Mohammed Ali does now, or Toews can't walk because of leg injuries, or any one of several athletes needs help brushing his hair - well, the owners don't get any part of that, so I guess it evens out.

All the players have is a share of current revenues - if the owners are honest with their bookkeeping - why shouldn't they get the best to represent them in the negotiations?

The owners do.

Tribune bought the Cubs for $32MM in 1980-something; sold them for over $800MM. I didn't do the math, but that's a pretty good return.

How much money will Reinsdorf and his partners make on the White Sox / Bulls when they finally get sold?

The idiot in LA sold the Dodgers for over $2 billion - BILLION.

Players get none of that.

Of course, in 15 years, when Hossa is maybe talking like Mohammed Ali does now, or Toews can't walk because of leg injuries, or any one of several athletes needs help brushing his hair - well, the owners don't get any part of that, so I guess it evens out.

All the players have is a share of current revenues - if the owners are honest with their bookkeeping - why shouldn't they get the best to represent them in the negotiations?

The owners do.
- StLBravesFan

Remember that when there's no hockey at United Centre this October.

Not sure so much about sports unions, but in general because they are inherently corrupt, drive production down and prices up, and try to put non-union competition out of business with their thuggish tactics.
- Ogilthorpe2

You're basing this on a movie you saw?

Tribune bought the Cubs for $32MM in 1980-something; sold them for over $800MM. I didn't do the math, but that's a pretty good return.

How much money will Reinsdorf and his partners make on the White Sox / Bulls when they finally get sold?

The idiot in LA sold the Dodgers for over $2 billion - BILLION.

Players get none of that.

Of course, in 15 years, when Hossa is maybe talking like Mohammed Ali does now, or Toews can't walk because of leg injuries, or any one of several athletes needs help brushing his hair - well, the owners don't get any part of that, so I guess it evens out.

All the players have is a share of current revenues - if the owners are honest with their bookkeeping - why shouldn't they get the best to represent them in the negotiations?

The owners do.
- StLBravesFan

In some degree of fairness to the owners, those numbers don't take into account any monies put into the team after the purchase price during their reign of ownership.

Not sure so much about sports unions, but in general because they are inherently corrupt, drive production down and prices up, and try to put non-union competition out of business with their thuggish tactics.
- Ogilthorpe2

Really?!

Yup, just compare GM to Toyota. Besides the HUGE supply chain differences that is.

Not sure so much about sports unions, but in general because they are inherently corrupt, drive production down and prices up, and try to put non-union competition out of business with their thuggish tactics.
- Ogilthorpe2

As corrupt as the Wall Street "thugs" who do it with journal entries and electronic weapons? Why some of those "goons" aren't in jail is a mystery to me.

Or how about companies that use the bankruptcy courts to void labor contracts - BINDING CONTRACTS - and then pay supposedly contractually obligated bonuses to management, or, worse, so-called retention bonuses to the same management that got them into trouble in the first place?

OK - this is a hockey board - I'm through.

In some degree of fairness to the owners, those numbers don't take into account any monies put into the team after the purchase price during their reign of ownership.
- Return of the Roar

Oh, things like OPEX count as well as CAPEX ??

Only Hawk player since Savard and then Roenick to score 60+ points every single one of their first 5 seasons... Kind of a big deal... Neither Hull or Stash did that...

The kid is a special player, arguably (not definitely for anyone with reading problems) the most talented US born player in the NHL. This team had a lot of issues this year with a lot of players and coaches and management moves. Barring fluke injury again, I see him back as a PPG player next year regardless of position continuing to improve in all aspects of the game. Lets keep the big picture in perspective here.

As I said earlier, with the exception of Toews and Seabrook and probably Keith I would listen if someone said they had a deal but the package better be cant miss good.
- fattybeef

American born
#1 pick
Youngest Hawk to 300 pts ever
Room to improve
Sick hands
Only player on our roster to play all 82 games

More thought needs to go into who plays with him in playoff hockey. He is small and not physical. Kind of stupid to put other smallilsh or skill oriented players on his line. Need atleast one forward with size and can physically impose. Haven't done that the past 2 years.

Remember that when there's no hockey at United Centre this October.
- blackhawk24

I will remember that, in addition to union intransigence, it will likely be the owners that declare a lock-out and cancellation of games (seasons?)

It takes two to tango, for goodness sake - ownership is no more altruistic about hockey - or baseball, basketball, Wall Street companies, auto companies - than labor is.

Each is trying to maximize the return to its constituents - why is that OK for management but not OK for labor?

In terms of Hossa. I can totally understand him hanging them up. The fact he remained motionless on the ice and went out on a stretcher... I can only imagine what was going through his family's mind watching that. I mean it went through my mind trying to figure out why I have my 6 year old playing this sport. This is not just about the injury only.

As corrupt as the Wall Street "thugs" who do it with journal entries and electronic weapons? Why some of those "goons" aren't in jail is a mystery to me.

Or how about companies that use the bankruptcy courts to void labor contracts - BINDING CONTRACTS - and then pay supposedly contractually obligated bonuses to management, or, worse, so-called retention bonuses to the same management that got them into trouble in the first place?

OK - this is a hockey board - I'm through.
- StLBravesFan

Psst... I wanted to go off about that as well.. But, as you said, this is a hockey board not a soap box..

I will remember that, in addition to union intransigence, it will likely be the owners that declare a lock-out and cancellation of games (seasons?)

It takes two to tango, for goodness sake - ownership is no more altruistic about hockey - or baseball, basketball, Wall Street companies, auto companies - than labor is.

Each is trying to maximize the return to its constituents - why is that OK for management but not OK for labor?
- StLBravesFan

Since it is the players that have the most to lose.

In some degree of fairness to the owners, those numbers don't take into account any monies put into the team after the purchase price during their reign of ownership.
- Return of the Roar

You are correct - where is the accounting so I can include those numbers in my thinking?

Rocky keeps saying that he is still losing money: if he isn't making money with the revenues as they have been for the last three or four years, he will never be able to make money.

If he is including paying off loans incurred during past years' losses, then he also has to include profits made in the fifties and sixties, when there was only a semblance of a union and players salaries were amazingly low and his grandfather was selling out every game.

Can't just bring losses forward.

As corrupt as the Wall Street "thugs" who do it with journal entries and electronic weapons? Why some of those "goons" aren't in jail is a mystery to me.

Or how about companies that use the bankruptcy courts to void labor contracts - BINDING CONTRACTS - and then pay supposedly contractually obligated bonuses to management, or, worse, so-called retention bonuses to the same management that got them into trouble in the first place?

OK - this is a hockey board - I'm through.
- StLBravesFan

That is happening to me as we speak. Unions are a necessary (sadly) evil, nothing more, nothing less.

And now I'm done too.

In terms of Hossa. I can totally understand him hanging them up. The fact he remained motionless on the ice and went out on a stretcher... I can only imagine what was going through his family's mind watching that. I mean it went through my mind trying to figure out why I have my 6 year old playing this sport. This is not just about the injury only.
- ilinkhawk

I still think Hockey IMO..is safer than Football.