Eklund: NHL and NHLPA not Meeting is Concerning...especially for a few teams.

Eklund: NHL and NHLPA not Meeting is Concerning...especially for a few teams.
- Eklund

double edge sword

you shut the league down due to covid in March, and we are having record number of daily cases in late November

Concerning.

Eklund: NHL and NHLPA not Meeting is Concerning...especially for a few teams.
- Eklund

Obviously vaccine is the key, and is close, but it has dawned on me that while it's almost here, the people getting it first may allow sports to survive in one way but not nearly enough in other ways.

Who gets it first? The older and most vulnerable... who can return to the seats... and the front-line workers who will not immediately be counted on. Who will not get doses for awhile are the workers needed in the arenas and to support the teams... and i suppose the players themselves. We may not have full capacity sports and arena shows for quite a while.

I suppose attrition could eventually end up being a result... and in some ways not a bad thing... however, the the associated problems, such as need for reduced players and less revenue requiring reeled back contracts would never fly, and the CBAs and players would never allow it.

It seems to me that what has to occur is the vaccine and surviving the long pause... I have faith in the vaccines coming, but fear the NHL being able to last a very much extended pause waiting it out. Gloom and doom view, I know... but more realistic than I'd wish it to be at this juncture.

Obviously vaccine is the key, and is close, but it has dawned on me that while it's almost here, the people getting it first may allow sports to survive in one way but not nearly enough in other ways.

Who gets it first? The older and most vulnerable... who can return to the seats... and the front-line workers who will not immediately be counted on. Who will not get doses for awhile are the workers needed in the arenas and to support the teams... and i suppose the players themselves. We may not have full capacity sports and arena shows for quite a while.

I suppose attrition could eventually end up being a result... and in some ways not a bad thing... however, the the associated problems, such as need for reduced players and less revenue requiring reeled back contracts would never fly, and the CBAs and players would never allow it.

It seems to me that what has to occur is the vaccine and surviving the long pause... I have faith in the vaccines coming, but fear the NHL being able to last a very much extended pause waiting it out. Gloom and doom view, I know... but more realistic than I'd wish it to be at this juncture.
- ForeverFlyer16

Sept 2021 is when most Canadians will have access to the vaccine.

There will be no season. See you in Dec 2021

Sept 2021 is when most Canadians will have access to the vaccine.
- VanHockeyGuy

Not sure I'm quite getting your point there... In America it's rolling out in mid December 2020 to front-line and most vulnerable--Maybe that's only because of our President and his fast tracked operation, but that's another topic--most Americans will be vaccinated over a longer period of time...and there lies the rub.

When will Canadian Front-liners and most vulnerable start getting it?

When a new team wants to secure commitment in a market, even before the league approves the franchise, they pre-sell season tickets. Sell “credits” to pay per view hockey. I would spend hundreds, nay - thousands, to watch NHL hockey. TV deal you say, that’s above my pay grade (as to how they work that out), but there has to be a solution in here somewhere. Oh, and Rogers Cable - screw you. Why don’t you just knock down the stadium Ontario tax payers were hosed into giving you for what 10 cents on the build dollar. F Rogers, pay-per-view and let’s get going.

Not sure I'm quite getting your point there... In America it's rolling out in mid December 2020 to front-line and most vulnerable--Maybe that's only because of our President and his fast tracked operation, but that's another topic--most Americans will be vaccinated over a longer period of time...and there lies the rub.

When will Canadian Front-liners and most vulnerable start getting it?

I believe we have already secured doses, but when you deal with the government, it's always complicated. Front-line workers and the most vulnerable should get it early next year, but for the general public, september looks about right. Who knows how they will proceed (by age, date or birth?).

I believe we have already secured doses, but when you deal with the government, it's always complicated. Front-line workers and the most vulnerable should get it early next year, but for the general public, september looks about right. Who knows how they will proceed (by age, date or birth?).
- Douchetacular

You would be shocked at the number of front line workers that have already contacted it in BC.

Ek I was thinking it's time for the NHL to embrace modern technology. Maybe fans could stay home and just watch games with those virtual reality goggles. I recall you said you use them and it feels like you are on the ice. Perhaps the NHL could cut a deal with a tech company...fans would have to buy the goggles and subscribe to a special channel. Maybe you could even help save a couple of franchises by using your connections to forward this idea. Time is running out. Help us Obiwan Kenobi.

Ek I was thinking it's time for the NHL to embrace modern technology. Maybe fans could stay home and just watch games with those virtual reality goggles. I recall you said you use them and it feels like you are on the ice. Perhaps the NHL could cut a deal with a tech company...fans would have to buy the goggles and subscribe to a special channel. Maybe you could even help save a couple of franchises by using your connections to forward this idea. Time is running out. Help us Obiwan Kenobi.
- Kooleus

Ek watching Canucks power forward Mike Hoffman beating Oilers goalie MAF on a breakaway...

I have been chastised on this site for saying "There will be no season until fans are allowed to attend" You people just don't get it. The NHL of all the sports leagues need fans in attendance. If not they cannot pay the players. Owners are not going to throw money away. It is that simple. Major US cities run by liberals will shut everything down again. That ain't the answer. How many small businesses have been shut down forever because of goodie two shoes ideas
When the so called cure is worse than the illness you have to stop and think. Liberals are too stupid to see that. NO SEASON Too many big cities run by Stupid Liberals

I have been chastised on this site for saying "There will be no season until fans are allowed to attend" You people just don't get it. The NHL of all the sports leagues need fans in attendance. If not they cannot pay the players. Owners are not going to throw money away. It is that simple. Major US cities run by liberals will shut everything down again. That ain't the answer. How many small businesses have been shut down forever because of goodie two shoes ideas
When the so called cure is worse than the illness you have to stop and think. Liberals are too stupid to see that. NO SEASON Too many big cities run by Stupid Liberals
- broncohorvath

Ok mister negative. What about virtual reality goggles and subscribed channels? Like maybe $20/game or something like that.

I have been chastised on this site for saying "There will be no season until fans are allowed to attend" You people just don't get it. The NHL of all the sports leagues need fans in attendance. If not they cannot pay the players. Owners are not going to throw money away. It is that simple. Major US cities run by liberals will shut everything down again. That ain't the answer. How many small businesses have been shut down forever because of goodie two shoes ideas
When the so called cure is worse than the illness you have to stop and think. Liberals are too stupid to see that. NO SEASON Too many big cities run by Stupid Liberals
- broncohorvath

I agree with your “stupid liberal point” they are dumber than a bag of rocks and that’s insulting to rocks, but the I disagree on the other stuff. The nfl is doing fine. Games are being played and no one has died. Not shocking.

Really If you were an owner is that what you would do. Wear a blindfold and walk down a street in the worst section of town If you say yes to that then you are a moron

I agree with your “stupid liberal point” they are dumber than a bag of rocks and that’s insulting to rocks, but the I disagree on the other stuff. The nfl is doing fine. Games are being played and no one has died. Not shocking.
- KINGS67

The difference is that the NFL get so much TV money they really do not need fans That is all a bonus to them. NHL does not have TV money like that. They depend on butts in the seats and that will never change. Just look at the ticket prices. They charge those high prices because that is what pays all those bloated contracts of players.
Without that money the NHL sinks like the Titanic

I agree with your “stupid liberal point” they are dumber than a bag of rocks and that’s insulting to rocks, but the I disagree on the other stuff. The nfl is doing fine. Games are being played and no one has died. Not shocking.
- KINGS67

The NFL IIRC has multiple billion dollar TV contracts yielding enough revenue to ride out games with minimal paid attendance...and the value of each franchise is definitely worth covering any and all shortfalls of profit for their owners.

MLB, while having fat TV contracts, are having a tougher go of it--please see today's Phillies news on their having trouble competing with the revenue shortfall...or so they claim, anyway--NBA has so many offshoot revenue sources, so I don't really know exactly how they will be hurt having to ride it out.

The NHL on the other hand lives greatly off paid attendance, and what they make off the fans when they are there...My guess is that they will do everything possible to maintain the value of each organization...even with losing all they will lose...but some teams will probably have to move or fold on the other side of the Pandemic.

JMO

As a fan, I think the last thing we want to hear is "we aren't talking". Why not? You guys have better things to do?? It's time for the NHL to put some effort into finding new ways to make back some of the money it lost and will loose. As much as I hate to see it, it's time to put an advertisement or 2 on the jerseys. I imagine a national jersey sponsor could bring in $1Billion. Outdoor games in Banff, the Rideau Canal, and Old Port in Montreal. They could be double headers. Think about how many would tune into those? The advertising revenue would be like the NHL's Super Bowl. The players need to understand the serious financial situation North America is in, especially the US. Cities have encountered catastrophic losses and will not be the same. This will affect season ticket holders, Club seats, Suites, and sponsors. I understand that this is the players livelihood, however, they are playing a game. It's time to sit down, communicate, and figure these things out, or there won't be a season. The owners are going to be giving up a ton, the players, may need to bend a little if they want to play the game they love.

People are missing the forest for the trees.

75 yr old is at higher risk for a bad outcome than a 30 yr old would be. But most 75 yr olds survive covid and never exp serious symptoms.
Media and Mr. Blackface anyone ??? are prone to hysteria, oversimplification and fetishizing random things.... case-fatality rates, masks, etc. News and politicians have distorted single-variable mentality.
Covid is deadly in a small share of cases, generally between 0.1 % and 0.5%, especially among older people in ill health.

As far back as Feb 28th everyones favorite Dr. Fauci along with Dr. Robert Redfield along with a colleague published in the NEJof Med. an analysis showing that widely reported fatality rates for Covid 19 were dramatically overstated.

So let's relax and go live our lives... and not give in to the hype.

Back to the ice today.. Fans in the stands... Let's go.

I’m not a billionaire business man but don’t these professional sports leagues put money aside for serious emergency situations that may arise?! Seriously, I have an emergency fund in case I need a new roof or, in the case of the pandemic, being a small business owner i protect myself from the possibility that I may be out of work for a while due to a serious injury or something by putting a percentage of my pay aside!! I don’t get it!

People are missing the forest for the trees.

75 yr old is at higher risk for a bad outcome than a 30 yr old would be. But most 75 yr olds survive covid and never exp serious symptoms.
Media and Mr. Blackface anyone ??? are prone to hysteria, oversimplification and fetishizing random things.... case-fatality rates, masks, etc. News and politicians have distorted single-variable mentality.
Covid is deadly in a small share of cases, generally between 0.1 % and 0.5%, especially among older people in ill health.

As far back as Feb 28th everyones favorite Dr. Fauci along with Dr. Robert Redfield along with a colleague published in the NEJof Med. an analysis showing that widely reported fatality rates for Covid 19 were dramatically overstated.

So let's relax and go live our lives... and not give in to the hype.

Back to the ice today.. Fans in the stands... Let's go.
- dozerD10

you sir, are an idiot and probably haven’t had anyone affected by covid 19!!

Flat out told were ya. I guess you havent been paying attention to the nhl for the last decade. At least 5 teams are on life support.

I’m not a billionaire business man but don’t these professional sports leagues put money aside for serious emergency situations that may arise?! Seriously, I have an emergency fund in case I need a new roof or, in the case of the pandemic, being a small business owner i protect myself from the possibility that I may be out of work for a while due to a serious injury or something by putting a percentage of my pay aside!! I don’t get it!
- HockeyLifer

The rich get rich by not spending their own money

you sir, are an idiot and probably haven’t had anyone affected by covid 19!!
- HockeyLifer

10,000 People die every day in this country. Death is not avoidable Every 11 seconds someone dies in the USA. Per hour 323 people die. You cannot stop the process of living because of the flu. Covid 19 is not a death sentence to 99% or the people in this country You cannot stop living your life because some idiot liberal governor says so Wake up idiots