NHL Lock Out
 

Anybody else notice that very few people actually care that there is a NHL lock out?

Well, it's not like they've had talks in over a month. No talks, no news, no posts.

But they are scheduled to get together tomorrow...

They did a couple of stories here in Boston about how the lockout has hurt businesses around the Fleet Center area (bars, restaurants, etc.), as well as the people who work for the team and arena (zamboni drivers, general staff). It's too bad that these people are going to be hit the hardest financially by this whole thing.

With the Pats and Red Sox, though, the Bruins would have to be having one hell of a season to get any type of attention anyways.

I care! Although to be fair, the frustration level is hitting maximum as we console ourselves with the weekly "Blue Jackets Classic" and "NHL Revisited" broadcasts. I want my hockey back, darn it!

Believe it or not, 13,000+ people were at Nationwide last week for the AHL Syracuse Crunch's annual game on Blue Jacket ice. Now, keep in mind that Nationwide holds 18K+ for hockey.

So far, everyone has remained on the CBJ payroll to this point, but who knows how much longer the owner can afford to do that? The arena district restaurants are hurting as well, it's a great place and hopefully it can hold on until hockey returns.

Yeah, I'm an eternal optimist. Yeah, I know Bettman is the devil. Yeah, I know that most likely this season AND next is lost. Even so, I want my hockey back.

I think us hockey fans have moved from the denial stage to the acceptance stage. But just because there is no NHL hockey doesn't mean there is no hockey. I have enjoyed going to and watching Vancouver Giants games (junior hockey) and the Junior World Champions were fun to watch.

Yes I want pro Hockey to return, but it has been a treat watching the younger players; watching people play hockey because they love it, not because they want $5 million a year.

I haven't noticed anyone caring yet, especially in PA where both of our pro football teams are playing for their respective titles and one game away from the Super Bowl. I think it may get more focus once football is over. In Pittsburgh, even with fielding a pretty good basketball team the past few years on the college level, basketball isn't that big. I don't know how many people are into the 76'ers in Philly.

But then again, our city and hockey team are both broke, and the hockey team wants a new arena, so at least it's pushed that out of discussion

As kddani kind of pointed out, I think people haven't seemed to care yet because of football season. I think after the Super Bowl, people are going to start caring more. I know that Mr. SSS (who is a huge hockey fan- New York Islanders) hasn't been moaning about it too much yet... but now that his beloved Jets are out of the running, football season is already over in our household. He'll probably start complaining about hockey, or the lack thereof, after Feb. 6.

Re: NHL Lock Out
 

There's an NHL lockout?

I agree...I love watching junior hockey..I actually like it better than the NHL.

There's also minor rep hockey on Rogers cable if you're suffering from hockey withdrawls.

Plus I get my own hockey fix twice a week by coaching a house league team. I don't feel deprived.

As much as I love my leafs, I'm really starting not care at all about the NHL. To me, minor hockey is a better game.

I can't wait till next year when we get the Baby Leafs!

Any idea what they're going to be called once they move here?

I don't think they've decided on the name yet, but I've heard some pretty bad names like;

The Hogs and The Towers.

It's been suggested they be called the St. Pats after original name for the Maple Leafs.

I personally think they should be called the St. Pats, but knowing this city they'll get saddled with some ridiculous name...I mean look what happened to our basketball team!

LOL on the funky names. I know that the Raptors is a weird name, but I've seen the semifinal list from old Toronto Star clippings (I LOVVVEEEE the fact that I can access old newspaper articles online through Centennial's library system!!), and Raptors was the best one out of all (there were names like The Towers and the like.) And for the record, I like St. Pats too :)

It is much felt here in Hockeytown. One of our local sports casters is showing old hockey clips nightly to give us a fix. OHL has become more popular and it's harder to get tickets to see the Plymouth Whalers. Ditto with college hockey.

I miss the Red Wings :(

i'm lost.. what's going on? :confused:

Hahahaha...so it begs the question...what is wrong with the people in this city?!

t*p - The NHL lockout is bcause the owners want a salary cap and the players say no way, so the NHL owners have locked out all the playes, and thus there has been no season.

here's an article from TSN.ca dated September 15, 2004 (I know it's old, but it explains the situation).

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=98791

ETA: sorry, forgot to post the link to the article.

So they met today and talked for 4 1/2 hours....no new talks are scheduled as of now...

You know it's bad when companies fire off the random ads... that don't feature their product... just asking for the game to come back...

I still love the whole Culture Club thing by Molson...

LOL, that's the best one!

Although the Kia commercials are a close second.

While I would love to see the NHL come back, I am not minding too much. I am a huge fan of the AHL Norfolk Admirals. It is nice that we haven't had Chicago calling up so many of our players that our GM has to scramble to fill roster spots. Plus we get to see players from the NHL who haven't gone to Europe or Russia to play.

At this point, whatever talks that they have had, lead me to believe that the season is going to be cancelled. The players are in it for the long haul not to have a salary cap. :rolleyes:

Yep, and a lot of businesses in Detroit are hurting for lack of hockey.
I miss the Red Wings, too. :(

Talks resume again Wednesday in Toronto! They have about one week to get it together before the season is cancelled completely.

Don't mean to be downer but it doesn't look like it's going to happen... Bettman is intractable (and an asshole of the first order) and isn't willing to budge. Inside scoop is that he's more than willing to let the season tank, as a way to weaken the NHLPA - it's interesting to here some of the speculation by both players and analyists what teams are going to go under if the season is lost. I guess I'll hear it all at a wedding in two weeks(the good or the bad).

Is there any way to fire Bettman?

Not from the fan or player level... he would have to be axed by the owners - but he looks out solely for the bottom line, so it'd be a tough sell.

There was a guy who cursed Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow in his obituary.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...nhl_curse_dc_1

say goodbye to the season...
unless a miracle hits. it is toast.

rant

Bettman should just cancel the season now and get it over with. Frankly he should have done it a long time ago. He should cancel the season and tell them that the NHL will remain on a lockout until the players agree to a salary cap.

I am so sick of professional athletes bitching about how much money they DON'T make.

If an avergae Leaf fan wants to go to a game, it's about a month's salary to afford 2 tickets. What this average Joe makes in a year is what NHLers make in a month.

You'd think the players would have a little more respect for their fans and think, gee I better worse my ass off out here and quit comeplaining that I don't make enough money because that guy up in the stands there just spent a month's salary to watch me play...

GREEDY BASTARDS!

/rant

rant

Bettman should just shoot himself and make the hockey world happy - and frankly he should have done it a long time ago. The players shouldn't come back until the asshole agrees to follow through on promises regarding pensions and health benifits for retired players...

I'm so sick of the owners paying lip service to their "love" of the game, fans, players - and then sticking it to some poor retired who can't afford surgery for their knees or back - I guess it's the Eagleson legacy rearing it's head again.

The only way the players should accept a salary cap is if Bettman and his bastards agree to one as well - all together the owners and NHL administration's salaries actual beat the total players salaries... I don't see the players as the greedy bastards here.

They are all greedy and the only ones that are suffering are that ones that TRUELY love the game...the ans.

Why is it that they feel they need to makes millions and millions of dollars to put a puck in the back of the net? Shoot, I can do that (granted, not as well as the NHLers), and no one is paying me the big bucks!

Pensions are a totally different issue. Retired players should be helped, just like any body else. Whether they have retired from the NHL or they have retired from any other company.

NO ONE in professional sports (athletes and administartors alike) should EVER be complaing that they don't earn enough money. And quite frankly I am starting to feel that I would be just as happy to see the NHL never return. I have more fun watching houseleague hockey than the NHL.

Bump

If anyone is interested in watching some hockey RMC will be playing USMA tonight at 7pm.

I can't watch, I'm not in Canada :(

Ahhhh...the annual tradition...Are they at West Point or Kingston this year?

What channel is it playing on?

I don't know if it's going to be on TV. I checked TSN, SportsNet and CBC and they're not showing it. But you can watch it online at SympaticoMSN

It won't be on till 7pm. And they will be at West Point this year.

I'll keep checking to see if it'll be on TV.

ETA. Apparently they are only showing it on the NHL network (stupid digital cable...I don't get it :( ) But it looks like you'll still be able to catch it online.

Doesn't bother me. We have an excellent CHL team here in Oklahoma City. Within walking distance of my apartment. The tickets are a LOT cheaper than what you'd pay for NHL. The fights are actually better from what I can tell.

Minor League hockey is a much more "blue collar" game -- the way hockey should be.

When I was living in CT I used to go watch the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL play. They're the minor league for the Rangers. The games were good and you could get great seats for a lot cheaper than the NHL games.

It's weird how different it is around the Fleet Center with no Bruins. At least there's some good hockey going on with the colleges in the area.

I think all of this is good for major league sports in general. It really seems with all the money involved that things are getting out of control. Hockey for some reason does not translate well to television. It's just no fun for me unless I'm there, and have had several beers.

Tickets are between $11.00 and $30.00 here in OKC.

I have to agree with what y'all are saying about minor league hockey. I go to all the AHL Norfolk Admirals games here in Norfolk. We don't mind the lock-out too much, because our team isn't getting raided for players by the Blackhawks. There are several teams that have MANY NHL-ers, Binghamton being one. So the hockey has been fun to watch.

Tickets here go for $11 - $16. Not too bad for the quality of hockey we get to watch.

Bettman reportedly to cancel season
Story Tools: Print Email
Ronald Blum / Associated Press
Posted: 8 minutes ago



NEW YORK - With no miracle save in sight and a weekend deadline long gone, the NHL made plans for a news conference Tuesday to cancel what little remained of a season already decimated by a lockout.

A public relations executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that planning was under way Monday for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to make the announcement at a news conference in New York.
The Canadian Press, citing an unidentified source, said Bettman will cancel the season at the news conference.

The NHL would become the first major professional league in North America to cancel an entire season because of a labor dispute. This would mark the first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded since a flu epidemic canceled the finals in 1919.

Asked about The Canadian Press report, NHL spokesman Frank Brown said the league had no comment at this time.

AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.

Unfortunately, I think everyone had guessed that this would be the end result. Even if a resolution was reached, I'm not sure what would have happened to the season. Many players had already signed contracts overseas, and it would have been interesting to see how many came back to play.

Now, the question becomes, when will hockey return? When it does return, will it be with replacement players? This looks to get even uglier.

My fiance is predicting the rise of a whole new hockey league. He thinks that some of the American teams such as Florida, Tampa, Nashville will shut down and that some owners will try to get a new league going. Hey it might be like the beginning again with the orginal 6, plus a few more Canadian teams, like Vancouver.

While hockey will not cease to exist in Canada, I think it is done in the US, apart from places like Detroit or Boston. If Baseball took such at hit during their lockout and it was the most popular sport in America, what the hell is going to happen to hockey in the USA if it was already less popular than bowling?...