NHL Reaches Deal With Owners, Season On Soon

[klunderbunker]

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8817955/nhl-nhlpa-reach-tentative-agreement

At this point though, how many people are going to care? The season should be about halfway over now but at this point the season is going to be about 48 games or so. I'm not sure what the specifics on the deal are, but the season will indeed happen.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I love hockey, I love the NHL, and I love my Bruins (and of course hate the Habs), so I am thrilled to see an apparent resolution to the stalemate. I am particularly excited to see a 10 year CBA (with a mutual 8 year opt out clause), meaning that there should be no further crippling work stoppages for the forseeable future. Now let's dot the I's and cross the T's and get the goddamn puck dropped!

Unfortunately, in my opinion, the 2013 season is a total loss. A 48 game season, barely over half the norm, has no appeal for me specifically. It will be like an extended exhibition series, with real hockey beginning in the fall and guaranteed to continue for a decade or so. Regardless of who wins a shortened season like this , the Stanley Cup holder in 2013 will have a significant asterisk associated with it in my opinion. Hell, even someone like the Rangers could manage to eke out Cup success under these circumstances

A the end of the day, though, I'm still thrilled. I was fearful of no season whatsoever, with trouble extending into the summer posing threats for next season. So while it has cost the league a full season in my opinion, at least we have a guarantee of hockey on a go forward basis.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Plenty of people will care, because despite all the rhetoric, despite all the vitriol, and despite all the talk, money talks and bullshit walks. The NHL will struggle generating the kind of revenue they've been used to the last number of years, but this will change over the life of the CBA, and it all begins with a shortened season.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Beyond pumped because the Celtics are playing like absolute crap right now. I've been dying for some Bruins hockey.

The season could start in two weeks. In the meantime, we're going to have a whirlwind of transactions, buyouts, and players uprooting their lives from Europe to get back over here.

Details are as follows. Players made out decently, and I'm liking the $70 million cap.

2023 might mean another lockout, but let's enjoy the next 10 years!

- The players' share of hockey-related revenue will drop from 57 percent to a 50-50 split for all 10 years.

- The league coming off their demand for a $60 million cap in Year 2, meeting the NHLPA's request to have it at $64.3 million - which was the upper limit from last year's cap. The salary floor in Year 2 will be $44 million.

- The upper limit on the salary cap in the first year is $60 million, but teams can spend up to $70.2 million (all pro-rated). The cap floor will be $44 million.

- The 10-year deal also has an opt-out clause that kicks in after eight years.

- Each team will be allowed two amnesty buyouts that can be used to terminate contracts after this season and next season. The buyouts will count against the players' overall share in revenues, but not the team's salary cap.

- The salary variance on contracts from year to year cannot vary more than 35 per cent and the final year cannot vary more than 50 per cent of the highest year.

- A player contract term limit for free agents will be seven years and eight years for a team signing its own player.

- The draft lottery selection process will change with all 14 teams fully eligible for the first overall pick. The weighting system for each team may remain, but four-spot move restriction will be eliminated.

- Supplemental discipline for players in on-ice incidents will go through NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan first, followed by an appeal process that would go through Bettman. For suspensions of six or more games, a neutral third party will decide if necessary.

- Revenue sharing among teams will spread to $200 million. Additionally, an NHLPA-initiated growth fund of $60 million is included.

- Teams can only walk away from a player in salary arbitration if the award is at least $3.5 million.

- The NHL had hoped to change opening of free agency to July 10, but the players stood firm and it remains July 1 in the new agreement. But with a later ending to the season, free agency for this summer will start at a later date.

And I completely forgot that Tim Thomas up and left the team. Whatever, it's Tuukka Time, bitches!

 

[justinsayne]

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8817955/nhl-nhlpa-reach-tentative-agreement

At this point though, how many people are going to care? The season should be about halfway over now but at this point the season is going to be about 48 games or so. I'm not sure what the specifics on the deal are, but the season will indeed happen.

Hockey fans. Hockey fans will care, & their are plenty of us.

 

[Megatron]

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8817955/nhl-nhlpa-reach-tentative-agreement

At this point though, how many people are going to care? The season should be about halfway over now but at this point the season is going to be about 48 games or so. I'm not sure what the specifics on the deal are, but the season will indeed happen.

KB you don't think people are going to care? If anything, I'm more intrigued. 80+ games is too long of a season (for both NHL and NBA) and I think they'd both benefit from having at least a little bit shorter seasons (say mid 60s or 70s). That won't happen, but oh well.

But yeah, a shorter season puts more importance on each game, and I will try to watch as many Red Wings games as I can.

 

[justinsayne]

I typically don't start watching until January anyway, in fact I don't think NBC even airs games until the Winter Classic. I love this, coming into this season I was more exctied for hockey than I have been in awhile, & then the stupid lockout screwed shit up.

I'm looking forward too

• Watching the Kings attempt to repeat
• Seeing what Parise & Suter can do in Minnesota
• What Detroit is going to look like without Lidstrom
• If the Devils can repeat as Eastern Conf. Champs
• All the other surprises that are sure to come out of this season

 

[CH David]

I'm freaking jacked. I was always going to be someone who would come running back once the lockout ended. Why? Well I love the NHL too much. The business is ugly, but the game is excellent, especially with all that talent. If they do a 50 game season, I wouldn't mind them trying to hype up a "50 goals in 50 games" type thing, would love to see Ovechkin or Stamkos go for that.

There are a bunch of jaded fans so it will take time to bring them back. A good start though will be NHL Center Ice for free this season. Just sayin'... No? Maybe? I can dream. I do like what Pierre LeBrun said in an article he wrote after Christmas.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/20867/10-ways-for-nhl-to-recover-from-lockout

 

[shattered dreams]

The regular season is almost meaningless in the NHL anyway. Playoff hockey is awesome. The Hurricanes won it all after the last lockout, here's to hoping history repeats itself.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

The regular season is almost meaningless in the NHL anyway. Playoff hockey is awesome. The Hurricanes won it all after the last lockout, here's to hoping history repeats itself.

Except that that isn't at all true considering the regular season performance determines who makes and doesn't make the playoffs in the first place. Without it, the post-season doesn't matter, especially when you have rivalries built up over the course of the regular season re-occur when two teams seed against one another.

Canes have a strong chance/team this year, especially after the deal for Jordan Staal, but dash seasons level the playing field quite a bit by eliminating the margin for error. Every game truly does count, so even the clubs we all think are out of it already could be making us all look stupid come May.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I'm happy. I had hoped for a full season because I think the Avs had a great chance to make the playoffs this year, I still think they can get in, but a short season may not be good for a young team.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I'm happy. I had hoped for a full season because I think the Avs had a great chance to make the playoffs this year, I still think they can get in, but a short season may not be good for a young team.

Actually, a short season is great for a young team. Older clubs will have to expend more energy early to go for every win, every night, whereas younger clubs can likely go harder longer based on what few miles there are on their bodies.

The Avs did some re-tooling and are right on the cusp of being a post-season club again as far as I'm concerned, so you've got a decent chance of it. I probably wouldn't have said the same of a full season.

 

[Slyfox696]

Hockey is one sport I've never understand the passion for. I like watching soccer, but hockey bores me. But hey, good for them for not totally ruining themselves again.

 

[shattered dreams]

Have you ever been to a hockey game Sly?

 

[justinsayne]

Hockey is one sport I've never understand the passion for. I like watching soccer, but hockey bores me. But hey, good for them for not totally ruining themselves again.

I've always felt the same way towards basketball, different stroke for different folks I guess.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Being from Indiana, it is the ultimate sin to dislike basketball, but honestly I can't watch more than a game or two a month, and that is college. I can't remember the last time I sat through an entire pro game. I enjoy basketball video games, I enjoy shooting around or playing a pick-up game in the summer, but 90% of the time I watch a game it feels like a chore. I'd gladly trade the Pacers for a pro NHL team.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I like watching soccer, but hockey bores me.

See, I absolutely cannot understand this at all. Hockey is so fast paced, it is such a physical style of action, it's the sort of game that you can't take your eyes off for a second, whether it be in person or on TV, without risking missing something. Soccer is the polar opposite. You could take a nap, go get a snack, take the dog for a walk, and when you get back, in all likelihood, it's still 0-0 and there probably hasn't even been a shot on net.

Don't let the typical mediocrity of the Blues fool you. The NHL is awesome and once the fans move on from this work stoppage and the action starts heating up, it's going to be great!

 

[Rayne]

Except that that isn't at all true considering the regular season performance determines who makes and doesn't make the playoffs in the first place. Without it, the post-season doesn't matter, especially when you have rivalries built up over the course of the regular season re-occur when two teams seed against one another.

Canes have a strong chance/team this year, especially after the deal for Jordan Staal, but dash seasons level the playing field quite a bit by eliminating the margin for error. Every game truly does count, so even the clubs we all think are out of it already could be making us all look stupid come May.

C'mon, let's be fair here. All the hockey regular season does (and basketball as well) is separate the worst from the pack. I had heard that the NHL had been considering moving to a 20-team playoff, which excited me, because then the Hartford Whalers would have a good shot at it.

I understand the rationale for it. People pay more money (broadcasters too) for playoff games, even if it is the best of the league versus a .500 team. I just disagree with the idea that teams which have a losing record should have a path to the league championship almost every year.

I promote what MLB did with their playoffs as a great example. At first, I railed against the 10-team playoff, thinking it would dilute the playoff picture further. Instead, what it did was adjust what many people had looked at as an injustice; that the wild card team had the same path to victory that the best regular season team in the league had. (The problem I perceive with basketball/hockey playoffs.) Now, there are two wild cards, but they have to meet each other in a single winner take all game (which, like hockey and basketball, a single game is usually a crapshoot.) More playoffs, but the games mean more individually.

Perversely, the concept works for NCAA basketball, but I think that's due to the intense local following of colleges, coupled with being unfamiliar with many of the teams in the bracket.

 

[Slyfox696]

Have you ever been to a hockey game Sly?

I have not. I've heard they are an absolute blast to be at, just never felt like going. And have never had anyone pressuring me to go.

I used to like watching the Blues in the playoffs, but I grew out of that.

See, I absolutely cannot understand this at all. Hockey is so fast paced, it is such a physical style of action, it's the sort of game that you can't take your eyes off for a second, whether it be in person or on TV, without risking missing something. Soccer is the polar opposite. You could take a nap, go get a snack, take the dog for a walk, and when you get back, in all likelihood, it's still 0-0 and there probably hasn't even been a shot on net.

Don't let the typical mediocrity of the Blues fool you. The NHL is awesome and once the fans move on from this work stoppage and the action starts heating up, it's going to be great!

I wouldn't say the Blues have always been mediocre. At one point, they had gone something like 24 seasons without missing the playoffs. They were the best team in the league one year, if I'm not mistaken. It just never interested me.

And as far as soccer goes, I won't watch MLS. Mostly because I don't really know anyone. But I'll watch World Cup and Olympics, because I have a team to root for, without having to learn names first. I learn the names after.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I typically only watch MLS if the Sounders are playing or one of the big name stars is playing. It is getting better, but the gap of talent between teams with money and teams without is still too great. I will watch any EPL, or National game on though. You could broadcast The Cook Islands vs. Bhutan and Id still watch. I'm not sure why, I just really like soccer at the national level.

 

[Thriller Ant]

Hockey is one sport I've never understand the passion for. I like watching soccer, but hockey bores me. But hey, good for them for not totally ruining themselves again.

See, that's crazy to me because I'm pretty sure I began enjoying soccer more because of how much I love hockey. If you ever get a chance, you really should go to a Blues game. I have never met anyone, hockey fan or not, that didn't have fun going to a game in person.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I wouldn't say the Blues have always been mediocre. At one point, they had gone something like 24 seasons without missing the playoffs. They were the best team in the league one year, if I'm not mistaken. It just never interested me.

Past tense.

They've actually got a tremendous line-up right now, albeit one that's still lacking star power. They play a hard, fast-paced game that should be really entertaining in person.

I'd echo the same sentiments of everyone else in this thread. Go to a game live. I think it might change your entire perspective.

 

[CH David]

I'd echo the same sentiments of everyone else in this thread. Go to a game live. I think it might change your entire perspective.

Truth. First Blackhawks game I went to back in '09 was against the Ducks. From the Anthem to the overtime goal by Havlat, best sporting experience I've ever had. Hockey is my second sporting love, but the experience of a hockey game, especially a good one, is second to none.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

It's one of the only sports in the US/North America where the angle and perspective of you viewing the game completely changes when you are in the stands, versus watching from home. Don't get me wrong, I can watch hockey games all day, every day from now to the end of my days, but when you are there live watching the action, the televised product doesn't even come close to matching the level of investment you'll have in the outcome.

I find just the smell of the ice, and the cold air alone are enough to get my adrenaline pumping.

 

[CH David]

It's one of the only sports in the US/North America where the angle and perspective of you viewing the game completely changes when you are in the stands, versus watching from home. Don't get me wrong, I can watch hockey games all day, every day from now to the end of my days, but when you are there live watching the action, the televised product doesn't even come close to matching the level of investment you'll have in the outcome.

I find just the smell of the ice, and the cold air alone are enough to get my adrenaline pumping.

It really is. I've always been in the corners on both sides of the ice, and the view is great. Can still see what is going on down the ice, and get a great view when the action is in your end. I'll try and splurge on some tickets this season. It's been too long since I've been to an NHL game.

Not saying it needs to happen, but if you're ever around Chicago, try and get to a Blackhawks game. The energy from the Anthem is just outstanding. Whichever side you are on for the cheering or not, it's freaking awesome!