This was an interesting column by Barry Petchesky on Deadspin. I’m not sure how this could have played out. From a purely ecomonical standpoint, it probably would have made sense. Of course sports are different and people don’t get attached to a team based on its finances. Also, say things worked out and the league sold out for $3.5b. After 7 years, Bain would have needed to sell at a profit. Do you think a stripped down league, say (“pick a number” - Mitt) 18 teams, and more parity would appeal to fans enough that another ownership group would come in with $4b, expecting they too could make money both short-term and long-term? The quality of play in theory would go up because there’d be fewer positions availble, but the top players may have migrated to Europe (or a possible rival league in NA), bringing the quality back down.
IMO, the reason the offer was leaked was to make the players look bad/greedy. (It’ll work IMO)
Not going to offer an opinion on the negotiations right now, but I do predict there will be no NHL this year.
And quite frankly, much as I love my Devils and Leafs, I’m not disappointed.
Owners, players, and media – all seem to have this notion that the NHL IS hockey, and I’m pretty sick of it. They always say they need to “do what’s good for the game”, “we don’t want the game to suffer”, “growing the game”. No, NHL/NHLPA, you are NOT the game. You are just another league playing it.
There is a shitload of hockey going on in the world, and a good amount of it is actually more enjoyable to watch than the NHL, and far far less expensive to watch live.
I saw an AHL game last spring. Enjoyed it. That league is going as scheduled, yes? What is it like being a player with serious NHL aspirations, knowing that no matter how well you play in Albany or Abbotsford or wherever this season you will have NO CHANCE at moving up in the middle of the year?
Well, at least they will be playing in a superior league this year, with the influx of NHL entry-level talent who are NOT locked out. Names immediately coming to mind are Henrique (New Jersey), Hall, Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins (Edmonton), Gardiner (Toronto), Skinner (Carolina), and many other pretty skilled young guys.
The AHL should be just as good, if not better than most of the European leagues, this season.
It looks like you were correct.
Some of us, unfortunately, don’t have access to it. They don’t show the AHL games on tv around here, and I can’t stream games on my computer. 
And what about the local businesses who are being hurt by this? People going to hockey games were their biggest customers. What about the people who work at the arenas? They’re really going to be hurting. The cities are losing money over this too. There was an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about this recently. Some people are really being affected by this.
Last year, it was Les Méchant Mardis Molson Ex Habs Hockey. Today, I watched PK Subban do the local weather.
sob
I have watched a ton of hockey in my life, and I don’t say this with anger, but I think I’m just about worn out with the whole thing. I was talking at lunch today with my sportsfan group of friends and we were all pretty much in agreement that because basketball starts today, none of us care about the lockout and we’d all consider ourselves fans of the sport.
I know most of the people in canada will come back in droves, but the NHL still needs to be a little careful. Everyone has their tipping point and I think mine has come. It’s small potatoes, I guess, as I really only pay for the centre ice package and about 10 total hockey tickets but I’ll save the cash and pick up a few extra basketball games (and perhaps head to Lucas Oil a few times)
Ah well, just rambling, carry on.
It’s a great thing it’s football season, because without my Steelers, I’d be sunk. 
I still don’t know why Bettman still has a job. Most people who do this kind of thing usually get fired. (Yeah, I know, he works for the owners. But considering all the money the league is losing right now, and the ill will he generates among the fans, how much longer does the guy have?)
For people in the Pittsburgh area, Root Sports is showing vintage games. It’s not QUITE the same, but it gives me my hockey fix for now. Plus they’re showing some great games, like Mario’s comeback, our Stanley Cup wins, Sid’s return, etc. (I’m really hoping they show the one where Johnson knocks down DiPietro in one punch)
I think we should lock everyone in a room together until they come to an agreement. Maybe send in some of the toughest enforcers in the league. Or better yet, have Brooks Orpik come in and just sit there and stare at everyone.
He has their mandate; if his thirty bosses weren’t pushing him to soldier on, he wouldn’t be doing it! Gary is just the teeny tiny messenger.
Say goodbye to the Winter Classic!
Yep. What would’ve been a record for NHL attendance gets cancelled because the NHL just can’t stop shooting themselves in the foot. Two alumni games and multiple other hockey games played as part of a two week winter festival in Detroit cancelled. One massive parade of positive press for hockey as a sport and the NHL as the highest level of the sport tossed right into the fucking trash. If that doesn’t sum up the state of hockey as it stands now, I don’t know what else will.
At this point, I just don’t see the NHL having a season at all this year.
Per a bunch of people, NHL and NHLPA lieutenants, Bill Daly and Steve Fehr, are meeting in person tomorrow at an undisclosed location to discuss the NHL’s new (unreleased) proposal. Nice to have a bit of progress, though who knows what the end result will be.
Well, they’ve rescheduled the same game for next year, which is fantastic for me! I have family an hour away and will definitely be at next year’s game. There’s no way I could make it to this year’s event.
I was just thinking today that it’s a good thing Sidney Crosby no longer lives with Mario Lemieux. Can you imagine how awkward that would be? 