Hockey guys and gals...

[The_Ghost]

We should know about the season in 45 mintues


Canadian Press



12/14/2004

NHL labour talks have wrapped up in Toronto.



NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman began meeting at 1pm et/10am pt at the NHL offices located in the Air Canada Centre. The negotiations concluded at 4:30pm et and the NHLPA will hold a news conference at 5:30pm et.






There seemed little suspense going into the meeting after a league memo, obtained by TSN, surfaced Monday with the news that the league had rejected the union's offer.






Related Info
NHL to reject NHLPA proposal
McKenzie: Memo dims hope for resolution

Bill Daly, the NHL's executive vice-president and chief legal officer, said in the memo that the union offer fell short of providing ''the fundamental systemic changes'' required.



The leak also came on the heels of criticism of the union offer from the ownership of the Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators.



The NHLPA, meanwhile, reiterated that its proposal does change hockey's economic landscape.



NHLPA senior director Ted Saskin said the 24 per cent rollback on existing contracts will result in savings of more than $500 million US, with another $500 million coming from other proposed changes.



Last week's talks, when the union tabled its proposal, lasted about four hours.



As of Tuesday, the lockout had wiped out 414 of 1,230 regular season games.

 

[H_T_]

aren't they lookin' at a 25% "pay reduction"?

 

[Dakotah]

i love hockey awesome
dont have a fav team but just enjoy watching games

 

[BBC]

Fuck it bro. World Juniors start Christmas day.

 

[The_Ghost]

Fuck it bro. World Juniors start Christmas day.

Yea I can't wait, they are 2 hours south of me so i am looking at going to some.

 

[perkele]

Fuck it bro. World Juniors start Christmas day.

Fuck it bro. We get all the NHL stars to Finland next week. lol

 

[gymrat]

Jebus fucking christ, i sure hope they settle soon.

 

[Razorguns]

My company is supposed to help the NHL get a stronger foothold in hollywood and get more creative and high profile marketing opportunies going in a bid to make the whole sport more marketable and visible...

but unfortunately, i'm kinda slammed right now with. But i do feel for those guys. Every hockey person both players and mgt i've met so far has been top-notch and truly have a passion and love for the game.

More than i can say about baseball and basketball folks.

 

[gymrat]

My company is supposed to help the NHL get a stronger foothold in hollywood and get more creative and high profile marketing opportunies going in a bid to make the whole sport more marketable and visible...

but unfortunately, i'm kinda slammed right now with. But i do feel for those guys. Every hockey person both players and mgt i've met so far has been top-notch and truly have a passion and love for the game.

More than i can say about baseball and basketball folks.

yeah Foodball and basketball players usually get the big deals...

 

[The_Ghost]

its all over for now folks


League, union reject proposals


TSN/Canadian Press



12/14/2004

TORONTO (CP) - NHL labour talks were derailed Tuesday after each side rejected the other's proposal.



The talks lasted about 3 1/2 hours. The league made a one-hour presentation on its counter-proposal, which included a salary cap, prompting the NHL Players' Association to ask for a caucus, which lasted 2 1/2 hours. The union then returned to the room and ended the meeting.



There are no future talks planned at this time to end the NHL lockout, which including Tuesday night has wiped out 414 games.



As expected, the NHL rejected the union's proposal.






"The unanimous conclusion was the union's proposal does not work," commissioner Gary Bettman told a news conference. "It is dramatic in its immediate, short-term impact, but is fatally flawed as a system going forward."



The NHL Players' Association then dismissed the league counter-proposal.



But Bettman said insisted that the two side were not that far apart.



"The union's offer of the rollback (of 24 per cent on existing contracts) was a great start. Now, let's get together and fix the system the right way," he said.



"If you accept everything the union says will result from their proposal, the players will receive 56.6 per cent of our revenues on Day 1 of a new agreement. To repeat, the players' proposal translates to 56.6 per cent. We countered at 54 per cent."



The league counter-offer contained what the Bettman called a "salary range, which, based on last year's economics, would see team player costs between $38.6 million and $34.6 million (US)," the commissioner added.



The league also revamped the union rollback offer, proposing a graduated scale. Players making less than $800,000 would not see have their salary diminished at all. Those making $5 million or more would be have 35 per cent taken away from their existing contract.



The NHL proposal would mean 731 players - or 91.8 per cent - would be at or below the union's proposed 24 per cent, the league said.



The NHLPA scheduled a news conference for later Tuesday.



Bettman's right-hand man, meanwhile, also looked for positives.



"We'll keep working at it," said Bill Daly, the NHL's executive vice-president and chief legal officer. "It's hard to draw any conclusions from this meeting other than we're still not any closer to a resolution.



"Bob (NHLPA boss Bob Goodenow) was polite but it was brief when the union came back into the room," Daly added. "We'll see where we go from here."



Goodenow arrived to meet Bettman just before 1 p.m. at the NHL offices. He was flanked by association executive president Trevor Linden and executive members Daniel Alfredsson, Bill Guerin, Bob Boughner, Trent Klatt, Arturs Irbe and Vince Damphousse.



There seemed little suspense going into the meeting after a league memo, obtained by TSN, surfaced Monday with the news that the league had rejected the union's recent offer.



Plus the NHL has insisted that any solution include "cost certainty," a measure the league sees as linking revenue and costs.



Daly said in the memo that the union offer fell short of providing "the fundamental systemic changes" required.



The leak also came on the heels of criticism of the union offer from the ownership of the Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators.



The NHLPA, meanwhile, reiterated that its proposal does change hockey's economic landscape.



NHLPA senior director Ted Saskin said the 24 per cent rollback on existing contracts will result in savings of more than $500 million US, with another $500 million coming from other proposed changes.



Last week's talks, when the union tabled its proposal, lasted about four hours.