New NHL CBA Offer - Last-Ditch Effort to Save Season?

[Wickabee]

The interesting thing is that the NHL tendered an offer just when the season would have began. This is now their 3rd final offer, which shows that they were only interested in hosing the players hoping that they would take the first offer.

This tells Fehr that they are not showing good faith. Constructive Bargaining does not begin with a hosing. It begins with reasonable intent, followed by reasonable offer/offers. Don't use the words "Good Faith" as a Sports Organization when your intent was never there.

I completely disagree with the players jumping off the cliff if Fehr told them to. The players are taking ownership, and this frightens Bettman. With each new NHL offer, Bettman is looking more and more like a snake-oil salesman.

I am solidly in the players camp.

Bettman started negotiations with a lockout. That right there should have shown where the problem is.

[CSSports]

NHL/Players are making the biggest mistake they can by not playing....I am seeing MANY fans who starting to go away from the game...Here in LA and in many NHL Cities...Most of them said they would not go to ANY game if there was a season this year....people are losing interest....And its all about money and NOTHING about the future of the sport.....
Some are on the owners side, some on the players side....Frankly, I am on neither side....I think both sides are not doing enough to save the season...
The owners are looking for the best interest of owners but saying its for the future of the sport...and the players just want $$$$....and some arent even losing a penny while signing ANOTHER contract to play somewhere else...If they werent allowed to play anywhere else...this would have been resolved months ago....
I think BOTH sides are in the wrong by not sitting down EVERYDAY until something is worked out and they start playing....

As for not going to the season opener...I doubt anyone could coordinate that....some need that fix..lol...and Kings will sell out game 1 when they raise the banner....
Now, if someone tries to organize something where fans didnt BUY anything for the first week of the season...THAT would send a message....

[mrjgardiner]

Man, I want a deal done badly. Hoping there's good news tomorrow.

[MasonRaymond0320]

Apparently NHLPA have agreed to make cba, 10 years with certain conditions..great news:)

[flopfish]

The broadcasting contract with NBC is the ultimate reason why we see the deal being done now. Games will start on the 19th or 20th (first day of NBC contract). Both sides know the importance of the broadcasting contract.

All along both sides knew where middle ground was, neither side wanted to go to it until the end. Expect a deal around the 7th as they grind put minor details

[MatsSundin13Rocks]

The broadcasting contract with NBC is the ultimate reason why we see the deal being done now. Games will start on the 19th or 20th (first day of NBC contract). Both sides know the importance of the broadcasting contract.

All along both sides knew where middle ground was, neither side wanted to go to it until the end. Expect a deal around the 7th as they grind put minor details

The 1st day of the NBC broadcasting contract was US Thanksgiving in November! Everyone thought a deal would be done for that so the Fehr played hardball and made sure the owners lost that. Then he made sure that the Winter Classic was cancelled. A season will be saved after Fehr and the NHLPA push the owners to the limit. The owners don't want to lose a full season again. They didn't think the players would show this much resolve and unity. They grossly miscalculated that. The 1st offer by Bettman/NHL owners to the players set a bitter mood and unified the players behind Fehr. Just a stupid move overall.

[Habitforming]

NHL/Players are making the biggest mistake they can by not playing....I am seeing MANY fans who starting to go away from the game...Here in LA and in many NHL Cities...Most of them said they would not go to ANY game if there was a season this year....people are losing interest....And its all about money and NOTHING about the future of the sport.....
Some are on the owners side, some on the players side....Frankly, I am on neither side....I think both sides are not doing enough to save the season...
The owners are looking for the best interest of owners but saying its for the future of the sport...and the players just want $$$$....and some arent even losing a penny while signing ANOTHER contract to play somewhere else...If they werent allowed to play anywhere else...this would have been resolved months ago....
I think BOTH sides are in the wrong by not sitting down EVERYDAY until something is worked out and they start playing....

As for not going to the season opener...I doubt anyone could coordinate that....some need that fix..lol...and Kings will sell out game 1 when they raise the banner....
Now, if someone tries to organize something where fans didnt BUY anything for the first week of the season...THAT would send a message....

All that sounds great in theory, but the owners aren't losing a dime either since not a single owner makes thier fortune from owning an NHL team. The teams are just side games for Billionaires who want to win championships in pro sports. In fact according to the NHL, 20 teams are actually saving money because they claim to lose money every season. For the people not returnig to NHL games in LA and other "non-traditional markets", no one seems to worry about them since they aren't the teams that carry the NHL financially.
The few guys I know playing overseas aren't there for the paychecks, they are there to stay in game shape or as close to it as they can. It's like everyone thinks the players get $4M per season and by September they are broke from spending millions over the summer. The players have money in the bank and don't need to panic about having money issues (even one I know making the league minimum); they are more worried about losing a season on thier already short careers. Let's face it, an owners career can be as long as they want it to be and the players average is very short.

[RGM81]

The broadcasting contract with NBC is the ultimate reason why we see the deal being done now. Games will start on the 19th or 20th (first day of NBC contract). Both sides know the importance of the broadcasting contract.

All along both sides knew where middle ground was, neither side wanted to go to it until the end. Expect a deal around the 7th as they grind put minor details

In actuality, the NHL - largely due to Ed Snyder's negotiations as both the owner of the Flyers and CEO of Comcast - was able to secure a "lockout-proof" contract in its 10-year contract. The NHL will be paid the $200M in rights regardless of whether a game is played or not this year. While there would no doubt be some considerable ad revenue lost and potential advertisers averted, all the owners still get a piece of that revenue pie for 2012-13.

----

By the sounds of things, talks went well last night and are scheduled again for today. It seems that for the first time in a month, the two sides appear to be serious about actually negotiating a deal. It should never have been allowed to get this far, and the theatrics leading up to this point make both parties look petulant and petty, but now that the heat is on, perhaps we will see them salvage some remnants of a campaign.

[Captain Habtastic]

Nothing on earth can replace hockey on a saturday night.

You got that right, the world junior tournament has been my only source of hockey since the end of last season, and it just dosnt hold a candle to watching the Habs on saturday night with some friends.

[centrehice]

I am sleep deprived this week keeping up on the Junior action. The World Juniors is live on the NHL Network, and I am on the West Coast. Game tonight begins at 1:00am and ends at 3:30 am.

Switzerland almost pulled off the impossible today.

GO CANADA GO !!!