NHL’s Message To The Fans

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Today is the first day of the NHL Lockout, as the Collective Bargaining Agreement expired last night and the NHL could not agree upon new terms with the NHLPA.

Here’s a B.S. message from the NHL to the fans:

“Despite the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the National Hockey League has been, and remains, committed to negotiating around the clock to reach a new CBA that is fair to the Players and to the 30 NHL teams.

Thanks to the conditions fostered by seven seasons under the previous CBA, competitive balance has created arguably the most meaningful regular season in pro sports; a different team has won the Stanley Cup every year; fans and sponsors have agreed the game is at its best, and the League has generated remarkable growth and momentum. While our last CBA negotiation resulted in a seismic change in the League’s economic system, and produced corresponding on-ice benefits, our current negotiation is focused on a fairer and more sustainable division of revenues with the Players — as well as other necessary adjustments consistent with the objectives of the economic system we developed jointly with the NHL Players’ Association seven years ago. Those adjustments are attainable through sensible, focused negotiation — not through rhetoric.

This is a time of year for all attention to be focused on the ice, not on a meeting room. The League, the Clubs and the Players all have a stake in resolving our bargaining issues appropriately and getting the puck dropped as soon as possible. We owe it to each other, to the game and, most of all, to the fans.”

All I have to say is:

If any of you are feeling bold, feel free to send this dickhead an email at gbettman@nhl.com (yes, that is his real email address).

Via NHL.com

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While You're At It...

  • Gerry M. Allen

    Fear is the problem here, not Bettman or Fehr. The players have demonstrated pig-trough greed in the face of declining revenues for over half the teams. The owners continue to operate as if the revenue stream was infinite, signing long-term high salary contracts.Expansion has been a disaster. Maybe the marginal teams ought to be allowed to go under, but that would wound both egos too much.
    As a ticket buyer, I am disgusted with them both. A pox on both their houses.

    • DOUG LYNCH

      It is not just the players. How about the greed of the owners. They continue to sign contracts for $10-$11 million and then whine. Face facts, the fans will pay higher ticket prices, concessions, beer, parking, jerseys, hats. This is all theatre. I for one am sick of it. If the players who put their lives on the line need more so be it. They have done nothing to stop head shots, etc.

    • mattimar

      Sorry, I don’t see it that way this time. I always agree with owners ..they take the fiscal risk but this is over the top. The players get a cap and a 24% cut and then the league “supposedly” does very well since then.. What do the players get? a contract proposal for more cuts etc…meanwhile the owners are paying out large contracts (see Shea Weber).
      The owners and the commiss are clearly trying to push the players around and spin it ..but we see through the spin. The best solution is to let some of the expansion teams go and then some of the issues (not all) go away.

  • Mike R Roberts

    NHL just lost this long time fan. I’m sick of Bettman and sick of strikes

  • Dan W.

    Both sides need to quit thinking about themselves and think of the diehard fans who may never come back. Then you wont have any money problems, there won’t be enough to run a NHL Leauge. One sad fan.

  • Miti

    I can’t figure out what the issue is with the NHL… Either you take a crappy cut of 40% revenue or you make absolutely nothing by letting this go to a lockout. Re-sign a 1-year contract as-is and spend the next 365 days negotiating the contract for the 2014 season. Seems to me like they waited until the last minute to discuss the contract and now everyone is boned.

  • Matt D

    Im a long time pens fan and it may be time to hang it up. After all the lock outs and whining about whose fault it is from both sides i think im done. ive devoted to much time and effort into my team for bettman to just assume that ill come back. Thats smugness and arrogance at its best. Unless this is solved before the regular season im not watching one game.

  • erik

    miti, even with the lockout, players still get 8% of their ’11-’12 salaries + signing bonuses from an escrow account sometime in october. the only people who are really losing in this lockout are us, the fans.

  • bartholemew

    This is an American problem….both Bettman and Fehr are Yanx. Niether understands the first rule of hockey. It is Canadian. Until Bettman, stops having fantasies about a team from the desert winning Canada’s most cherished prize, the owners will need subsidies. The owners got their cap last time, it is working except where?? Markets that don’t give a **** about hockey. The only team that moved north and proved to be more successful than it’s USA large southern city predecessor, has been Winnepeg. And even that move was against Bettmans wishes. Enought with the American don’t give a **** markets. A team on Hamilton, a team in Quebec City, and even Saskatoon, would support the game better than it is in subsidy needed Carolina, Tampa, Miami, Phoenix, and even Denver can not sell out their building. The Devils still have no fan base, 25 years, and three or four STANLEY CUPS later, the fans still dont what?? Give a ****. This strike is no doubt caused by greedy American pig owners wanting subsidies for the right to host Canada’s pride and joy, whilst they don’t, and all the while, not ONE AMERICAN giving a real ****. War of 1812 returns…..get lost Yanx.

    • Tim

      Wow I never thought I would ever get to listen to someone who is as prejudice as you. You actually make it sound like it is the U.S.A. against Canada, I am hoping your arent that ignorant to actually believe what you say. This is about the owners and players Millionaires and Billionaires trying to devide up billions of dollars but if you would take off your Canuck hat for a minute you would see that its all about money that not only American players and owners are argueing about, there are also Canadian players and owners who want a piece of the pie. Get off your flag and take your head out of your rear end long enough to see what is really going on. You are the most prejudice piece of work I have ever listened to. The only losers in the whole lockout are the fans both American and Canadien

  • Tiffany

    I agree with MIti! Sign a 1 year contract, get the pucks dropping and then you have all year to work on the issue.