CBA Update and Just Saying Bettman Sucks

Both the NHLPA and the NHL have said that they are willing to let a lockout cancel the month of October and have the season start around Thanksgiving. Oh, and Gary Bettman can lick a camels ass.

Lockout Update

The players have been told to prepare for the worst, which would of course be a locked out 2012-13 season. Many players are looking overseas to find places to play if there is a lockout, and a lot of good players already have teams to go to.

You Know You're a __________ Fan If...

Last year I did a little segment on another website called "You Know You're a ___________ Fan If...", and I basically listed all of the teams and wrote a few words about something that has do to with their favorite team. It was a hit, being read by about 4,000 people. Since we had a lot of problems with the old website and I had to make a new one, I lost a lot of my old readers and writers (I now have only 2 people contributing besides myself; I used to have 7), therefore it's only right to assume that this years edition won't be seen by as many people. Who knows, maybe by the time next August rolls around and I do another one of these I will have more than the 300 or so thousand people who visited my old website.

Alright, I'll stop wasting your time now. The list is below. Most of these are true or at least very likely. Stuff in parentheses are my own side inputs.

You Know You're a ________ Fan If...

Anaheim: SELANNE'S BACK!!!
Boston: It's Tuukka's net now
Buffalo: Ryan Miller showed flashes of brilliance last year that he has to follow up on
Calgary: We need to win one for Iggy
Carolina: We are going to dominate the Southeast Division this year
Chicago: Ugggh... still stuck with Crawford and Emery
Colorado: Landeskog and Duchene will get us back to the playoffs
Columbus: Lets just say I accidentally skipped a team
Dallas: Jamie Benn is a great player that will lead our team to wins
Detroit: It's up to Smith to replace Lidstrom (Is it even possible to handle that pressure?)
Edmonton: Wow. The Cup is more or less ours in a few years.
Florida: We don't need Jason Garrison. Brian Campbell can get a rock that many goals.
Los Angeles: We are going to repeat (not unlikely at all)
Minnesota: Parise... Suter... PLAYOFFS
Montreal: Price, Subban, Pacioretty, Galchenyuk, and a bi-lingual coach... almost a playoff team again
Nashville: It doesn't matter that we lost Suter, Weber is the one we really care about
New Jersey: We have players that can replace Parise (Kovalchuk is the only one that comes close)
New York Islanders: Tavares is just getting better with time
New York Rangers: Lets start organizing our Cup parade (4-1 odds to win this year; highest in NHL)
Ottawa Senators: While Karlsson is getting better, Spezza and Alfredsson are getting older
Philadelphia: We really got screwed with defensemen this off-season
Phoenix: We lost some people*, but Mike Smith will be good again (only time will tell)
Pittsburgh: A healthy Crosby and Malkin and we are unbeatable
San Jose: Niemi is overrated and Jumbo Joe is running low on time
St. Louis: A healthy Perron and a top of the Western Conference finish
Tampa Bay: A new goalie and some guy named Steven Stamkos might help us do better this year
Toronto: Phil Kessel needs to find consistency in his offensive production
Vancouver: Luongo's finally not starting... ginger, do your thing
Washington: Lost Semin's attitude, and hopefully Ovechkin will return to form under Adam Oates
Winnipeg: Our biggest off-season move was Zach Bogosian changing his jersey number...

*Still waiting to see what happens with Shane Doan

NHL 13

NHL 13 is set to hit stores on September 11. The 21st installment in the NHL video game series has, among many new things and improvements, a new way of rating and ranking players.

Previously, players overall ratings were based on their player types. Now, players are rated for the position they play. For example:

In NHL 12 if you have a player who had good offensive abilities (not Erik Karlsson good, but capable of a 38 point season or so) but absolutely dreadful in all defensive aspects of the game, and they are recognized by the game to be an offensive defenseman, then they will have a decent to good rating, because they are an offensive defenseman with good offensive attributes. However, in NHL 13, such a player would have a lower rating because they would have offensive attributes, but they are recognized solely as a defenseman (disregarding whether or not they are an offensive or defensive defenseman), and the fact that they are lacking in the defensive aspect of their position would bring their grade down significantly more than it did in NHL 12.

Also, there is a new screen to view player stuff. The new rating system is whats most important in this update, but the screen for viewing players looks good too.

Penguins center Sidney Crosby's bio page in NHL 13

CBA Negotiations Update- 8/15/12

The NHL and NHLPA got together for a little more than an hour earlier today following Tuesday's counterproposal from the players' union. NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr met with the media afterwards to give an update on the latest progress in the negotiations.

Based on what was said, it appears that the two sides are still far apart in what they're seeking, as is to be expected considering that each side has so far only given one proposal each. However, the NHL and NHLPA have now both clearly stated their starting points and what they look to get out of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. There is a LOT of work that has to be done before we reach any sort of deal, but at least the two sides are making progress. 

It has been reported that the players have been told to prepare for the worst, which would be a locked out 2012-13 season, but hope for the best. From what it seems, the NHLPA does not want anything to do with a lockout, while the owners and the league are willing to do what it takes to get what they want. Gary Bettman (or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for the hockey fan who does not want to say the name of that awful man) is surely making it seem that the league could care less about a lockout, as long as they get what they want in the end. Then again, we've all grown to the point where anything that man says has less truth and worth than a rotten pile of horse dung.

Anyway, here's the latest from Mr. Fehr.

CBA Negotiations Update- 8/14/12

NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr addresses the media

It's been a little less than a month since the NHL first laid out their proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement, and the NHLPA has finally presented their counter proposal yesterday. We all hope that this counter proposal will be accepted by the NHL and put into use
within the next few days, but it would go against pro sports policy for negotiations of any sort to go nice and peacefully, so it will likely be awhile before any sort of progress is made.

I took a careful look at both the NHL's proposal and the NHLPA's, and the aren't all too different. While there are some differences that most likely will have to be resolved if the two sides are to eventually come to a decision, the two sides aren't as far apart as many people expected they would be (or for the matter as far apart as they were before the 2004-05 lockout). Below are some differences in the two proposals.



     - The NHL's proposal consisted of a five-year CBA while the NHLPA's lasts just three seasons with a players' option for a fourth.

     - The NHLPA agreed to accept a reduced revenue share within the new CBA, but only about $465 million over the course of three years; less than was first proposed last month by the NHL.

     - The NHLPA would like to see zero contract changes in the new CBA. The NHL, remember, listed several regulations they would like to see instilled in their first proposal [5-year limit, equally distributed annual salary (instead of front, middle, or back-loaded deals), no salary arbitration, etc.].

     - The NHLPA would like to see a system where a team can go $4 million over/under the salary cap limitations by adding or trading cap space.

     - NHLPA requested that the League set forth a limit on non-player spending by teams.



Those are all of the main points that will be focused upon heavily when the debate picks up in the coming weeks. Of those differences, the two sides are farthest apart in terms of the third one (contracts), and more than likely that will be the bug hump that the two parties will need to get over. Obviously the players do not want more rules and regulations applied to the contracts they sign, but the League sees it as a circumvention-preventer and, in the long-run, a safer and more secure way of going about doing business.

One positive that came out of this proposal by the NHLPA was NHL commissioner (or tyrant, your choice) Gary Bettman said that the Players Association's proposal was "very thorough" and that the league will take a very close look at it, and they will have their response in about a weeks time.

Another positive was that many of the NHL's star players were present and backing up Fehr as he addressed the media. Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, and PK Subban were among the 23 players present at the press conference. It was a good sign that many of the games stars were there to let the owners know that they mean business, so the NHL better not screw around with crap proposals that favor the league immensely, and they better get to working on a deal that works for both sides fast.

Again, the deadline to get a new CBA constructed  before the season is locked out has been set for September 15.

Bettman Killing the NHL

Commissioner Gary Bettman

Gary Bettman has been the commissioner of the National Hockey League since February 1, 1993, when he replaced Gil Stein, bringing an end to the era of league presidents, and moving towards owner appointed commissioners. There is no denying that he has done done some good for the league and the game of hockey, and that he does
 have intentions to improve the game, but he is single handedly killing the league.

The team owners hired Bettman with the mandate that he would make the game more popular in the United States, complete the plans for expansion, and stop the labor issues between the NHL and the National Hockey League Players Association.

When Bettman took power the league had already expanded to 24 teams, and was about to announce the addition of teams in Florida (the Panthers) and Anaheim [the Mighty Ducks (now called the Ducks)]. Bettman led the league on the Sunbelt Project, a plan to add teams to Southern American areas. Teams were added in Nashville (Predators), Atlanta (Thrashers), Minnesota (Wild), and Columbus (Blue Jackets), bringing the NHL to 30 teams. Bettman also oversaw the relocation of four franchises during the 1990s part of his tyranny, the Minnesota North Stars to Dallas (now the Dallas Stars), the Quebec Nordiques to Denver (now the Colorado Avalanche), the Winnipeg Jets to Glendale (now the Phoenix Coyote), and the Hartford Whalers to Raleigh (now the Carolina Hurricanes). What happened of the teams that came to be under Bettman?

 ‘‘Time is running short, and the owners are not prepared to operate under this collective bargaining agreement for another season, so we need to get to making a deal and doing it soon’’ 
           -Gary Bettman on a possible lockout if no deal is reached by 9/15/12

The Florida Panthers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996 (where they were swept in 4 games by Colorado). They have been to the playoffs three times since then. The Anaheim Mighty Ducks (now Ducks) won the Stanley Cup in 2007. The Nashville Predators have never lasted 6 games into the second round of the playoffs. The Atlanta Thrashers never won a playoff game, and have since relocated to Winnipeg. The Minnesota Wild have not had any real playoff success, but they are doing well non-the-less (hockey is huge in Minnesota). The Columbus Blue Jackets also haven't won a playoff game, and just finished last in league standings. The Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999, but have had a very low attendance recently. The Colorado Avalanche have won two Stanley Cups (1996, 2001), and are doing fine in Colorado. The Phoenix Coyotes just made it to the third round of the playoffs, but they have the worst ownership in sports history, and very low attendance. The Carolina Hurricanes won the Cup in 2006, and are doing fine. There have been five Stanley Cups won in that group, but I tried to keep it positive, and not explain the massive headache that these teams are causing.

 There have been two lockouts under Bettman, one that reduced the 1994-95 season to 48 games instead of 82, and one that cancelled the entire 2004-2005 season. As of right now, Bettman has said that the NHL will once again lockout its players if a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) isn't reached by September 15 (the day the current CBA expires).

Bettman's current salary is $7.984 million, more than the majority of the league's players. That's a pretty big paycheck for someone that could be arrested for two counts of attempted homicide, on on the NHL, and the other on the game of hockey. How do we stop this madness you ask?

Doan Update

It looks as though the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes will finally go through, which means that UFA forward and Phoenix captain Shane Doan will most likely stay in Glendale. Staying with the organization he has spent his entire career with was always his first choice, but he said he wouldn't sign there unless he saw stability in ownership.

Leafs Interested in Veteran Goalie

Word is that the Toronto Maple Leafs are very interested in acquiring a veteran Western Conference netminder. The Leafs, who haven't had a goalie last a full season as their number one since the 2007 season, are most likely considering Calgary Flames workhorse Mikka Kiprusoff.

Kiprusoff usually plays around 70 games for a non-contending Calgary team. The Flames are currently in a "rebuild", although they are trying to hang on to their valuable veterans instead of trading them for younger pieces. Their current goal is to win a Stanley Cup with Jerome Iginla, their 500 career goal-scoring captain. There have been rumors that they might trade him so that he can win a Cup, but no progress has been made on that yet. If the Flames are to trade Kiprusoff to the Leafs, they would most likely want to get young prospects in return.

Apology

I would like to apologize for the lengthy periods of time between some of the posts. It is because I have been doing a lot of traveling lately. That aside, I am going to work on getting an advertisement in The Hockey News magazine for sometime during the regular season.

Shane Doan Down to Six Teams (Including Phoenix)

According to an inside source, UFA forward Shane Doan has narrowed his list of teams down to six. Doan, who has been with the Phoenix Coyotes organization for his entire career, and is currently their captain, has stated and constantly reiterated that his number-one choice would be to stay in Glendale (where the Coyotes play), but he wants to see stability in what has been the worst ownership league-wide for a very long time before he signs with them or not. Aside from Phoenix, Doan has these five teams on his list:

•  Boston Bruins
• New Jersey Devils
• New York Rangers
• Pittsburgh Penguins
• Vancouver Canucks

Doan is 35 years old, and is looking to go to a team that is a contender. Word is that he wants a 4-year deal, but most teams would prefer to give him 2-years. Whatever team Doan goes to, that team would be an all-star forward closer to winning the Stanley Cup.