The Continuing Chronicles Of Jay Feaster's Incompetence

[SeanDMan]

To be fair, I meant done in Vancouver, not DONE.

Oh well okay, that one is a bit more debatable. I still think that Luongo could spend another year or two in Vancouver and it could work for everyone, but there is definitely a logic behind moving him that I can see.

Khabibulin over Roloson

That was an interesting call, yeah. I'd have stuck with Roloson as well.

[NobBe Nobbs]

The worst thing about this for me, is that people are convinced everybody who plays or who would be playing this year in the NHL is a millionaire.

The average NHL salary last year was 2.45 million. So the average NHL player is a mufti-millionaire.

Well done, you can work a calculator. I'm sure the average player is ecstatic with his multi-millionaire contract, but you know all those guys on league minimum? The ones who aren't millionaires? Did you forget they existed?

[Bigpapa42]

Well done, you can work a calculator. I'm sure the average player is ecstatic with his multi-millionaire contract, but you know all those guys on league minimum? The ones who aren't millionaires? Did you forget they existed?

Didn't forget about them. Its just that there are so few. A lot of NHL teams don't have more than a couple players on contracts under 1m per year. Not regular NHL players, at least. Fringe depth depth players on two-way contracts who spend significant time in the AHL are often on deals less than $1m per year, but they really aren't regular NHL players. And even still, if they are on deals that only pay them $500k per year, two years in the NHL and they've made a million anyway.

Its not that I side with the owners. I just don't think either side in this are really deserving of fan support or empathy.

[Maxx]

The Islanders are moving to Brooklyn! Hooray for staying on the island!

[TGWL]

The NHL will withdraw its latest proposal to the NHL Players' Association once Thursday's deadline to have a new deal in place comes and goes.

There were no talks held again Thursday and none have been held since last week's NHL proposal and counter-proposals from the NHLPA.

"When we delivered the proposal last Tuesday, we told them it would be on the table through today," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN.com Thursday afternoon. "Having not reached agreement through today, I expect that we'll formally notify the union Friday that the proposal is no longer on the table. We're going to take it back internally and figure out where we go from here."

Daly was also quick to stress that he wasn't threatening the players in any way, but underlying what the league expressed to the NHLPA last week when it delivered the proposal.

"This proposal no longer works because it was a proposal to save 82 games," Daly said. "We have to re-think where we are, and what type of season we're looking at, and we have to formulate and construct a proposal that makes sense for the reality of where we are."

Since rejecting the union's trio of offers in Toronto last Thursday, the league has maintained that they will not meet unless the NHLPA agrees to work off their last proposal, which included a 50/50 revenue split and a provision to "make whole" existing player contracts by using deferred payments.

Earlier this week, the union's attempt to re-ignite negotiations -- the NHLPA requested a meeting with the league without preconditions Tuesday night -- was spurned.

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr said he was not surprised the league said it would withdraw the offer.

"This is a standard approach. I think it was done in the NBA in the same way," Fehr told ESPN.com Thursday. "Review the history here: They make a proposal, it's essentially a take it or leave it, we respond on the core economics, they take 10 minutes and say no. They tell all the players if we're agreeable to everything except the Make Whole (provision), including all the stuff that's in there, I can give Gary a telephone call. And then we have made several efforts, including yesterday, to say we're prepared to sit down and negotiate with no pre-conditions. They essentially said 'No.'

"It takes two to negotiate. They seem to be really good at imposing deadlines and issuing ultimatums and having lockouts. It seems to be something they're well-practiced at."

The offer -- which was a six-year offer with a mutual option for a seventh year -- also featured five-year long-term contract limits, strict constraints on back-diving deals, two-year entry-level contracts and unrestricted free agency at age 28 or after eight years pro.

What's next? More NHL games will no doubt get canceled.

"Obviously those decisions are imminent and we're going to have to do what we have to do," said Daly.

While Daly would not say exactly, it's expected the NHL will cancel games for all of November on Friday.

The Winter Classic and All-Star Game are not expected to be part of that announcement, although they could be axed as early as next week.

Asked about the danger of losing the annual outdoor game, commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday that a decision will be "very soon."

"I'm not going to give you an exact timetable, but at some point in November," he said. "We will have to commit many millions of dollars to get ready for the Winter Classic, so if there's still uncertainty, we're going to have to make a decision and my guess is, we're not going to commit those dollars unless we have certainty."

Once more games are canceled, it obviously diminishes the chances of playing a full season, although it's not entire impossible if a deal can be reached as early as next week.

"The object is to get a settlement as soon as it's possible to get one and to play as much up to 100 percent of the season as much as it's physical to play," Fehr said. "That obviously is going to be the objective or at least it always has been on the players' side."

Fehr reiterated his much-repeated stance that the NHL has not offered anything that would appease any player to sign off on a deal.

"It's pretty difficult, quite frankly, to come to a conclusion as to what in the world the owners expected the players to do given the positions that they took. Remember, it's massive concessions last time, enormously increased revenues, no real articulation of why they want what they want except that somebody got it in the other sports, they mumble about fair opportunity to make a profit everywhere but there's no specifics attached to that," he said. "… So when we ask the question to players, when they ask it of me, when we ask it across the table, when we ask it to people in your business (media), what is there in this deal for the players? Everybody sort of looks up at the stars and scratches their heads and no answers come forth. So it's hard to figure out. Maybe this is all part of an orchestrated approach."

[SeanDMan]

Biznasty to Penner, Penner to Biznasty, Biznasty scores!

...man I miss actual hockey news. >_>

[Ruki]

Bwaha, that is awesome.

[Toe]

I've lost interest in this lockout stuff. Fuck both sides if the Winter Classic is killed.

[Cactus Drags]

BizNasty's signed with the Cardiff Devils. They play about half an hour from me, I might have to check them out.

[EndOfAnEra]

On the last link Penner replies "truce accepted" haha

[thatshortguy]

I've lost interest in this lockout stuff. Fuck both sides if the Winter Classic is killed.

Prepare to fornicate.

[TGWL]

Winter classic is about to be canceled.

[Ruki]

Sigh.

[Plubby]

Probably a good thing, with Toronto involved we'd have to change the name to the NHL Winter.

[SeanDMan]

Lots of news that the lockout is "essentially over" and both sides are now fine tuning drafts of the CBA to take to their constituents to start a season on December 1st.

But this article is funnier.

[Plubby]

"NHL presented what in essence is its best offer in response to the PA's presentations on Wed. Still large gap with negotiations resuming."

Darren Dreger on twitter. That's over an hour old though, and we know how fast the news cycle is these days.

[SeanDMan]

NHLPA supposedly sent in two proposals: one on revenue sharing, one on the combination make whole/revenue split. NHL's counter is to the latter I believe I heard, or possibly to both. They'll be meeting again today so if the meeting goes all day again, good news, if it lasts an hour, buy AHL tickets.

[Plubby]

Ah, thanks for the clarification.

[SeanDMan]

Keep in mind it's 8 am in New York so Gary Bettman is probably just now kicking out the strippers and trying to wring the whiskey out of his tie, so any potential meetings are a few hours away I wager.

[TGWL]

NHL Players' Association executive director Donald Fehr sent a memo to the players following Thursday's meeting with the league:

Today, we met with the NHL off and on over several hours. A number of matters were discussed, including our proposal for a new pension plan, revenue sharing, the players' share and salary cap issues, and the owners' "make whole" concept. Present today were Chris Campoli, Mathieu Darche, Ron Hainsey, Johan Hedberg, Manny Malhotra, and Kevin Westgarth (David Backes was present for part of the day), as well as Mathieu Schneider, Joe Reekie, Steve Webb and Rob Zamuner.

No new proposals were exchanged on pension issues, but we will discuss this issue again tomorrow (Friday). We did receive a proposal on revenue sharing in response to the proposal we made this week, but this subject still needs considerable work.

In addition, we received a revamped proposal covering players' share and cap issues, their so-called "make whole", and player contracting issues. The owners finally did formally give us their "make whole" idea, which in dollar terms is similar to the discussions Bill Daly had with Steve Fehr a few days ago. While a step forward, a significant gap remains. Moreover, at the same time we were told that the owners want an "immediate reset" to 50/50 (which would significantly reduce the salary cap) and that their proposals to restrict crucial individual contracting rights must be agreed to. As you know, these include - among other things - losing a year of salary arbitration eligibility, allowing the team to file for salary arbitration in any year that the player can file, extending UFA eligibility to age 28 or 8 seasons, limiting contracts to 5 years, and permitting only 5% year to year variability in player contracts. Individually each is bad for players; taken together they would significantly reduce a player's bargaining power and give the owner much more leverage over a player for most if not all of his career.

In short, the concessions on future salary we have offered (at least $948 Million to $1.25 Billion over five years, depending on HRR growth) are not enough. We are still being told that more salaries must be conceded, and that very valuable player contracting rights must be surrendered. So, while we are meeting again, and while some steps are being taken, there is still a lot of work to be done and bridges to be crossed before an agreement can be made.

We will review today's discussions over night and tomorrow morning before meeting again with the owners. Following our meeting tomorrow with the league, we will be able to provide a broader update.

As always, please contact us if you have any questions or comments.

Best regards.

Don

On Wednesday night, the NHLPA tabled new offers regarding revenue sharing and the league's "make whole" provision, with the union suggesting a system where the players' share in revenue reaches 50-50 in the third year of the deal.

The NHL and the NHLPA gathered for a fourth straight day of collective bargaining talks on Friday -- the longest run of meetings they've had during these negotiations.