[Alberta's Child]

This is one of those cases where I'm on the side of the players. The players don't just want a "piece of the action" ... they're looking to protect what they've already got even after all the concessions they've made in the last few collective bargaining agreements.

The major problem here is that the NHL doesn't seem to be the kind of league that can operate under the NBA-like structure that has been in place since Gary Bettman became the commissioner. I seem to remember reading somewhere recently that two teams -- the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens -- are worth more than the rest of the NHL combined. I don't see how this league can possibly continue to function with so many troubled franchises in places where there simply aren't enough fans to support a team.

[dfwgator]

Inevitably, the NHL will need to look at contraction. They are in major danger of starting to lose players to the KHL.