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Posted on 02/13/2005 4:35:51 PM PST by CurlyBill
TSN.ca Staff
2/13/2005
The NHL and NHL Players' Association secretly met with U.S. federal mediators in Washington on Sunday, The Canadian Press has learned.
Sources indicated the meeting with the U.S. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service was still going on as of 6 p.m. EST.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow were not in the meeting. Bill Daly, the NHL's executive vice-president and chief legal officer, and league outside counsel Bob Batterman were there with NHLPA senior director Ted Saskin and union outside counsel John McCambridge.
It wasn't immediately clear whose idea it was to arrange the meeting with the mediators or when both sides agreed to it. But it definitely flew under the radar, with both sides telling media this weekend that no meetings were in the works.
Last week, Bettman set the end of the weekend as a deadline to get a deal put on paper. Early indications from the meeting in Washington suggested no progress was being made.
The league is expected to cancel the season either Tuesday or Wednesday in New York unless a miracle agreement can be attained in short order. The NHL would become the first major professional league in North America to ever cancel an entire season from start to finish.
The meeting Sunday came on the very day the NHL had been originally slated have this year's all-star game in Atlanta. Instead, it's been cancelled along with 824 of the 1,230 regular-season games. If an agreement is reached, the league has a shortened schedule ready to go that would see teams play 28 regular-season games, playing only within their conference. The playoffs would stay the same.
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What kind of ridiculous joke of a sports league could propose a regular season that would be the same length as its postseason?
Only a league run by Gary Bettman.
I agree with your suggestion to drop the number of teams. NHL hockey was much more fun when you actually were familiar with all the teams and in a smaller league, you get much better rivalries. For example, the Bruins would be playing teams like the Canadians, Rangers and Flyers a bunch of times and there wouldn't be these no-name teams from Tennessee and Florida gumming up the works.
No offense to the South but ice hockey just doesn't work down there.
I also support eliminating the helmet rule (make it optional). For decades, players didn't wear helmets. I'm old enough to remember players like Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Jean Ratelle and Phil Esposito streaking down the ice sans helmets. It was much easier for fans to pick out the players back then. Now you have to constantly check the program to see who they are because they all look the same out there.
I'm sure many pro players would rather play without helmets. Hell, back in the day, even some of the goalies didn't wear helmets - or even facemasks! Now I think that's a little crazy, but other than goalies, there really is no need for players to have to wear helmets. Somehow pro hockey got played for over half a century with nobody getting killed because they didn't wear a helmet. And hockey was a much more vicious sport back in those days - even high-sticking was allowed!
I say:
LET THE FANS PLAY!
Stevie Yzerman may have a new perspective on the use of helmets.
Yzerman was already wearing a helmet when that eye-socket injury occurred last spring. The helmet was a non-factor in that injury.
You're correct. He has decided to extend his helmet's protection with a face shield (if he plays again). Logic says he would keep the helmet as well since the face shield is attached.
Man, I miss the NHL. At least I have season tickets to the local AHL team.
Although I see what you're saying, it's no way to grow the sport.
I must admit that I started missing the Bruins this week now that football season is over. Baseball training camp and the NBA don't interest me at all. So I have nothing to do sports-wise until April.
There will not be paring of temas now. The weak franchises will drop once play has resumed. I look for 12 teams to fold in a few years. This ESPN piece is well done.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1981387
If they pull it off, it won't be much of a season. I agree with you, they will need some time together as a team. The season would be so short, it would almost be a farce.
That being said, I would watch every precious game the Red Wings played as I'm sure you would with the Bruins. The following that Original Six teams enjoy can be found no where else in the league.
Keep your stick on the ice!
Pitchers and catchers report to Legends Field tomorrow. Let the (pre)games begin!
The cup should not be awarded with the season so short.
I, for one, will no go to any games this year.
I think it's all a moot point right now. They had better get things in order for next season or the league will be in big trouble.
Baseball .... ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz..... Boring!!!!
Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training this week.
What's this "hockey" thing you people are talking about?
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