I believe the player's union is to blame. The owners were well within their rights to demand a salary cap. For way too long, players have been paid way more than was sustainable. Sure, certain owners are to blame for that. But the NHLPA waited until the last hour to say they would accept a cap. Had they done that months ago, the players may be skating today.
The NHL will be a better league after this. It will be more competitive and more profitable for owners. That can only benefit the fans in the long run, IMO.
Agreed... Hockey Players are far overpaid based on the revenues the teams and league generate. The fact that they were willing to cut off their noses to spite their faces shows they got what they deserved.
I agree with you completely.
A cap has worked just fine in the NFL. If you look at pro sports the NFL is the most competitive and small market teams can compete with the big market teams. It's time for the other sports to realize that their systems are broke and need to be fixed. They have a good working model in the NFL and should look at that system as a way to make their sports more competitive. Right now, with MLB about ready to start you have the usual suspects in the hunt with everyone else on the outside looking in. It killed my love of baseball. The only sport I'll watch anymore is football. That is because it is the only major pro sport that puts out a product that is major league.
I blame everything on the NY Rangers!
I believe the negotators for both sides in this labour dispute are to blame when things like this happen. Both sides needed to give and refused until "extreme" pressure was put on them. The players with their cap and the 24 percent cut in pay was a give and the owners with what it gave up to a salary cap of 42.5 million. Obviously there was middle ground to be had but the NHL decided to pull the plug and the NHLPA decided to let it happen.
You have indicated that the NHL will be better off for all of this. At this point, I am really not to sure. After what happened to baseball, I would say they may be better in many many years. One thing is for sure - those small businesses around arenas who relied on hockey games took an absolutle beating.
The owners only have to look at themselves - they were the ones that upped the anti of free-agency. Signing free agents to contracts such as Jagr's $11MM a year which by the way is 1/3 the team salary of a number of small market teams. There is no winner in this dog fight - only the fan loses. What about love for the game! That went out the door with the spoils going to the highest bidder for the marquee player. Ask yourself why a player wouldn't go for the money offered? The players need to realize that they have only taken advantage of what was offered, now it is time to live with what is being offered and realistic. The NHL doesn't have the fan base of other sports and they don't have the luxury of being subsidized by high TV revenue. Like any business - you need to at least break even. I guess what amazes me is that the players are willing to play elsewhere for less money - why not in the NHL? It is a shame because they have already hurt a weak market - but clearly both sides are the blame. Certain owners out of control with their desire to win and blank check policy while the players have been driven by their own greed to retain their unrealistic salaries.
I place more of the blame on the owners. When you've got a league in which 20 of 30 teams are losing money, it's clear that they've expanded far beyond what the market would bear. The comment by the commissioner that all 30 teams would remain in business is a bad sign, for it means that the league will continue to have a problem with third-rate talent filling many rosters -- regardless of whether or not there is a salary cap in place.