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Training camp will not open this week for the National Hockey League, for the NHL has locked out its players. The collective bargaining agreement expired at midnight and the opening of the season on October 13th may be questionable. In fact, the season may not happen at all. The NHL Players Association says it is ready to lose a season and a half. Ouch! Gothamist knows the Rangers suck, but is that really any reason to shut the league down?
It's a classic case of owners vs. union that you see in almost every sport these days. The NHL says its owners lost $223 million with 20 clubs losing money. They want to control the cost of the salaries and lower the average salary to $1.3 million down from $1.8 million. The NHL also says that 75% of their revenue goes towards player salaries. What they would like is a wage formula that is tied to revenue.
The player's union is opposed to the wage/revenue formula because they believe it will act as a de facto salary cap, limiting the salaries of its members. They have offered a 5% rollback on salaries, restrictions on rookie salaries, luxury taxes and revenue sharing.
Oy, all this gives Gothamist some kind of headache. What's really troubling is that the NHL has no timetable for starting the season and, as we stated earlier, the NHLPA is ready for a long lockout. The real losers in all this are the staff of the NHL and its teams, which are laying off staff. We're sure that list extends all the way down to venders, maintenance staff, and all other types of workers. By the way, the NHLPA would like you to know there are "No Games to Display".
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It feels like there's a hockey lockout every couple years. What is wrong with the NHL? Or is it the players' union? These two orgs, while they are protesting their interests, always forget about the fans. And this goes for any would-be striking sport - remember the baseball strike of 93 or 94? Oy.
A strike when you already get paid millions of dollars a year is pretty much always for selfish reasons. But at least baseball learned from 94 and did everything possible to make sure they didn't strike in 2002 (though they cut it pretty close). Hockey seems to be moving in the opposite direction. I wonder, because so many of the players come from countries/states that are crazy about hockey if they realize many NHL teams are now in places where people really could care less. Can you imagine the uproar if the NBA, NFL, or MLB said at training camp time they were ready to cancel a season and a half?
I am so sick of the atheletes complaining about salaries get a real job
. I can not take the family anymore due to the prices . atheletes are not being good role modles anymore lots of drug convictions and major attitude.
remember guys you get paid from the fans . I have been so turned off by most of you and don't enjoy professional sports like i used to . Shame on most of you .