NHL?

[robyrob]

The NHL's Public Relations department issued a statement on the CBA talks Friday. "Given additional media reports, the NHL again denies that there is an agreement in principal between the League and the NHLPA," the statement read. Talks are continuing.

from yahoonews!

For the second straight day, the league on Friday denied reports a new CBA has been agreed upon with the Players Association.

Following a published report in Thursday's Los Angeles Times that stated an agreement had been reached, both the NHL and the union issued statements of denial. On Friday, the league reiterated the falseness of the story.

"Given additional media reports, the NHL again denies that there is an agreement in principle between the league and the NHLPA," the league said in a statement.

The sides, which have held discussions every day since Monday, will continue to meet this weekend

Here are terms of a new NHL collective bargaining agreement, according to a Los Angeles Times report on an agreement in principle. Both the league and its players union said Thursday that no agreement exists at this time.

The NEW DEAL:

• A hard salary cap of $37 million linked to 54 percent of league revenue. The minimum payroll will be about $24 million with a provision that will limit the salary of any player to 20 percent of the team cap figure.

• A 24 percent rollback of existing contracts and qualifying offers.

• An NBA-style escrow provision under which 15 percent of each player's paycheck will go into an escrow account until revenue is calculated after each season. If league-wide spending on salaries exceeds 54 percent of revenue, the difference between the salaries paid and the negotiated percentage will be paid to teams from the escrow account.

• Players will be able to represent their homelands at the Turin Olympics next February. The All-Star Game will be dropped so there won't be two interruptions of the season.

• Each team will have an equal chance in the lottery for the No. 1 pick in this year's entry draft, with forward Sidney Crosby the obvious top prize.

• No luxury tax, but revenue sharing through a complex formula under which the top 10 revenue-earning teams will give a percentage of their revenue to small-market teams.

• Salary arbitration will be conducted "baseball style,'' with each side presenting a figure and the arbitrator obligated to pick one figure or the other. Provisions will allow teams to walk away from a specified number of awards.

• Minimum age to qualify for unrestricted free agency will be 31 in the first year of the deal, 30 the following year and 28 for the remaining four years.

• Players' performance bonuses will be restricted according to a standardized formula.

• Earnings will be limited for entry-level players, who will be subject to salary limits for their first four seasons instead of three. Their maximum earnings will be $850,000.

• The largest unresolved issue is the disposition of contracts for the 2004-05 season.

from espn:

Sometime between today and next week, sweaty NHL bargainers will look up at their counterparts from the National Hockey League Players' Association and together they will nod their heads and put down their pens. Done. A new collective-bargaining agreement between the National Hockey League and its players...

...Once both sides agree on a deal -- likely sometime this weekend or early next week -- don't expect the parties to rush onto Broadway and burst into song. The two sides will likely draft a joint release about the tentative deal, but further details will wait for ratification.

There has been speculation the league will wait to announce a tentative deal until after the Major League Baseball All-Star Game next Tuesday in order to take advantage of the hole in the North American sporting schedule. Maybe. But time is at a premium; logic dictates that once a tentative deal is done the league will want to move forward as quickly as possible.

so, my question is...

does the NHL have ANY fans left?

[Mr. Television]

The NHL? Didn't they used to be a professional sports league?

[Brian Damage]

I am not a die hard fan, but it will be good to get the league back on the ice. I like that they eliminated the All-Star game. The All-Star game in any sport stinks.

[robyrob]

however it happens, its going to get CRAZY very quickly - some teams have very few players still under contract (like Boston - with only four signed, they can't even put a full line on the ice) and very little time if they want to get a full season in.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/column...=2103817&num=2
GMs will have about a month, perhaps five weeks, to fill out their rosters while staying under the new salary cap of between $37 million to $39 million. If, as expected, the NHL allows its players to take part in the 2006 Olympics in Turin, the league will almost certainly start the regular season earlier than normal; likely the first week of October, meaning training camps would start the week after Labor Day.

[TJ]

I really missed it this year. It's going to be a completely different game when they come back. The fans won't all come back at once I'm sure. They will need a new TV contract as I don't know if ESPN will be picking them up.

I knew the PA were fools when they declined the $42 million cap. They were never going to get a better deal than that.

[TripperFan]

Morons. Just take a look at the size of the arenas compared to football and the NFLs popularity, the income, the loss of sponsors now, and they should have known to take the first offer.

Bunch of spoiled brats - playing the sport they love, getting plenty of time off, making great money, getting the babes and they whine like that. Try getting a job in the real world!

After the baseball strike I could care less and hockey seems to be going the same way for us.

[Mikado]

Awww Cathie, look at the bright side, your Leafs went undefeated this year As for me, Ill be watching and maybe now, "small" market teams like MY Canadiens will be able to afford to ice a competitive team...I CANT WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO BEGIN!!!!! Go Habs, Go!!!

[CollegeDropout]

I missed it so much! I love hockey, so I was kinda depressed esp. since bball isnt on every night and football is usually sundays...luckily I watched my games on the local channel, hey we arent the bruins but almost anyways boston b's ruleeeeeee

[gilligan fanatic]

YES!

[Mikado]

Originally Posted by CollegeDropout

anyways boston b's ruleeeeeee

Yeah until the Habs kick their butts seriously though, arent you glad they will be back?....what do you think of the new rules though? I HATE SHOOTOUTS!!!!

[*MIBabe03*]

Red Wings!

[moeee]

NHL is back. its good for everybody.

[Dianne3]

I initially didn't care that hockey was back. Now with all these recent signings, I find myself getting excited again.

[Mikado]

Montreals highest draft pick in 15 years , they are weak in all positions EXCEPT goal....and what do they get A GOALIE????????????? WHAT ARE THEY THINKING??????????

[robyrob]

goalies? i would say that IS the HAB's weakness - their overreliance on goalies... anyways: