What's the deal with the lockout?

[Gagnon39]

All this talk about an impending lockout doesn't suprise me. What does suprise me is the fact that this is being viewed as a killer for the NHL. I just find it hard to believe that the NHL "will not survive"... I just haven't heard any recent news. So what's going on with it.

[SPTO]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

I will be writing a collumn on my thoughts about the inpending lockout on another website (end plug)

Anyways this lockout is a 99.9% certainty. The NHL which was once a pretty good league in tersm of being balanced when it comes to television revenues has now become a gate driven league. There are too many teams losing money especially the teams in the sunbelt and west coast.

The spending on high contracts has really hurt the league but I wouldn't say the owners were stupid like baseball owners it's just that the market got too big for the owners to be shelling out the kind of money when they aren't getting good revenues in the arenas and the US tv revenues are just non-existent.

Gary Bettman is looking for "cost certainty". The owners want to limit the spending on salaries becuase they just can't afford to spend like they used to. There have been some meetings recently but nothing has changed.

The reason why people say this will kill the league is becuase the league has such a low profile in the US now that any kind of extended lockout could force some teams to fold. I don't think that will happen as some of the worst off teams like Ottawa have new ownership or ownership that can take a huge loss for the betterment of the game.

It's sad to see Arena League football having comparable numbers to the NHL in the US.

[SPTO]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

I will be writing a collumn on my thoughts about the inpending lockout on another website (end plug)

Anyways this lockout is a 99.9% certainty. The NHL which was once a pretty good league in tersm of being balanced when it comes to television revenues has now become a gate driven league. There are too many teams losing money especially the teams in the sunbelt and west coast.

The spending on high contracts has really hurt the league but I wouldn't say the owners were stupid like baseball owners it's just that the market got too big for the owners to be shelling out the kind of money when they aren't getting good revenues in the arenas and the US tv revenues are just non-existent.

Gary Bettman is looking for "cost certainty". The owners want to limit the spending on salaries becuase they just can't afford to spend like they used to. There have been some meetings recently but nothing has changed.

The reason why people say this will kill the league is becuase the league has such a low profile in the US now that any kind of extended lockout could force some teams to fold. I don't think that will happen as some of the worst off teams like Ottawa have new ownership or ownership that can take a huge loss for the betterment of the game.

It's sad to see Arena League football having comparable numbers to the NHL in the US.

[SPTO]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

I will be writing a collumn on my thoughts about the inpending lockout on another website (end plug)

Anyways this lockout is a 99.9% certainty. The NHL which was once a pretty good league in tersm of being balanced when it comes to television revenues has now become a gate driven league. There are too many teams losing money especially the teams in the sunbelt and west coast.

The spending on high contracts has really hurt the league but I wouldn't say the owners were stupid like baseball owners it's just that the market got too big for the owners to be shelling out the kind of money when they aren't getting good revenues in the arenas and the US tv revenues are just non-existent.

Gary Bettman is looking for "cost certainty". The owners want to limit the spending on salaries becuase they just can't afford to spend like they used to. There have been some meetings recently but nothing has changed.

The reason why people say this will kill the league is becuase the league has such a low profile in the US now that any kind of extended lockout could force some teams to fold. I don't think that will happen as some of the worst off teams like Ottawa have new ownership or ownership that can take a huge loss for the betterment of the game.

It's sad to see Arena League football having comparable numbers to the NHL in the US.

[VanCitySportsGuy]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

People are crazy when they say the lockout will kill the league. The NHL will always survive, hardcore hockey fans are very loyal. I know I'll still watch the NHL even if they had a one year lockout.

I don't blame the players for the salaries. Heck if somebody today offered me a job that pays $35 an hour I'm bolting. I'm not going to say no if somebody wants to overpay me.

[VanCitySportsGuy]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

People are crazy when they say the lockout will kill the league. The NHL will always survive, hardcore hockey fans are very loyal. I know I'll still watch the NHL even if they had a one year lockout.

I don't blame the players for the salaries. Heck if somebody today offered me a job that pays $35 an hour I'm bolting. I'm not going to say no if somebody wants to overpay me.

[VanCitySportsGuy]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

People are crazy when they say the lockout will kill the league. The NHL will always survive, hardcore hockey fans are very loyal. I know I'll still watch the NHL even if they had a one year lockout.

I don't blame the players for the salaries. Heck if somebody today offered me a job that pays $35 an hour I'm bolting. I'm not going to say no if somebody wants to overpay me.

[SPTO]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

The thing is the hardcore hockey fans in the US are in the northeast and basically are the people from the Original Six areas. (Chicago, Detroit, Boston and NY) The league has to worry about the game in the US. It's true that most Canadians will tune into the game again even if the lockout lasts a year.

That won't be the case with the US market.

[SPTO]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

The thing is the hardcore hockey fans in the US are in the northeast and basically are the people from the Original Six areas. (Chicago, Detroit, Boston and NY) The league has to worry about the game in the US. It's true that most Canadians will tune into the game again even if the lockout lasts a year.

That won't be the case with the US market.

[SPTO]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

The thing is the hardcore hockey fans in the US are in the northeast and basically are the people from the Original Six areas. (Chicago, Detroit, Boston and NY) The league has to worry about the game in the US. It's true that most Canadians will tune into the game again even if the lockout lasts a year.

That won't be the case with the US market.

[devilsjaw]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

I personally think the NHL over-expanded in the nineties, and to the wrong regions. People (except maybe northern transplants) in the southeast and soutwestern US don't really care about ice hockey. In fact a lot of people I know here around Atlanta don't know the rules, so thats why they don't watch. I'd love to see some teams move back to Canada, and back to the northeast. I really miss seeing the Hartford Whalers jerseys, and the Winnipeg Jets.

The NHL tried to become more popular around the US, and for the most part has failed. I think they shoulkd lick their wounds and re-think the location of some of their franchises.

[devilsjaw]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

I personally think the NHL over-expanded in the nineties, and to the wrong regions. People (except maybe northern transplants) in the southeast and soutwestern US don't really care about ice hockey. In fact a lot of people I know here around Atlanta don't know the rules, so thats why they don't watch. I'd love to see some teams move back to Canada, and back to the northeast. I really miss seeing the Hartford Whalers jerseys, and the Winnipeg Jets.

The NHL tried to become more popular around the US, and for the most part has failed. I think they shoulkd lick their wounds and re-think the location of some of their franchises.

[devilsjaw]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

I personally think the NHL over-expanded in the nineties, and to the wrong regions. People (except maybe northern transplants) in the southeast and soutwestern US don't really care about ice hockey. In fact a lot of people I know here around Atlanta don't know the rules, so thats why they don't watch. I'd love to see some teams move back to Canada, and back to the northeast. I really miss seeing the Hartford Whalers jerseys, and the Winnipeg Jets.

The NHL tried to become more popular around the US, and for the most part has failed. I think they shoulkd lick their wounds and re-think the location of some of their franchises.

[PdiddyPop]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

no matter where hockey is being played i will tune it simple as that i love hockey almost as much as college basketball.

[PdiddyPop]

Re: What\'s the deal with the lockout?

no matter where hockey is being played i will tune it simple as that i love hockey almost as much as college basketball.