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I'm getting close to hoping the season is cancelled!


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I have been a fan of the Montreal Canadiens since I was old enough to watch and understand it. Probably for over 50 years. I've watched Jean Beliveau and all the great teams and players ever since and have been at many games at the old Forum [even had standing room tickets many times as a young teenager]. I was born and raised in Montreal but have lived in Ontario for the past 30 years. I am passionate about our Canadiens, and have subscribed to RDS in Ontario just so I can watch them. But I have never been so fed up and frustrated with the NHL owners and players as I am right now!!

They waited too long to even begin to talk, and then went weeks without meeting, then they met for a week, then nothing and now Bettman suggests they take a two week break!! Are they out of their minds! I think fans need to begin to speak up and let everyone involved in this hear and understand how frustrated and angry we are.

The people I feel badly for are first the thousands of people who work at the NHL arena's, and the surrounding restaurants and parking lots etc., and certainly all the fans. I don't feel badly for the owners at all, or the superstars, but I do feel badly for the middle of the pack on down type of players who, while they have salaries much much higher than any of us are likely legitimately starting to feel some financial pain.

But in my own mind, I am actually at the point where I am so fed up with Gary Bettman and the owners locking the players out every 6 years or so that I am getting to the point, not there yet, but I am getting close to hoping that the season is cancelled again because my frustration with them all is beinning to make me not care if they play again this year. Maybe then some heads will roll and some people in leadership will be replaced and a new approach to negotiating and working with the players in a reasonable way can maybe be found and introduced. Obviously this current approach is not working and maybe even beginning to make people in other sports laugh at how poorly the NHL handles these things.

I really do feel badly for those outside the NHL who earn their living off of the games and the league. But enough is enough. If Bettman and Fehr and their teams can't get the job done, if they don't care about the fans who pay their salaries, if they don't care enough about the game and league, and if they don't care enough about all the people they are financially hurting, then maybe the game should be put on hold and let some major changes be made. We need some people who care enough to put their own desires and ego's aside and start thinking about other people and get the job done!! That's how I feel and what I think needs to happen!

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I hope this season and every subsequent season is cancelled until the NHL realizes they cannot push the players every CBA to lower the salaries that they agreed to give them.

If the NHL was arguing the players should pay for their hockey sticks, I'd be on the side of the NHL. This is about cutting salaries.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am not usually one to be part of conspiracies but the more I look at Bettman and where he comes from, the NBA, I wonder if he really cares if the NHL succeeds. Maybe he is trying to help out his mentor the commissioner of the NBA by eliminating a competition for the sports dollar in the US. Just a thought and nothing more.

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Agree with the OP if we lose the season and a better environment emerges, that would be good.

My idea: Ten teams in a Canadian Division, ten teams in an American Division, after divisional eliminations the two winners play for the Stanley Cup.

This would lower costs and ticket prices, increase quality of play, and marshal fan interest right up to the cross-border final. The fans would win.

But the millionaire owners don't want franchises to fold, and the millionaire players don't want to see 1/3 of NHLPA members lose their jobs.

Too bad neither side's interests correspond with what's good for hockey!

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My idea is to make the salary caps team specific according to that team's revenue. Something like baseball does. There's revenue sharing, so it's still semi-competitive. Let's face it, none of use enjoyed watching our habs, in the top 3 of revenue in the league, miss the playoffs and watch Phoenix, the last in league revenue, go to the 3rd round of the playoffs. The league should be rewarding teams that have a great fanbase. They should also be required to move teams if they can't find a way to turn a profit in X amount of years.

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Agree with the OP if we lose the season and a better environment emerges, that would be good.

My idea: Ten teams in a Canadian Division, ten teams in an American Division, after divisional eliminations the two winners play for the Stanley Cup.

This would lower costs and ticket prices, increase quality of play, and marshal fan interest right up to the cross-border final. The fans would win.

But the millionaire owners don't want franchises to fold, and the millionaire players don't want to see 1/3 of NHLPA members lose their jobs.

Too bad neither side's interests correspond with what's good for hockey!

That WOULD NOT lower ticket prices.

Ticket Prices are not set by costs, but rather by supply/demand.

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I don't really see how a lost season would result in much good. Yes, there may be the hope that, if the players demonstrate conclusively that they have the wherewithal to stand up to these gouging, bullying owners, reason may dawn and a genuine partnership between players and owners ensue. But it's equally - perhaps more likely - that enmities become even more deeply entrenched; whoever ends up 'losing' the conflict will be brooding for revenge next time around. As for changes to the structure of the league, etc., don't bet on it. The most likely 'change' would be more 'fan-pleasing' novelties to make the game 'more exciting' - stuff like bigger nets, because goals are intrinsically exciting according to idiots. The ONLY thing that will stop the bleeding, IMHO, is commercial disaster following the lockout. If the owners see that their union-busting strategy has destroyed their businesses, then they will rethink their approach. Money and power are all they understand.

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No, but this lockout might:

http://www.washingto...ss=rss_capitals

Only if fans truly stay away. I find that they might for a month or two, but doubt it will last longterm. The NBA is seeing record revenues right now, the NHL did nothing but grow after the last work stoppage.

The anger now could very well subside quickly once the games are played.

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Only if fans truly stay away. I find that they might for a month or two, but doubt it will last longterm. The NBA is seeing record revenues right now, the NHL did nothing but grow after the last work stoppage.

The anger now could very well subside quickly once the games are played.

The big markets will still keep everything but the bottom five (believed to be Carolina, Long Island, Columbus, Phoenix and St. Louis) will lose major local corporate sponsors and increasing ticket prices won't help that. I can't wait to see Bruins fans deal with their increased ticket prices as Jacobs tries to make back the money his hardlining lockout lost.

Things may have increased after the last lockout but it also lead to Atlanta moving to Winnipeg and Phoenix being on continuous life support. Who could be next? The Blues moving to Kansas City? Carolina going bust?

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The big markets will still keep everything but the bottom five (believed to be Carolina, Long Island, Columbus, Phoenix and St. Louis) will lose major local corporate sponsors and increasing ticket prices won't help that. I can't wait to see Bruins fans deal with their increased ticket prices as Jacobs tries to make back the money his hardlining lockout lost.

Things may have increased after the last lockout but it also lead to Atlanta moving to Winnipeg and Phoenix being on continuous life support. Who could be next? The Blues moving to Kansas City? Carolina going bust?

I think all are very happy Jets are back and as a Habs fan, who gives a rats-ass if Yotes play in Arizona or Seattle or where Blues play?

Sure, it would be best for quality of play if 5 or 10 iof them simply fold and be gone and we all know Quebec and Ontario will add 1 more team each, just a matter of time, but has very little to do with this CBA negotiation.

Teams have been shuffling around pro hockey for over 100 years now and likely always will, no matter what gets agreed upon by next fall.

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I think all are very happy Jets are back and as a Habs fan, who gives a rats-ass if Yotes play in Arizona or Seattle or where Blues play?

I don't like hockey fans losing their hockey team. We're pretty spoiled as Canadiens fans because we'll never lose hockey in Montreal. There will be talk about bringing back the Maroons before there is talk about relocating the Canadiens.

I'm a hockey fan before I'm an NHL fan and I want the most people possible to enjoy the game of hockey. I don't think we'd be talking about Phoenix's problems if the team was actually in Phoenix and not Glendale. They should have built an arena with the Suns.

I just want the best for hockey and while I'm on my soapbox I'll mention I've always had a bigger problem with Anaheim and Florida than I've had with Phoenix or Nashville.

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I don't like hockey fans losing their hockey team. We're pretty spoiled as Canadiens fans because we'll never lose hockey in Montreal. There will be talk about bringing back the Maroons before there is talk about relocating the Canadiens.

I'm a hockey fan before I'm an NHL fan and I want the most people possible to enjoy the game of hockey. I don't think we'd be talking about Phoenix's problems if the team was actually in Phoenix and not Glendale. They should have built an arena with the Suns.

I just want the best for hockey and while I'm on my soapbox I'll mention I've always had a bigger problem with Anaheim and Florida than I've had with Phoenix or Nashville.

I doubt there are many "fans" in Arizona (cept maybe some senior canadian snowbirds) and if team was relocating, would be a protest by maybe 12 people, same as Atlanta has had twice now.

Best for NHL Hockey is to play in rinks that have half-decent crowds and not to have to give away a meal-liquor and tickets for almost nothing to try and entice people to come to a game.

And i am not picking on only 1 team, there are lots who have crap attendance like Devils, Islanders and a bunch of others that i easily could do without. A nice 20-to-24 team league would be fine with me.

But i do agree, the more fans the better for sure and i also agree that there can be a big distinction between simply an NHL team supporter and simply being a hockey fan.

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Tonight would have been a great evening to watch the Habs on TV. =(

We need a fake game thread. Therrien should try Prust on the top lines for a few shifts. Plekanec is getting his arse kicked. Oh and what is Palushaj still doing with the Habs, send him back to Hamilton.

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I doubt there are many "fans" in Arizona.

Again, you're spoiled as a Canadiens fan. Are you an Expos fan? Most Expos fans will defend their team and talk about how often they were screwed while just about everyone else will say, "Yeah, nobody in Montreal cared about baseball or else they never would have had to play games in Puerto Rico just to avoid an empty stadium. Give it up."

I didn't like people in Quebec, Winnipeg, Hartford or Atlanta losing their teams. Especially with how many of those were examples of poor ownership and not bad fans.

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Again, you're spoiled as a Canadiens fan. Are you an Expos fan? Most Expos fans will defend their team and talk about how often they were screwed while just about everyone else will say, "Yeah, nobody in Montreal cared about baseball or else they never would have had to play games in Puerto Rico just to avoid an empty stadium. Give it up."

I didn't like people in Quebec, Winnipeg, Hartford or Atlanta losing their teams. Especially with how many of those were examples of poor ownership and not bad fans.

I didnt care why any of those teams were moved, fact of life for fringe teams, or any team with sketchy ownership, who normally own sports franchises simply as a hobby (Molson would do fine with or without Habs i bet).

If Canadian $$ falls back to 0.64 and/or Winnipeg ownership changes hands, Jets could be on the move again in 10 or 15 years? Doesnt matter if we see as good/bad or try and blame owner's spokesman at the time or not, it will happen no matter what new CBA is, nor who is puppet for Board of Governers.

Same as NFL/MLB/NBA, teams get shuffled around every so often; but, if a market is there/conditions are right, teams will also return.(a la Oakland Raiders, Seattle Supersonics, Jets or Quebec etc).

So really it equals out; sure, may leave 'some' fans in say, Long Island without a local team; but, on other hand, you will make fans quite happy in whatever new location they go to.

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As this progresses, I become more and more convinced that the lockout will go the full season.

Mainly, Bettman is an agent for the owners and wants to be seen as the guy who made the NHL profitable for all franchises. At this point, there remain many franchises who are in the red. It is the red franchises that are driving the current lockout. This would account for the recent rumblings out of Philadelphia, a profitable franchise, that wants an end to the lockout. I would place the Leafs, Rangers and Habs among this group as well.

Anyway, as a Habs fans, there is a silver lining to a full lockout. I believe that we remain weighted for the 3rd overall pick next summer. This could be a turning point for the franchise. With two new marquis players under our belt, we may actually return to our proper glory within a couple of seasons. Plus, I love the fact that Gomez hasn't earned a single dime - yet.

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Anyway, as a Habs fans, there is a silver lining to a full lockout. I believe that we remain weighted for the 3rd overall pick next summer. This could be a turning point for the franchise. With two new marquis players under our belt, we may actually return to our proper glory within a couple of seasons. Plus, I love the fact that Gomez hasn't earned a single dime - yet.

If the draft lottery were to be held in a similar fashion to the at the end of the last lockout, the Habs wouldn't be in good shape since they made the playoffs the previous two years.

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Well, there's a strong current of thought that says the owners have been using the NBA playbook right from the beginning with this thing; which means they would be getting serious about actually negotiating right about now, shooting for a January return. So I wouldn't be fatalistic about losing the whole season just yet, although - like everyone else - I'd regard a lost season as utterly unforgiveable.

The idea that every single team must have guaranteed profitability, and all on the backs of the players, is so ridiculous (and manifestly unjust) as to be unworthy of serious discussion, let alone serious collective bargaining. If that's actually the goal, then the NHLPA should indeed pursue decertification and blow up the entire god**mned NHL.

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It's pretty much on the do or die line this wek.

Question is if we get back to hockey, how will they compete ??

Not bad on a 50 games season i'd say, why ? Not because i am 100% sure Habs would

be in the playoffs but the intensity of a season when every game mean something is thrilling.

not like in these vintage games on TSN or RDS

Habs under Bergevin and Therrien, will be much more like a warrior team. Cole, Paccioretty, Prust,

Moen, Emelin and Gorges are all heart and soul players solid hockey players i would take on my team

anytime. It looks to good not to be watched.

With the other players pushing in it could be a thrill to see it all the way to the silver cup...remember 93...

I like football, i just want hockey. A Habitants Canadian fan.

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Like I said in the other thread, I think we are watching the final stages of the BS fest. They're running out of road and are just trying to squeeze every last drop from the other side as they can before FINALLY f**cking signing.

How will the Habs do? My opinion hasn't changed, particularly.

1. We have a better-than-usual chance of being one of those teams that really comes together, buys into what the coach is selling, and surpasses low expectations as a result. This is a realistic possibility because so many players will be extra motivated after last season's crashing disappointment, and perhaps because Therrien may represent a 'new voice' after years of Martin and will therefore galvanize some players who were maybe indifferent before. That doesn't mean we'll do well - just that we may make the playoffs based on these intangibles. Once you're in the playoffs, of course, anything can happen.

2. On paper, the team is still pretty cruddy - especially assuming, as I think smart money does, that Markov will never again be the player he was. We've bolstered the bottom 6 up front and added some depth on D but don't have any reason to think we have an adequate second line. Basically, we threw away Cammy and Kosty while adding a floating turd (Bourque). That's quite a chunk of top-6 talent to remove from the roster without adequate replacement.

So, I expect a feisty but under-talented lineup. If (1) materializes, everyone will praise Therrien as a genius, until he melts down sometime between year 2 and 3. And I'd settle for that. But, say, a 10th place finish wouldn't exactly be a shock.

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Like I said in the other thread, I think we are watching the final stages of the BS fest. They're running out of road and are just trying to squeeze every last drop from the other side as they can before FINALLY f**cking signing.

How will the Habs do? My opinion hasn't changed, particularly.

1. We have a better-than-usual chance of being one of those teams that really comes together, buys into what the coach is selling, and surpasses low expectations as a result. This is a realistic possibility because so many players will be extra motivated after last season's crashing disappointment, and perhaps because Therrien may represent a 'new voice' after years of Martin and will therefore galvanize some players who were maybe indifferent before. That doesn't mean we'll do well - just that we may make the playoffs based on these intangibles. Once you're in the playoffs, of course, anything can happen.

2. On paper, the team is still pretty cruddy - especially assuming, as I think smart money does, that Markov will never again be the player he was. We've bolstered the bottom 6 up front and added some depth on D but don't have any reason to think we have an adequate second line. Basically, we threw away Cammy and Kosty while adding a floating turd (Bourque). That's quite a chunk of top-6 talent to remove from the roster without adequate replacement.

So, I expect a feisty but under-talented lineup. If (1) materializes, everyone will praise Therrien as a genius, until he melts down sometime between year 2 and 3. And I'd settle for that. But, say, a 10th place finish wouldn't exactly be a shock.

Gheesh..this seems devastatingly plausible.. aggggh... :blush:

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