18 replies to this topic

[Don]

http://www.mytelus.c...ticleID=1851938

18 Road Runners say they'd play in replacement NHL
EDMONTON - "Where do I sign?"

General manager Kevin Lowe wouldn't have to look far to begin stocking the Edmonton Oilers for the 2005-06 NHL season if negotiations with locked out NHLPA members over a new collective bargaining were legally declared to be at an impasse, and teams opted to use replacement players.

Under those circumstances, 18 of 22 players with the Edmonton Road Runners, the Oilers� AHL affiliate, polled last weekend said they�d sign to play for the Oilers as replacement players at a salary of $500,000 US. Two players said they wouldn't sign as replacements and two others declined to answer. There's not much support for the NHLPA down on the farm.

"It's every man for himself, especially for all of us guys who are down in the minors," said Road Runners forward Dan Baum. "If they came knocking on my door, I'd want to play."

"I think every team, if you were to poll the players, would be the same way," said veteran Rocky Thompson. "Who wouldn't love an opportunity to play in the NHL, even as a replacement player?"

Thompson, a 10-year pro who has 25 NHL games on his resume with the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers, has gone on record before as saying he'd sign as a replacement player.

[Devs82-83]

My sincere thanks to every member of the Road Runners roster.

Although your cup of coffee may only be brief in major league hockey boys, we still may end up needing you eventually.

Godspeed to all Roadrunners players...and to all non-NHLPA hockey aficionados who would play in the big leagues without even thinking about it.

I admire your position fellas...may the sun always shine brightly outside any hockey rink you're playing in.

['7']

What still hasn't dawned on these scabs in training is that they will still be AHL players, just playing dressup. So what changes really, it's still the AHL.

[Triumph]

The key here is 500K salaries, which the replacement players will never earn. They are much more likely to earn around 150K to 200K, which would make the decision a little more difficult.

Show me the man that won't be a scab for 10 times the pay, ^7^.

Edited by Triumph, 03 March 2005 - 11:19 PM.

['7']

There are far too many risks involved Tri, there is another poll of an AHL team that shows only 2 or 3 scabs willing to cross the line. I don't know if they'll be able to find enough to fill the rosters when the NHL returns. In the long run, they're going to be putting there career in jeopardy here.

[Derek21]

If you offer an average player so much more money to play in the best league, they're most likely going to take it. There might be one or two exceptions to the rule.

[Triumph]

What career? Most of the AHL guys know they're not making the NHL. Legitimate prospects shouldn't be willing to cross, but other AHLers and certainly ECHL and UHL players would be willing to cross. They don't have legit NHL careers, and they're not jeapordizing a thing.

You don't think you can find 650 guys to play NHL hockey for 100K a year, even for four weeks? You're insane.

[IceThief]

[What career? Most of the AHL guys know they're not making the NHL. Legitimate prospects shouldn't be willing to cross, but other AHLers and certainly ECHL and UHL players would be willing to cross. They don't have legit NHL careers, and they're not jeapordizing a thing.

You don't think you can find 650 guys to play NHL hockey for 100K a year, even for four weeks? You're insane.]

If you think that ECHL players are going to be willing to cross a picket line in a strike situation to play scab hockey, which that would actually be, you're seriously barking up the wrong tree.

The ECHL is unionized. Unions do NOT cross each other's picket lines in a strike situation.

IceThief

[Devs82-83]

Ice Thief with all due respect...the ECHLPA is a joke.

Bear in mind we are talking about ECHL players (99.9% of them) who also need to work other pedestrian type jobs during the off-season to make ends meet.

Do I believe an ECHL player would cross some glorified ECHL "line" to play what would amount to being big league hockey?

The question wouldn't even need to be completed before the bulk of them would ask what line to sign on.

ECHL union?

Are you kidding me?

[Triumph]

IceThief, the money being dealt with here is far too great to think that union loyalty will override it. This isn't a $1 per hour pay raise. This is a tenfold increase in salary.

Plus, the NHLPA has already showed itself as a disgrace to the concept of a labor union.

I don't think this dispute will come to using replacement players.

[Devs82-83]

Nor do I Triumph.

They'll be back on the ice next season under the exact terms that are dictated to them by the NHL owners.

They have zero leverage.

Their union is a hoax of sorts...or its been renedered obsolete, take your pick.

['7']

of course they have leverage, once the Scab Hockey League collapses the owners are at the NHLPA's mercy. Sans a few idiots, nobody will buy scab hockey as the real NHL.

[Devil Dog]

'7' Posted Today, 11:36 AM
  of course they have leverage, once the Scab Hockey League collapses the owners are at the NHLPA's mercy. Sans a few idiots, nobody will buy scab hockey as the real NHL.

Kind of like no one was willing to go to see NFL replacement players? If I remember correctly, the average attendence was between 30%-40% of regular NFL games and growing. That was what dealt the NFLPA its death blow. And that was in a league where even the casual fan knew more players then the current casual NHL fan.

If ticket prices are reduced enough, people will come to watch.

[Triumph]

The unfortunate difference between the NFL and NHL is that there were no other pro football leagues in the US. There are several pro hockey leagues, some in the same city as an NHL team.

I imagine NJ and NY would get the best attendance for replacement hockey. Places like Toronto and Montreal would care less, they have junior hockey. It would depend on the Southern franchises.

And again, it is very unlikely that the NHL can use replacement players.

[Devil Dog]

Triumph Posted Today, 12:15 PM
  The unfortunate difference between the NFL and NHL is that there were no other pro football leagues in the US. There are several pro hockey leagues, some in the same city as an NHL team.

I imagine NJ and NY would get the best attendance for replacement hockey. Places like Toronto and Montreal would care less, they have junior hockey. It would depend on the Southern franchises.

And again, it is very unlikely that the NHL can use replacement players.

I guess we'll just have to disagree on this. From what I have read, most Canadians seem to be more pro-owner than player in this fight. I expect that many will go to the games just to stick it to the players. Basically, most fans will probably do the same thing. In the US I think that more people than not will go as long as the tickets are priced low enough. Also by going to see replacement players your trying to scare the regular players into coming back.

During the NFL strike, once LT crossed the line the players were done. Since there is no one current NHL player that has that type of weight it will only take a few recognized players coming over that causes the dam to burst. The Modano's and Guerin's of the world can sit out till hell freezes over, but that won't stop a majority of players from coming back.

[sundstrom]

keep in mind that whenever hockey comes back, Mario will be playing and he is still one of the biggest stars there are.

[Don]

Can you imagine? Mario and a bunch of has-been's and never-was's? It would be like.... last year.

[LizDevil30]

Good one Don. Pens fans should have no problem paying to see replacements.

[AddictedToHockey]

[What career? Most of the AHL guys know they're not making the NHL. Legitimate prospects shouldn't be willing to cross, but other AHLers and certainly ECHL and UHL players would be willing to cross. They don't have legit NHL careers, and they're not jeapordizing a thing.

You don't think you can find 650 guys to play NHL hockey for 100K a year, even for four weeks? You're insane.]

If you think that ECHL players are going to be willing to cross a picket line in a strike situation to play scab hockey, which that would actually be, you're seriously barking up the wrong tree.

The ECHL is unionized. Unions do NOT cross each other's picket lines in a strike situation.

IceThief

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Two comments...

The NHLPA is NOT a union. It is a player's association. In Quebec, and arguably British Columbia, the courts have recognized it is not an union, so using replacement players would not be the issue some have said.

Secondly... anyone who is in a union where the average salary is $13,000 and they support a union's demands where the union's average salary is $1.8 million -- 150 times as much -- for doing the same thing.... if that person sides with the NHLPA, then he truly is clueless, if you ask me.