Rock Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 NHL ready to kiss its season goodbye http://www.detnews.com/2004/wings/0412/01/A01-19597.htm Owners, players still are deadlocked over a salary cap as a mid-December deadline looms. By Ted Kulfan and Louis Aguilar / The Detroit News DETROIT -- The NHL season is on the brink of elimination. And everyone loses -- players, owners, the NHL's image, fans and the city of Detroit. The league is expected to announce in the next few weeks that it is canceling the remainder of the season, barring a miracle. That's unlikely since there have been no negotiations between the players and owners since the lockout officially began on Sept. 15. Players are bailing out and going overseas to play. Detroit's economy is taking a $2.2 million hit for every lost home game, according to financial experts. Make that $22 million since 10 games have been canceled. Outside of Detroit and a few key cities, few people seem to miss the game. A Hockey News poll revealed that 56 percent of U.S. sports fans didn't even know there is a lockout. All the talk about salary caps and cost containment has bored hockey fans who just want to see action on the ice. That includes Al Saunders, 38, of Dearborn Heights, who still is holding out hope that this season can be salvaged. "I would miss it if they didn't play this season," Saunders said. "But from what I've heard, it's probable they won't play. That's too bad. A lot of fans love to watch the games here." Manny Legace, Wings backup goalie and player representative, is more blunt about the future. "There's not going to be any hockey," Legace said. "It's a joke. The league doesn't want to negotiate. Players want to play. But we're not being allowed." Legace plans to play for a European team by mid-December. That is considered the drop-dead date that the NHL needs to salvage a 40-game schedule starting in January. A 1994 lockout lasted three months before it was resolved and 48-game schedule played. "My theory is that if they don't get a deal done by early December, we're not going to have a season," said Wayne Gretzky, one of the sport's greatest players and managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes. Fans find blame Wings players insist fan reaction has been favorable to them even though a Toronto Globe and Mail poll showed that 57 percent of fans blame the players in this dispute. "Fans have told me they just want the opportunity to come down to Joe Louis Arena again and watch hockey," Red Wings forward Kris Draper said. "I don't think they're blaming one side or the other as much as they're just frustrated with this whole thing." Indeed, some fans are just plain angry. "I'm not missing hockey at all," said Brian Perkins, 41, of Livonia, who believes players are at the root of the problem. "They've overestimated their importance. The holidays are here, football is in full swing, college football is near its bowl season. There is plenty of other stuff to occupy a person's time." Killing off the season does scare those in the NHL. "In Detroit, this being such a great hockey town, you expect people will be back," said Legace. "Fans here love the game and just want to see it again. But there are places elsewhere, in the Southeast and West, where interest isn't great to start with." Lockout hurts Detroit Back home, the NHL's lockout is having an economic blow that reaches far beyond Joe Louis Arena. The sale of Red Wings jerseys, the perennial leader of all NHL official merchandise, has taken a shot. And downtown Detroit bars and restaurants have seen a drop in business ranging from half to a third, forcing layoffs and cutting hours of staff. "It's been incredibly hard, but we're surviving," said Anthony Bruce, manager and co-owner of Mac's on Third, a block away from Joe Louis Arena. The bar has lost about half of its business, Bruce said. They are surviving by reducing staff -- though much of it is family -- from 10 to 3. Bruce often works from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. in order to keep payroll costs down. "Were trying to step up corporate parties and I have to say the local downtown crowd is trying to be supportive. But nothing replaces a hockey crowd," Bruce said. The Post Bar, a chain of seven sports bars with the same name across Michigan, says the impact of a Wings-less season has "just been horrendous," said John Thomson, general manager of the bars. Nowhere is that more felt than the downtown Post Bar a few blocks from Joe Louis Arena. Thomson estimates the downtown Post is doing half the business it normally does this time of year. "We service a Red Wings crowd there and without them, it's really, really tough. But every one of our bars has taken a hit," Thomson said. Even a downtown bar like Jacoby's German Beirgarten, which isn't really a sports bar, finds itself trying to deal with lost business. "We still had a 30 percent boost in business for every Wings game. And sometimes there's a Wings game three times a week," said owner Richard Bell. Official Red Wings jerseys, the perennial leader of all NHL merchandise, is down 35 percent to $10 million in sales this season -- or nonseason -- compared to last season , according to SportScanINFO, a West Palm Beach-based market research firm tracking national sales of sporting apparel. "Anecdotally, we've seen a number of sporting goods chains either stop displaying NHL jerseys or cut the amount they stock," said Neil Schwartz, marketing director for SportScanINFO. Sides won't give in No matter what the consequences, owners and players are not budging. The NHL owners continue to insist on having a hard salary cap, believed to be set at $31 million per team. The average salary in the NHL is $1.8 million. Under the NHL plan, the average salary would fall to $1.3 million. The players union said it will never accept a salary cap. The Red Wings, one of the stronger organizations in the NHL fiscally, strongly back the league. "The issue isn't about how long it's going to take," said Jimmy Devellano, the Wings' senior vice-president. "It's about fixing the problem. We know things need to change." A recent Forbes magazine story into NHL economics -- the magazine didn't have access to actual team financial figures -- estimated the Wings lost $16.2 million last season. The Wings had a player payroll approaching $80 million last year. Had the season gotten under way, the player payroll would have been approximately $63 million. If the season is lost, and perhaps even a second year is canceled, what happens to hockey? "My question is if the league is willing to engage in a season-long shutdown, is there a credible plan for their return?" asks Jim Kelley, a columnist for the Hockey News and recent Hockey Hall of Fame entrant. "My big fear in the United States -- the game will remain strong in Canada -- that even in some of the traditional, Great Lakes markets, the NHL has to come back bigger, better, fresher and more affordable. I don't know if there's enough being done to make that happen." If the season is canceled, it won't bother Perkins. And when the NHL does get back on the ice, he won't be the first in line at the ticket window. "I'll make them sweat it out," Perkins said. "You can't just leave, and decide to come back." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weekes Head Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Buh-bye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Gary Bettman continues to insist on having a hard salary cap, believed to be set at $31 million per team. *fixed* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Derek, quit being naive. The NHL Owners pay Bettman's salary and they are behind him 100%. Just as the majority of the players trust Goodenow and the NHLPA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Well if they cancel in December (ESPECIALLY if they do it without warning) when the drop-dead date in '94 was in mid-January that tells me they really had no intention of playing this season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Derek, quit being naive. The NHL Owners pay Bettman's salary and they are behind him 100%. Just as the majority of the players trust Goodenow and the NHLPA. It's all a lie Tri. I can't believe how gullible you are. Not every owner supports Bettman. And not every GM respects him. And also, if they're so committed to getting a deal done on their behalf, how come Bettman is only allowed to speak on what can and cannot be done? At least the other side has guys speaking out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzer Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Legace said: "Players want to play only for far more money than any reasonable measure of demand will support. But we're not being allowed." *fixed* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyFan42 Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 It's all a lie Tri. I can't believe how gullible you are. Not every owner supports Bettman. And not every GM respects him.And also, if they're so committed to getting a deal done on their behalf, how come Bettman is only allowed to speak on what can and cannot be done? At least the other side has guys speaking out. Yeah, and they're all being bullied into retractions... unless they're one of the league's superstars. Besides, the players don't need a gag order. Even if they end up having to surrender some ground to the owners, they're still making out like bandits. Any crack in the owners' armor brings them closer to having to accept a continuation of the status quo. The owners have a lot more to lose than the players, thus the (albeit forced) solidarity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Not necessarily. You don't see Hull or Roenick being reprimanded for their comments. Vets like those that speak out have pop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRASHER Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 no you just see the comments retracted or claimed to be out of context when the NHLPA goons arrive at 3 am Derek... its posturing on BOTH sides and it REALLY sucks.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squishyx Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 "A Hockey News poll revealed that 56 percent of U.S. sports fans didn't even know there is a lockout. " thats depressing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LetsGoDevils Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 G'bye season! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyFan42 Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Not necessarily. You don't see Hull or Roenick being reprimanded for their comments. Vets like those that speak out have pop. Yes, Derek. That's why I said "unless they're one of the league's superstars". Goodenow's goons can't bully the big guys around because they know they'll be called on it. Everyone else, though, is basically fresh meat for the PA dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizDevil30 Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Maybe Friday the 13th sequel #1,000 (I've lost track) is coming to pass. It the one where some scientists find Jason and they don't recognize the hockey mask and someone said it was from hockey, a sport that hadn't been played in decades. Something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRASHER Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 that was Jason X (funny as hell movie) hey we use him to take the hatchet to the non-negogiating negogiators here it's hard to believe this season is going down in flames without a WHIMPER from either side of pompous jackasses (yes I am still pro-owner BUT DO SOMETHING for Farooq's sake !!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Leeds Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 At least with baseballs strike I didn't care because it was baseball. This sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daneyko_booster Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Maybe Friday the 13th sequel #1,000 (I've lost track) is coming to pass. It the one where some scientists find Jason and they don't recognize the hockey mask and someone said it was from hockey, a sport that hadn't been played in decades. Something like that. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That was the funniest thing I've read about the lockout in a long time! Thanks LizDevil30. I thought Jason X was actually the best of the franchise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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