Players off to Europe, KHL

Anaheim Ducks

Before he can wear his New York Rangers sweater, former Blue Jackets captain will play in Switzerland during the NHL lockout.

Jason Mowry/Icon SMI

AHL assignments (Norfolk): G Frederik Andersen, G Igor Bobkov, LW Josh Brittain, D Mat Clark, G Marco Cousineau, C Corey Elkins, RW Emerson Etem, C Peter Holland, RW Matt Kennedy, RW Ryan Lasch, LW Brandon McMillan, LW John Mitchell, RW Kyle Palmieri, RW Devante Smith-Pelly, D Sami Vatanen, C Chris Wagner.

Boston Bruins

AHL assignments (Providence): D Matt Bartkowski, D Ryan Button, Carter Camper, F Jordan Caron, D Colby Cohen, D Tommy Cross, F Craig Cunningham, F Justin Florek, G Michael Hutchinson, F Jared Knight, D Torey Krug, D Kevan Miller, G Adam Morrison, F Tyler Randell, F Max Sauve, F Ryan Spooner, G Niklas Svedberg, D Zach Trotman and D David Warsofsky, D Garnet Exelby, C Christian Hanson, F Jamie Tardif and F Trent Whitfield

OHL: D Dougie Hamilton (Niagara), G Malcolm Subban (Bellevil)

Buffalo Sabres

D Christian Ehrhoff (Krefeld -- Germany)

AHL assignments (Rochester): F -- Luke Adam, Riley Boychuk, Brian Flynn, Marcus Foligno, Zemgus Girgensons, Cody Hodgson, Jacob Lagace, Jonathan Parker, Kevin Porter, Kevin Sundher, Shawn Szydlowski, Corey Tropp, Phil Varone; D -- Alex Biega, Nick Crawford, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Matt MacKenzie, Brayden McNabb, Mark Pysyk, Nick Tarnasky; G -- Connor Knapp, Nathan Lieuwen

Calgary Flames

AHL assignments (Abbotsford): F -- Akim Aliu, Sven Baertschi, Carter Bancks, Lance Bouma, Paul Byron, Bryan Cameron, David Eddy, Turner Elson, Michael Ferland, Roman Horak, Ryan Howse, Krys Kolanos, Greg Nemisz, Gaelan Patterson, Max Reinhart, Ben Street, Ben Walter; Mitch Wahl; D -- Chris Breen, T,J. Brodie, Brady Lamb, James Martin, Joe Piskula

Carolina Hurricanes

LW Jussi Jokinen (Oulu -- Finland), LW Jiri Tlusty (Kladno -- Czech Republic)

AHL assignments (Charlotte): F Nicolas Blanchard, F Zach Boychuk, F Zac Dalpe, F A.J. Jenks, F Riley Nash, F Victor Rask, F Jerome Samson, F Justin Shugg, F Jeff Skinner, F Jared Staal, F Brett Sutter, F Brody Sutter, F Chris Terry, F Tim Wallace, F Jeremy Welsh, D Brett Bellemore, D Justin Faulk, D Marc-Andre Gragnani, D Michal Jordan, D Tommi Kivisto, D Justin Krueger, D Austin Levi, D Rasmus Rissanen, D Bobby Sanguinetti, D Beau Schmitz, D Joe Sova, G John Muse and G Justin Peters

Chicago Blackhawks

AHL assignments (Rockford): F Kyle Beach, F Brandon Bollig, F Terry Broadhurst, F Rob Flick, F Byron Froese, F David Gilbert, F Jimmy Hayes, F Marcus Kruger, F Peter LeBlanc, F Jeremy Morin, F Philippe Paradis, F Brandon Pirri, F Brandon Saad, F Andrew Shaw, F Ben Smith, D Adam Clendening, D Klas Dahlbeck, D Shawn Lalonde, D Joe Lavin, D Nick Leddy, D Dylan Olsen, D Ryan Stanton, G Mac Carruth, G Carter Hutton, G Alec Richards, G Kent Simpson

Swedish Elite: F Joakim Nordstrom (AIK)

Colorado Avalanche

AHL assignments (Lake Erie):

Columbus Blue Jackets

AHL assignments (Springfield): F Cody Bass, F Nick Drazenovic, F Andrew Joudrey, F Ryan Russell, D Nick Holden, F Cam Atkinson, F Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, F Matt Calvert, F Michael Chaput, F Sean Collins, F Oliver Gabriel, F Jake Hansen, F Ryan Johansen, F Tomas Kubalik, F Dalton Smith, D Anton Blomqvist, D Tim Erixon, D Cody Goloubef, D Austin Madaisky, D John Moore, D Dalton Prout, D Theo Ruth, D David Savard, D Will Weber, G Allen York

WHL: D Ryan Murray (Everett)
OHL: C Boone Jenner (Oshawa)

Dallas Stars

RW Jaromir Jagr (Kladno --Czech Republic)

AHL assignments (Texas): D Jordie Benn, G Tyler Beskorowany, G Jack Campbell, RW Alex Chiasson, D Jace Coyle, D Brenden Dillon, C Cody Eakin, D Maxime Fortunus, RW Matt Fraser, LW Luke Gazdic, RW Scott Glennie, C Tristan King, D Hubert Labrie, C Travis Morin, Cristopher Nilstorp, D Patrik Nemeth, D Jamie Oleksiak, C Toby Petersen, LW Antoine Roussell, C Colton Sceviour, D Tyler Sloan, RW Austin Smith, RW Reilly Smith, C Mathieu Tousignant, C Tomas Vincour and LW Francis Wathier

OHL: C Radek Faksa (Kitchener)

Detroit Red Wings

C Pavel Datsyuk (AK Bars Kazan -- KHL)

AHL assignments (Grand Rapids): F Joakim Andersson, F Louis-Marc Aubry, F Damien Brunner, F Mitch Callahan, F Willie Coetzee, F Landon Ferraro, F Tomas Jurco, F Andrej Nestrasil, F Gustav Nyquist, F Francis Pare, F Trevor Parkes, F Brent Raedeke, F Riley Sheahan, F Tomas Tatar, D Adam Almqvist, D Gleason Fournier, D Brian Lashoff, D Max Nicastro, D Brendan Smith, G Thomas McCollum, G Petr Mrazek, G Jordan Pea

Edmonton Oilers

RW Nail Yakupov (Neftekhimik -- KHL)

AHL assignments (Oklahoma City): RW Cameron Abney, F Mark Arcobello, G Tyler Bunz, LW Dane Byers, F Philippe Cornet, G BYann Danis, D Brandon Davidson, RW Jordan Eberle, D Taylor Fedun, F Curtis Hamilton, F Teemu Hartikainen, F Tanner House, F Anton Lander, D Martin Marincin, F Ryan Martindale, C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, F Magnus Paajarvi, LW Kristians Pelss, F Tyler Pitlick, D Alex Plante, F Toni Rajala, G Olivier Roy, D Justin Schultz, D Colten Teubert, F Antti Tyrvainen, F Chris VandeVelde

Florida Panthers

AHL assignments (San Antonio): D Michael Caruso, F Andre Deveaux, G Dov Grumet-Morris, F Jean Francois Jacques, F Greg Rallo, F Casey Wellman, F James Wright, D Nolan Yonkmam, D Jason DeSantis, G Brian Foster, F Jonathan Hazen, G Michael Houser, F Quinton Howden, G Jacob Markstrom, F Mattias Lindstrom, F Anthony Luciani, D Josh McFadden, F John McFarland, D Alex Petrovic, F Jon Rheault, D Colby Robak, F Eric Selleck, F Drew Shore, F Scott Timmins, F Garrett Wilson

Los Angeles Kings

AHL assignments (Manchester): D Andrew Bodnarchuk, F Stefan Legein, D Slava Voynov, F David Meckler, LW Andy Andreoff, G J.F. Berube, C Robbie Czarnik, D Nicolas Deslauriers, G Martin Jones, D David Kolomatis, RW Brandon Kozun, C Andrei Loktionov, C Jordan Nolan, RW Brian O'Neill, LW Tanner Pearson, LW Nikolay Prokhorkin, C Tyler Toffoli, RW Linden Vey, C Jordan Weal.

Minnesota Wild

AHL assignments (Houston): D Drew Bagnall, C Joel Broda, D Jonas Brodin, RW Brett Bulmer, D Josh Caron, D Brian Connelly, RW Charlie Coyle, D Tyler Cuma, RW Justin Fontaine, LW Kris Foucault, D Chay Genoway, C Mikael Granlund, G Matt Hackett, D Colton Jobke, D Steven Kampfer, G Darcy Kuemper, LW Johan Larsson, C David McIntyre, RW Carson McMillan, D Kyle Medvec, RW Jarod Palmer, C Zack Philips, C Chad Rau, D Marco Scandella and LW Jason Zucker

Montreal Canadiens

C Tomas Plekanec (Kladno -- Czech Republic), D Raphael Diaz (EV Zug -- Switzerland)

AHL assignments (Hamilton): F Alexander Avtsin, F Alain Berger, F Michael Blunden, F Michael Bournival, F Gabriel Dumont, F Brendan Gallagher, F Blake Geoffrion, F Patrick Holland, F Louis Leblanc, F Philippe Lefebvre, F Joonas Nattinen, F Steve Quailer, FIan Schultz; D Nathan Beaulieu, D Morgan Ellis, D Brendon Nash, D Greg Pateryn, D Joe Stejskal, D Jarred Tinordi, G Peter Delmas, G Robert Mayer.

Nashville Predators

AHL assignments (Milwaukee): F Daniel Bang, F Taylor Beck, F Gabriel Bourque, F Patrick Cehlin, F Kevin Henderson, F Jani Lajunen, F Michael Latta, F Jack MacLellan, F Juuso Puustinen, F Ben Ryan, F Josh Shalla, F Austin Watson, D Taylor Aronson, D Victor Bartley, D Anthony Bitetto, D Mattias Ekholm, D Ryan Ellis, D Joonas Jarvinen, D Charles-Olivier Roussel, D Scott Valentine, G Magnus Hellberg and G Jeremy Smith

New Jersey Devils

LW Ilya Kovalchuk (SKA St. Petersburg -- KHL)

AHL assignments (Albany): RW Matt Anderson, F Jean-Sebastien Berube, D Brandon Burlon, RW Bobby Butler, G Maxime Clermont, G Jeff Frazee, D Eric Gelinas, C Adam Henrique, F Mike Hoeffel, C Jacob Josefson, D Dan Kelly, G Keith Kinkaid, D Adam Larsson, D Jay Leach, F Harri Pesonen, F Tim Sestito, F Mike Sislo, F Mattias Tedenby, D Alexander Urbom, G Scott Wedgewood, LW Chad Wiseman, F David Wohlberg, D Harry Young, F Steve Zalewsk

QMJHL: C Stefan Matteau, D Reece Scarle (Blainville)

New York Islanders

AHL assignments (Bridgeport): D Marc Cantin, C Casey Cizikas, C Jason Clark, D Calvin de Haan, LW Brandon DeFazio, D Matt Donovan, LW Mike Halmo, D Travis Hamonic, LW Kirill Kabanov, Jon Landry, C Brock Nelson, D Aaron Ness, RW Nino Niederreiter, G Anders Nilsson, LW John Persson, G Kevin Poulin, RW Blair Riley, C Johan Sundstrom, LW David Ullstrom

New York Rangers

LW Rick Nash (Davos -- Switzerland)

AHL assignments (Connecticut): D Sean Collins, D Logan Pyett, D Mike Vernace, F Tommy Grant, F Micheal Haley, F Chad Kolarik, F Kris Newbury, F Brandon Segal

Ottawa Senators

D Sergei Gonchar (Metallurg -- KHL)

AHL assignments (Binghamton):

Philadelphia Flyers

LW Ruslan Fedotenko (HC Donbass -- KHL)

AHL assignments (Adirondack): Jason Akeson, Tyler Brown. Sean Couturier, Cullen Eddy, Matt Ford, Erik Gustafsson, Shane Harper, Cal Heeter, Ben Holmstrom, Tyler Hostetter, Niko Hovinen, Andrew Johnston, Blake Kesse,l Matthew Konan, Oliver Lauridsen, Matt Mangene, Brandon Manning, Tye McGinn, Marcel Noebels, Luke Pither, Zac Rinaldo, Brayden Schenn, Danny Syvret, Mike Testwuide, Eric Wellwood, Harry Zolnierczyk

Phoenix Coyotes

AHL assignments (Portland): F Scott Arnold, F Alexandre Bolduc, F Chris Brown, F Chris Conner, F Brett Hextall, F Rob Klinkhammer, F Phil Lane, F Jordan Martinook, F Andy Miele, F Joel Rechlicz, F Brendan Shinnimin, F Jordan Szwarz, F Ethan Werek, D Mathieu Brodeur, D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D Maxim Goncharov, D Brandon Gormley, D Mark Louis, D David Rundblad, D Michael Stone, D Chris Summers, D Justin Weller, G Louis Domingue, G Chad Johnson, G Mike Lee, G Mark Visentin, F Evan Bloodoff, F Darian Dziurzynski

Pittsburgh Penguins

C Evgeni Malkin (Metallurg -- KHL)

AHL assignments (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton): Beau Bennett, Brian Gibbons, Tom Kuhnhackl, Jayson Megna, Adam Payerl, Zach Sill, Paul Thompson, Dominik Uher, Keven Veilleux, Philippe Dupuis, Benn Ferriero, Riley Holzapfel, Warren Peters and Trevor Smith; defensemen Simon Despres, Brian Dumoulin, Reid McNeill, Joe Morrow, Philip Samuelsson, Carl Sneep, Alex Grant and Dylan Reese; G Patrick Killeen.

San Jose Sharks

D Jason Demers (Oulu -- Finland), C Joe Thornton (Davos -- Switzerland)

AHL assignments (Worcester): F Curt Gogol, F Freddie Hamilton, F Bracken Kearns, F James Livingston, F Jon Matsumoto, F Travis Oleksuk, F Brodie Reid, F Sebastian Stalberg; D Sena Acolatse, D Danny Groulx, D Taylor Doherty, D Matt Irwin, D Matt Tennyson; G Thomas Heemskerk, G Harri Sateri, G Alex Stalock.

St. Louis Blues

AHL assignments (Peoria): G Jake Allen, G Paul Karpowich, G Mike McKenna, D Taylor Chorney, D Ian Cole, D Mark Cundari, D Cade Fairchild, D Scott Ford, D Brett Ponich, D David Shields, F Jay Barriball, F Cody Beach, F Adam Cracknell, F Stefan Della Rovere, F Evgeny Grachev, F Philip McRae, F Andrew Murray, F Anthony Nigro, F Anthony Peluso, F Jaden Schwartz, F Tyler Shattock, F Brett Sonne, F Vladimir Tarasenko, F Sebastian Vannstrom

OJL: G Jordan Binnington (Owen Sound)

Tampa Bay Lightning

AHL assignments (Syracuse): F J.T. Brown, F Cory Conacher, F Brett Connolly, F Danick Gauthier, F Alex Hutchings, F Tyler Johnson, F Alexander Killorn, F Vladislav Namestnikov, F Ondrej Palat, F Richard Panik, D Mark Barberio, D Radko Gudas, D Dmitry Korobov, D Charles Landry, D Dan Milan, G Riku Helenius, G Pat Nagle, G Dustin Tokarski

Toronto Maple Leafs

LW Nikolai Kulemin (Metallurg -- KHL)

AHL assignments (Toronto Marlies): F Spencer Abbott, F Carter Ashton, D Jesse Blacker, F Tyler Brenner, F Sam Carrick, F Joe Colborne, C Andrew Crescenzi, F Jerry D'Amigo, F Nicolas Deschamps, F Jamie Devane, D Jake Gardiner, D Simon Gysbers, LW Ryan Hamilton, D Korbinian Holzer, F Nazem Kadri, F Leo Komarov, F Greg McKegg, G Mark Owuya, F Brad Ross, F Kenny Ryan, G Jussi Rynnas, F Greg Scott.

OHL: F Tyler Biggs (Oshawa), David Broli (Sault St. Marie), D Stuart Percy (Mississauga)

Vancouver Canucks

AHL assignments (Chicago): F -- Bill Sweatt, Anton Rodin Darren Archibald; Andrew Gordon, Jordan Schroeder Stefan Schneider, Andrew Ebbett, Alexandre Mallet, Alex Friesen, Prab Rai; Zack Kassian, Guillaume Desbiens, Kellan Tochkin, Steven Anthony; D -- Chris Tanev, Kevin Connauton, Yann Sauve, Adam Polasek, Derek Joslin, Patrick Mullen Peter Andersson ; G -- Eddie Lack, Joe Cannata;

Washington Capitals

AHL assignments (Hershey): F Mike Carman, F Stanislav Galiev, F Garrett Mitchell, F Danick Paquette, F Mattias Sjogren, F Matt Clackson, F Zach Hamill, F Ryan Potulny, F Ryan Stoa, D Brett Flemming, D Tomas Kundratek, D Dmitry Orlov, D Cameron Schilling, D Dustin Stevenson, D Kevin Marshall, D Patrick McNeill, D Garrett Stafford, G Brandon Anderson, G Philipp Grubauer, G Braden Holtby and G Dany Sabourin to Hershey

OHL: F Tom Wilson (Plymouth)

Winnipeg Jets

RW Alexei Ponikarovsky (HC Donbass -- KHL)

AHL assignments (St. John's): F Alexander Burmistrov, G Chris Carrozzi, D Ben Chiarot, F Patrice Cormier, F Jason Gregoire, F Carl Klingberg, D Julian Melchiori, F Eric O'Dell, D Will O'Neill, G Edward Pasquale, D Zach Redmond, D Cody Sol, F Ivan Telegin

OHL: F Mark Scheifele (Barrie)

18 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_hockey/~3/_1tprGgFEX8/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Report: Kings' Kopitar close to playing in Sweden

As the NHL lockout drags into its second day with no end in sight, Los Angeles Kings star center Anze Kopitar is close to a deal with Mora IK of the Swedish league, The Los Angeles Times' Helene Elliott reported via Twitter Monday night.

The LA Times' Lisa Dillman reported that Mora IK is a natural fit for Kopitar because his brother plays for the team. He is also able to sign a deal that would allow him to return to the NHL if and when the lockout ends. Mora IK plays in the second-highest division in Sweden.

Kopitar was one of the key cogs for the Kings in their Stanley Cup-winning season last year, tallying 76 points in all 82 games played. He also had 20 points in 20 playoff games, including an assist in the Kings' Stanley Cup-clinching victory over the Devils.

18 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_hockey/~3/EAvZwyMXhmw/
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

20.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

AHL ready to to reap benefits of another lockout

THE NHL lockout began Sunday and no bargaining sessions are scheduled.

Andy Clark/REUTERS

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) -- As the owner of the American Hockey League's Syracuse Crunch, Howard Dolgon isn't enamored with another NHL lockout, even though it's good for business.

He's torn, understandably. He loves the business. But he knows what the NHL means to the game he loves.

"It makes it maybe easier to market our brand, but at the same time I think every owner in the league will tell you that we really don't want a lockout," Dolgon said Monday after perusing the NHL's website. "I think it is important to us for the NHL to be playing and the NHL to be healthy.

"But that's an issue that we don't have any control over."

Join the club.

The NHL locked the players out over the weekend when the collective bargaining agreement expired at 11:59 p.m. Saturday. It's the NHL's fourth work stoppage in 20 years. Day 2 of the NHL lockout on Monday saw no changes from either side as talks between the league and the NHLPA remain unscheduled.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr have spoken informally since the lockout began, and may do so again on Tuesday. But nothing official will resume until at least Wednesday between Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr. The two sides haven't met for face-to-face talks since last Wednesday.

Attention already has turned to alternative leagues like the AHL, where players will continue to train for the season and play the game. The AHL consists of 17 independently-owned franchises and another 13 owned by NHL clubs. It's the primary minor league of the NHL - nearly 90 percent of today's NHL players spent time in the A - and a safe haven these days for younger players on two-way contracts that remain eligible to play at the lower level.

Another prolonged NHL lockout like the one that forced the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season means better competition in AHL cities like Syracuse, increased attendance everywhere, and international media attention that it is simply not used to.

"The effect then was a window of opportunity for the American League to have a greater presence from a media perspective across North America and certainly more live television exposure, and to some extent an even stronger player pool than we normally have," longtime AHL president and CEO David Andrews said. "I'm anticipating that will be the case again this time."

The AHL's 77th regular season starts Oct. 12 - a day after the scheduled start of the NHL season - and training camps open in less than two weeks.

There's been movement toward the A already.

The Buffalo Sabres announced Monday that it had loaned 20 players to the Rochester Americans. Among them were forward Luke Adam, AHL rookie of the year for the 2010-11 season, and Marcus Foligno, who played 60 games for Rochester last season. On Saturday, the Philadelphia Flyers assigned 26 players, including Erik Gustafsson, Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier, to the Adirondack Phantoms of the American Hockey League.

"At least I know my season's going to start. We have camp on the 28th which is great. I'm just preparing for that," Gustafsson said. "I think the AHL is going to be a great league. I think it will be the best league in the world."

Among the young NHL standouts that could give the A a jolt are Carolina's Jeff Skinner, the 2011 NHL rookie of the year; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the first pick of the 2011 Draft by Edmonton; and New Jersey's Adam Henrique, who clinched the Devils' Eastern Conference title in June with an overtime goal against the New York Rangers in Game 6.

Ottawa's Jason Spezza set the standard during the last lockout. Spezza, a Senators forward, played 80 games for Ottawa's AHL franchise in Binghamton, N.Y. and had 32 goals and 85 assists.

"We've always been the second-best league in the world," said Dolgon, who switched NHL affiliations from Anaheim to Tampa Bay after last season and has seen a bump in fan interest. "Now, we can be the second-best league with even greater talent playing in that league."

If the lockout goes beyond the start of the AHL season, Dolgon said he expects attendance will be up across the board.

"I don't know that we're seeing NHL fans flocking to our ticket windows, but I do believe that our current fan base is more excited, and I think that'll ultimately lead to more ticket sales," said John Bitter, in his ninth year as ticket manager of the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals. "Hopefully, we'll start to get newer fans on account of it. Our hardcore hockey fans are excited about this. I think they'd rather see the NHL play, but they're not going to turn down the guys coming back, that's for sure."

The public perception is that there seems to be a pretty wide gap between the union and the owners, which could mean another prolonged stoppage as the search for a new CBA continues.

"Obviously, the question is: How long will the labor stoppage continue," Andrews asked. "There's still a month to go before the season is scheduled to open. So, it's difficult to say how it's going to play out.

"We're certainly looking at it as an opportunity again for our league to benefit over the short term, and at the same time recognize that our sport is better off with the NHL playing. The NHL is the engine that drives our business. For us, any kind of short-term financial windfalls or brand exposure windfalls are just that - short-term.

"We'd be just as happy if it all gets resolved and the NHL begins the season on time."

He's not alone.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

18 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_hockey/~3/wzGVztzpZZM/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

19.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Day 2: Nothing doing, informal talks possible Tuesday

Penguins star Sidney Crosby appeared in an NHLPA video message to fans.

Mary Altaffer/AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- Day 2 of the NHL lockout saw no changes from either side Monday, as talks between the league and the NHLPA remain unscheduled.

The NHL locked the players out over the weekend, when the collective bargaining agreement expired at 11:59 p.m. Saturday. It's the NHL's fourth work stoppage in the last 20 years.

HACKEL: NHL nuclear winter ahead

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr have spoken informally since the lockout began, and may do so again on Tuesday. But nothing official will resume until at least Wednesday between Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr.

The two sides haven't met for face-to-face talks since last Wednesday.

Over the weekend, the league issued a statement to fans on its website that it was "committed to negotiating around the clock to reach a new CBA that is fair to the players and to the 30 NHL teams."

The clock is ticking and there's no new collective bargaining agreement in sight. The league could start to announce this week the cancellation of preseason games and there's little chance training camps will open on time. The regular season is scheduled to begin Oct. 11, but that obviously is in peril.

DATER & MUIR: Who holds the aces?

"This is a time of year for all attention to be focused on the ice, not on a meeting room," the league said. "The league, the clubs and the players all have a stake in resolving our bargaining issues appropriately and getting the puck dropped as soon as possible. We owe it to each other, to the game and, most of all, to the fans."

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Chicago's Jonathan Toews and Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog were among the players participating in a weekend NHLPA video to fans that was posted on YouTube. With black-and-white photos of each player as a backdrop, they talked about how much the game meant to them, and thanked fans for their support.

"We understand the people that suffer the most are the fans," Crosby said.

Well, that might not totally be the case. The Ottawa Senators, after all, have already had layoffs and full-time staff have been placed on a reduced work week, according to president Cyril Leeder.

"Every full-time, every part-time employee is affected by a work stoppage," Leeder said. "On the full-time employees, they've either been laid off temporarily or gone to a four-day work week."

Leeder wouldn't say exactly how many people have been laid off, but that "it was a significant number" and "more than ten." The Senators have 170 full-time employees.

"This really is the area that I worry about the most," Leeder said. "It's not good for anybody when we have a work stoppage and the people most affected are our staff here."

Leeder said the organization is working hard to ensure it's ready to resume operations once the lockout comes to an end.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

18 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_hockey/~3/OUwgtpykvpk/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

14.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

No progress, no meetings for Day 2 of lockout

Penguins star Sidney Crosby appeared in an NHLPA video message to fans.

Mary Altaffer/AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- Day 2 of the NHL lockout saw no changes from either side Monday, as talks between the league and the NHLPA remain unscheduled.

The NHL locked the players out over the weekend, when the collective bargaining agreement expired at 11:59 p.m. Saturday. It's the NHL's fourth work stoppage in the last 20 years.

HACKEL: NHL nuclear winter ahead

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr have spoken informally since the lockout began, and may do so again on Tuesday. But nothing official will resume until at least Wednesday between Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr.

The two sides haven't met for face-to-face talks since last Wednesday.

Over the weekend, the league issued a statement to fans on its website that it was "committed to negotiating around the clock to reach a new CBA that is fair to the players and to the 30 NHL teams."

The clock is ticking and there's no new collective bargaining agreement in sight. The league could start to announce this week the cancellation of preseason games and there's little chance training camps will open on time. The regular season is scheduled to begin Oct. 11, but that obviously is in peril.

DATER & MUIR: Who holds the aces?

"This is a time of year for all attention to be focused on the ice, not on a meeting room," the league said. "The league, the clubs and the players all have a stake in resolving our bargaining issues appropriately and getting the puck dropped as soon as possible. We owe it to each other, to the game and, most of all, to the fans."

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Chicago's Jonathan Toews and Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog were among the players participating in a weekend NHLPA video to fans that was posted on YouTube. With black-and-white photos of each player as a backdrop, they talked about how much the game meant to them, and thanked fans for their support.

"We understand the people that suffer the most are the fans," Crosby said.

Well, that might not totally be the case. The Ottawa Senators, after all, have already had layoffs and full-time staff have been placed on a reduced work week, according to president Cyril Leeder.

"Every full-time, every part-time employee is affected by a work stoppage," Leeder said. "On the full-time employees, they've either been laid off temporarily or gone to a four-day work week."

Leeder wouldn't say exactly how many people have been laid off, but that "it was a significant number" and "more than ten." The Senators have 170 full-time employees.

"This really is the area that I worry about the most," Leeder said. "It's not good for anybody when we have a work stoppage and the people most affected are our staff here."

Leeder said the organization is working hard to ensure it's ready to resume operations once the lockout comes to an end.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

18 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_hockey/~3/YhZbuvHR5vs/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

14.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dater and Muir: NHL lockout insights and insults

Our aggravated scribes ponder how long we'll be without the NHL and toss around a non-CBA-related stuff.

One of the NHL's top young stars, Jonathan Quick can easily lose a season before his lucrative new 10-yea deal kicks in.

Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images

Al Muir: First off AD, I'd like to thank you for skipping that Carly Rae Jepsen karaoke contest --I know how many hours you slaved over your choreography -- to spend a few minutes talking about the lockout. Things are looking grimmer than that new NBC Matthew Perry "comedy." There's some gulf between the two sides.

Adrian Dater: I find it suspicious that I couldn't get tickets to Ms. Jepson's contest because they told me a "Mr. Allan Muir has requested a block of 200 seats." But I'm afraid I couldn't hear your initial inquiry anyway, since I'm too busy listening right now to a conference call between the local Denver roller derby team's general manager and the media about their next match. This is my new beat for the coming few months....

Muir: Lucky man you are. Big flat-track fan myself -- what up, Lone Star Assassins! -- but word is I'm getting the middle school marching band beat. I got a good lead on a band candy scandal. I'm gonna bust that thing wide open. Hold page one!

Dater: OK, let's get down to brass tacks: I had an angry day today. One of my favorite movies is Wall Street, and one of the top 50 great lines from Gordon Gekko in the film is: "Never get emotional about stocks - lousy judgment." Being a journalist, I try to take that to heart when covering stories. Don't get emotional about your subject -- lousy judgment. But it's still hugely aggravating that we're into ANOTHER NHL lockout.

Muir: Tough not to get riled up, AD. It's either anger or apathy and neither of us is comfortably numb with this insanity just yet. What's interesting to me is how my feelings have started to shift. In 2004, I was totally on board with the owners. This time, I found myself sympathizing with the union, for a couple of reasons. Any problems with overspending during the just-expired deal were strictly the fault of the teams or the league, and the players shouldn't have to surrender money they bargained for in good faith to solve those problems. And I really admired the creativity that went into their proposal. It's not exactly the "shared sacrifice" they've painted it to be, but it had the fundamentals to be the cycle-breaker the industry needs.

But lately I've been thinking that something this bold should have been brought to the table much, much sooner to give it any real chance of gaining traction -- and remember, the timing of the talks has been at the discretion of the union. I get what Fehr was trying to do while familiarizing himself with the game, the issues and most important, the players, but that 18-month process killed too much time.

Dater: Mind you, this is the "columnist" portion of me talking. As long as I'm allowed to have an opinion, I'm coming back down firmly in the players' camp. And I was on the general side of the owners last time -- despite that meaning that I was on the same philosophic page as Jeremy Jacobs.

Gary Bettman has said repeatedly over the years that the new CBA "worked for everybody." He bragged over and over how much money the league was raking in. Now, he's in the unfortunate position of trying to plead poverty again on behalf of his owners. He's a smart man -- he must know down deep how foolish he's looking. Anybody who wants to Google my name and Bettman's will find positive stories I've written about some of the things he's done for the game. But this time? He's in the losing corner, and I suspect he knows it. Talking about things like airplane fuel and -- oh, this will haunt him big-time -- the cost of team massage therapists as reasons why teams need a financial lift from the players, all of whom were signed to contracts that the OWNERS AGREED TO. I think the players are going to roll the owners and Bettman in this one, I really do.

Muir: This is going to be a war of attrition, and the players are no more prepared to win than any previous union. Sure, NHL 13 just came out, so that should keep them from getting bored for a couple months, at least. But in the end they'll all meander their way to the same realization: principle is nice, but I want to play hockey. Not in the KHL or the Allsvenskan or the Dr. Pepper Starcenter men's league. In the NHL. And they aren't going to outlast the owners. Not gonna happen. Yeah, the league's wearing the black hat, but Gary has never much cared how he looks. For him, it's always been about making the best deal. That first offer was a laugher, but he made a fair point when he noted that it was similar to the ones used by the NBA and NFL on the path to their CBAs. So as callous as it was, it's an effective approach.

Dater: To argue your solidarity issue -- I pointed out in my lockout timeline (2004-05 vs. now) why the players are much better positioned to sit out a whole year this time and the owners will be stuck with 41 empty regular-season dates in their arenas, missing huge paychecks from the Winter Classic and the playoffs and even more TV money down the road. If they're such smart businessmen, they'll realize that's a loser in the end. Finally, keep this in mind: many of the league's top players are young and early in their 8-to-15-year contracts. So what if they miss one season of a 12-year deal? That's different from 2004-05, when much of the league's elite were older guys who were at the ends of their contracts and started to really miss the money.

The union's boogeyman: Can Commisioner Gary Bettman have it both ways in justifying the lockout?

Mary Altaffer/AP

Muir: I think you're really onto something. But if you think the owners are less entrenched in their position, you're bananas. Was that vote of support Bettman mentioned really unanimous? I'm guessing there were at least a couple hands raised begrudgingly, if at all, and I'm sure there will be some second thoughts down the road as those empty dates start hammering away at the owners' bank accounts. But any dissension will be internal, and not enough to force the group to seriously reconsider the revenue-sharing option. I wish I was wrong, but I just don't see it happening.

Speaking of things I don't see happening, did you catch Bettman's reaction when he was asked about the players possibly putting the cap on the table? Say what you want about his oily speaking manner, but I don't think I've ever seen the man visibly caught off guard. Might have been the only smile of the day.

Dater: Fehr did not rule that out! This could be really, really nasty. But I'm still clinging, however tenuously, to my prediction all along: we'll have hockey back by December 15 at the latest. Think about it: it'll be dead of winter by then, the prospect of huge Winter Classic dollars will be in the crisp, cold air and Bettman/owners will salivate enough over them to make a deal.

I see the endgame as the players agreeing to a deal that lessens their percentage over time, with the hope that, say, 50 percent of revenue by 2017 could be worth more in hard dollars than 57 percent of the existing $3.3 billion. If revenues are $4 billion in 2017 and the players' share is "only" 50 percent, they'll still take in nearly $200 million more in total dollars. And they'll have more incentive to grow the game over the term of those years. The players will always be the best vehicle to grow revenues. They're the people fans come to see -- not Jeremy Jacobs sitting up in his walled-off suite sipping a wine spritzer.

Muir: That's a lot if "ifs" and "hopes," buddy. The NHL needs simple, definable percentages, not "the league is going to make sooo much money in the future it'll be just like we're taking a pay cut!" Ultimately I think that's what it'll come down to: a clearly drawn drop from 57 percent of HRR to 49 or 50, accomplished over time in a way that won't call for a drastic increase in escrow to the players or force cap-ceiling teams to scuttle large chunks of their rosters in order to get under the new number. It's the only path that gets the league where it wants to be while minimizing the players' inevitable pain.

Dater: One more point to my belief that the players will win and are very well unified: they have the same bogeyman against whom to stake their cause now in Gary Bettman as the owners did in 2004-05 with Bob Goodenow. The players, at least the ones I've talked to, really want to kick Bettman's ass this time. They have a true rallying cry. If that means cutting off their noses to spite their face financially, I think they're willing to do it. I think many of them have the same ferocity of desire to want to kick Bettman out of the game as the owners did in booting Goodenow.

And Fehr is an expert at rallying players to a cause. The players fell apart under Goodenow last time because they knew in their hearts they were overpaid, and he started to become too cloistered from the meat-and-potatoes core of his constituency. Not the case with Fehr, who really has reached out to the players and gotten them to want to fight for him. That's a HUGE difference. I get the absolute sense that the owners are nowhere near as unified as the last time, and someone is going to crack come December or so.

Muir: You keep talking about a union win and kicking Gary's ass....what form do you think that takes? You actually believe the owners are going to buckle and agree to a broader, more impactful commitment to revenue sharing? Hey, I'd love to see that more than you'd like to see Ace Frehley back in the Space Man makeup, but Jeremy Jacobs and Ed Snider and their cronies have no interest in pulling any more Benjamins out of their fat stacks to prop up Columbus and Florida and Phoenix.

Dater: Well, at least we agree on this: Ed Snider and JJ and the ghost of Bill Wirtz don't give a rat's patootie about Florida or Columbus and never have -- except for getting their original cut of their expansion fees. Therein lies the rub: Bettman and the owners this time, at least, are caught red-handed in their canard attempt to frame this lockout as one necessary to help all franchises stay financially healthy. They said they got that last time - just watch this YouTube video here if you don't believe me. Now, the jig is up. The owners are exposed for what they are: interested in only their own self-interest. Period.

Muir: Is that a pungent mix of fresh turnip and truck grease you're wearing? Since when have owners NOT been motivated by their own self-interest? I'm not saying there aren't great guys who love their players and place a high priority on winning, but come on. If they thought they could get away with doing all that and paying out just 40 or 30 or 20 percent of HRR, it would already be done. These guys didn't get to be team-buying rich through regular acts of financial benevolence. They got there by making more deals that weighed heavily in their favor than not. I wish I could see it your way. I think the game is better off if something based on the players' plan carries the day, but I just can't envision a scenario where the owners splinter and send Bettman out to make that kind of deal.

Okay, so how about we close with a lightning round. Ready? If this thing ends with a major union victory, does Gary Bettman clear out his desk?

Dater: No, Bettman hangs on either way, but his "legacy" such as it is, will be tarnished no matter what coming out of this lockout.

Muir: The $8 million he banks each year is the only legacy he's worried about. But if he fails to get something close to the deal that's currently on the table, I think he and Bill Daly skate off into the horizon when it's over.

The NHL is much more rugged than European leagues, but an injury to Sidney Crosby could be devastating, given his concussion history.

Sean Rudyk/NHLI via Getty Images

Dater: Should Sidney Crosby play in Europe during the lockout?

Muir: I think he will. Listening to him last week, it's clear he wants to play...and that he doesn't care if that means some poor schlub has to turn in his Magnitogorsk sweater and go back to working in the steel mill. That's some cold, mercenary-style shizz, Sid. But you asked if he *should* play. And I think that answer is no. First, I can't imagine him being able to get his new contact insured -- it's just too expensive, especially with his history. And the hockey over there may be softer but it's hardly no-contact. You know he'd be a target. It's just not worth it.

Dater: I agree. Keep Sid back at home, not donning those masculinity-challenged Euro team getups with 25 advertisements all over them. Besides, it's not going to help his game much, other than the pure exercise of it. And yep, if he gets seriously hurt there, good luck getting your insurance money back from, say, a Russian with, shall we might imagine, with shady ties to the financial worlds of Moscow.

Muir: Shane Doan got a no-move clause in his last-minute extension, but the Coyotes have yet to secure theirs with Greg Jamison still struggling to lock down a deal in Phoenix. Do you think the potential empty dates at Jobing.com Arena help or hurt Jamison as he tries to dot the i's with Glendale City Council?

Dater: Is there a city council as well-known to hockey fans as Glendale's? I think not. Honestly, I really do think putting a man on the moon wasn't as hard as closing a deal in Glendale. Just get the darned thing signed already and let's play some hockey. Oh yeah, whoops, none to play in Glendale right now, regardless. I don't know, they've managed to keep a team around in Glendale with empty buildings before, so a few more months of nobody sitting in the seats of Jobing.com Arena shouldn't be so bad.

Muir: I'm thinking this could really help Jamison. This is Glendale's Ghost of Christmas Future moment when they find out what life would be like with that rink sitting idle. If they notice a calamitous decline in area businesses, then hockey supporters on the council have all the bullets they need. Of course, if it's the same ol' same ol'...

Okay, last one: P.K. Subban. Lots of rumors swirling about talks between the Habs and Flyers and maybe one other team. Any chance that Marc Bergevin cuts ties with his most exciting player once we have a new CBA in place?

Dater: No way, P.K. stays a Hab. Philly's still mad after failing to get Shea Weber, so they want to try to heist PK out of Montreal. Not if a deal doesn't include a Couturier going back, and no way do I trade that kid if I'm Paul Holmgren.

Muir: With you there, although if there was any way to pry Couturier away from the Flyers, I'd throw in one-year supply of Schwartz's smoked meat. My son just switched to center and that's one of the guys he's been keying on in repeats as he tries to learn the position. That kid Couturier's a beauty.

Dater: OK, Al, see you in December when all my predictions will have come to fruition. Meantime, I've got to get back to mastering my glossary of terms for the next roller derby match. Wait, here's one: "fishnet burn." Ouch. I mean, oh, interesting. Sign me up!

18 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_hockey/~3/USv_3tFGFOY/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

13.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ovechkin: I'm ready to play full season in Russia

Alexander Ovechkin doesn't have any problem playing a whole season in his native Russia (Alexander Nemenov, Getty Images)

As the NHL lockout continues and the sports biggest stars sign with foreign teams, one of the league's marquee names has made it known he may not be back anytime soon, according to tweets from Russian hockey reporter Pavel Lysenkov.

The lockout of NHL players began yesterday and little progress has been made since then, according to multiple reports. The lack of a functioning league has led many players to sign professional contracts with European clubs, just as many NBA players in that league's lockout that carried into the first quarter of the season.

However, none of those players have the star status or the influence of Ovechnkin, a five-time All-Star and two-time MVP of the NHL.

18 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_hockey/~3/KdrJI3HxyBU/
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

11.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Report: Selanne says Bettman NHL's most hated

Some NHL players are critical of commissioner Gary Bettman. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Anaheim Ducks veteran scorer Teemu Selanne has cast his venom on NHL commissioner Gary Bettman regarding the current owners lockout of the players. Selanne's untranslated comments first appeared on his Finnish blog Salama.

Selanne comes out firing calling Bettman the NHL's "most hated person," and blaming him for the league's labor conflicts.

Selanne wonders if Bettman would be willing to give up his $8 million salary for a year. Bettman and NHLPA director Donald Fehr have said they will not draw their salaries during the lockout.

The Morning Line at Yardbarker reports the translated text.

17 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_hockey/~3/JNlXXrUxTtI/
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

08.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

NHL, union make no progress on Day 1 of NHL lockout

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby (right) looks on as NHLPA director Donald Fehr addresses media.

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Die-hard hockey fans might need to invest in some classic NHL games on DVD.

It might be the only taste of hockey for months.

There's no telling when the NHL lockout will end, especially when neither the league nor the NHLPA has committed to face-to-face negotiations to end the labor unrest. There were no formal talks Sunday on the first day of the lockout, the league's fourth shutdown since 1992, including a year-long dispute that forced the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season when the league successfully held out for a salary cap.

And there are no formal talks planned.

The league issued a statement to fans on its website that it was "committed to negotiating around the clock to reach a new CBA that is fair to the players and to the 30 NHL teams."

The clock is ticking and there's no new collective bargaining agreement in sight. The league could start to announce this week the cancellation of preseason games and there's little chance training camps will open on time. The regular season is scheduled to begin Oct. 11, but that obviously is in peril.

Day 1 of the lockout could serve as a preview for the next several cold months: Empty rinks, empty talk.

"This is a time of year for all attention to be focused on the ice, not on a meeting room," the league said. "The league, the clubs and the players all have a stake in resolving our bargaining issues appropriately and getting the puck dropped as soon as possible. We owe it to each other, to the game and, most of all, to the fans."

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Chicago's Jonathan Toews and Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog were among the players participating in an NHLPA video to fans that was posted on YouTube. With black-and-white photos of each player as a backdrop, they talked about how much the game meant to them, and thanked fans for their support.

"We understand the people that suffer the most are the fans," Crosby said.

Some players won't wait for labor talks to pick up - they've already packed up.

As of Sunday morning, all NHL players were free to speak to other leagues. Many will land in Russia's KHL, and two big names already signed. Pittsburgh center Evgeni Malkin and Ottawa defenseman Sergei Gonchar agreed to deals with Metallurg. More will surely follow.

Malkin, a 26-year-old center with the Penguins, is the NHL's reigning MVP. The 38-year-old Gonchar is a defenseman who helped lead the Senators to the playoffs last season.

Although the club provided no further details of their contracts, it said that they would comply with KHL regulations on signing NHL players during the lockout. Under these rules, KHL teams can sign a maximum of three NHL players above their limit of 25.

The KHL also sets the ceiling for the salaries of NHL players at a maximum of 65 percent of what they earn under their NHL deals. Malkin has two years and $16.5 million remaining on his deal with Pittsburgh. Gonchar has one year and $5.5 million left with Ottawa.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen and forward Scott Hartnell are part owners of a team in the Finnish league. Timonen, a father of three children, said it would be hard to immediately consider playing overseas unless the entire season was wiped out. But Timonen returned to his native Finland to play in 2004, and clearly understands why some young players are interested in finding a roster spot in Europe.

"A lot of young guys are asking if there's a spot to play," he said. "I'm sure our team can take a few of the guys, but not many."

Many of the players, 25 years and younger, could end up in the AHL, the NHL's primary minor league. No matter where they play, the players are prepared for a lengthy wait to return to the NHL.

The core issue is money - how to split a $3.3 billion pot of revenue. The owners want to decrease the percentage of hockey-related revenue that goes to players, while the union wants a guarantee that players annually get at least the $1.8 billion in salaries paid out last season.

While the NHL lockout might not destroy the whole season - like in 2004-05 - a sizable chunk of games could be lost without any productive talks on tap.

"I'm sure we will remain in contact," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said. "But there are no negotiations planned or scheduled at this point."

Teams are prepared for the likelihood the season will not start on time. And so they are making economic plans on several fronts. At the end of each month, for instance, the Buffalo Sabres will refund any games that are canceled by the NHL.

The Minnesota Wild, meanwhile, fresh off a free-agent spending spree that landed them forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Sutter, will send out ticket policies on Monday.

"We support the league's position and trust our NHL negotiating team is looking out for the long-term interests of the game," the Wild said in a statement. "Even as NHL games may be missed, the Wild will continue to support the great sport of hockey at all levels through our grass roots partnerships with amateur hockey associations."

Minnesota defenseman Steven Kampfer was fired up to report for training part in part to see what it would look like to have those prized free agents - Parise and Suter - in uniform to ignite a franchise that missed the playoffs last season.

"It was going to be really exciting to see our lineup with those two acquisitions," Kampfer said. "I guess we'll just have to wait a little longer."

Parise and Suter signed on the same day in July as the Wild made a statement to the rest of the league that they wanted to be true players in the Western Conference. But that will have to wait.

"It's a frustration situation to go through because you never want a work stoppage," Kampfer said. "But we're trying to fight for what's fair for both the owners and players. Everybody wants more money. The owners want to keep more of their profits and the players want their fair share of the profits. As players, we have full confidence that (NHLPA executive director) Donald Fehr will do his job to get us the best deal that he can."

For now, most teams seem to be stable financially. The cancellation of games may change that, but for the time being, the panic button has not been pushed. Penguins spokesman Tom McMillan, for example, said the team has no plans on layoffs "at this time."

In jeopardy are some key dates on the calendar: the New Year's Day outdoor Winter Classic at 115,000-seat Michigan Stadium between the host Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs; and the Jan. 27 All-Star game hosted by the Columbus Blue Jackets, one of the league's struggling small-market teams.

The Blue Jackets put out a statement Sunday supporting the league, but did not mention the All-Star game.

"The league, the clubs and the players all have a stake in resolving our bargaining issues appropriately and getting the puck dropped as soon as possible," the team said. "We owe it to each other, to the game, and most of all, to the fans."

NHL players struck in April 1992, causing 30 games to be postponed. This marks the third lockout under Commissioner Gary Bettman. The 1994-95 lockout ended after 103 days and the cancellation of 468 games.

"Like any partnership, you want both sides to benefit," Crosby said in the video. "I think that's the case here. As players we want to play.

"But we also know what's right, what's fair."

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

17 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_hockey/~3/MyF263-IiLM/index.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

17.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spinning Their Wheels

While neither side in the NHL's lockout of the players had anything to say at midnight when the CBA expired, on Sunday the messaging war began.

The league issued the following statement at 9 AM on NHL.com:

"Despite the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the National Hockey League has been, and remains, committed to negotiating around the clock to reach a new CBA that is fair to the Players and to the 30 NHL teams.

"Thanks to the conditions fostered by seven seasons under the previous CBA, competitive balance has created arguably the most meaningful regular season in pro sports; a different team has won the Stanley Cup every year; fans and sponsors have agreed the game is at its best, and the League has generated remarkable growth and momentum. While our last CBA negotiation resulted in a seismic change in the League's economic system, and produced corresponding on-ice benefits, our current negotiation is focused on a fairer and more sustainable division of revenues with the Players — as well as other necessary adjustments consistent with the objectives of the economic system we developed jointly with the NHL Players' Association seven years ago. Those adjustments are attainable through sensible, focused negotiation — not through rhetoric.

"This is a time of year for all attention to be focused on the ice, not on a meeting room. The League, the Clubs and the Players all have a stake in resolving our bargaining issues appropriately and getting the puck dropped as soon as possible. We owe it to each other, to the game and, most of all, to the fans."

That was followed at around 1 PM Sunday afternoon by the release of this very slickly produced video by the NHLPA:

On their websites, many clubs reran the league's message. A third of them — Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Islanders, Phoenix, St. Louis, San Jose and Vancouver — crafted messages of their own to fans and sponsors. Some , teams that feel they made major offseason strides, reinforced that effort in their communiques. It's rare that the clubs or team executives have said anything at all about the talks or the lockout — they have been prohibited by the NHL from making statements under the threat of a million dollar fine. It's quite possible that all these messages had to cleared by the league office prior to publication.

As for the owners and players speaking to each other about reaching a new collective bargaining agreement, there were no formal talks today and none are scheduled. Katie Strang of ESPN New York tweeted that a phone discussion between NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr took place sometime Sunday and that they plan to speak again Tuesday evening. These two have kept the lines of communication open even as the sides have remain committed to their now-entrenched positions. But as for anything productive coming from their chat, RDS's Renaud Lavoie tweeted, "Nothing new to report."

17 Sep, 2012

-
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_hockey/~3/XtfDoRblHHw/
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

16.44 | 0 komentar | Read More