It looks as though there won't be a regular NHL season this year.
What a waste. The NHLPA is trying to make Gary Bettman and the NHL look like the bad guys in the CBA negociations, but most people realize that he is simply looking out for the game's best interests.

Players are making way too much money. Arbitration is out of control.
Who's paying the price? The fans. An ordinary fan who doesn't have season tickets needs to spend a fortune for one evening out at the rink with their kid. Consider the cost of the tickets, coupled with the high cost of buying your kid some popcorn and a drink and it adds up very fast.

What's more, just about every good seat in the house nowadays is corporate. Where are the true fans? In the nose-bleed sections.

I say to Gary Bettman. Hold your ground, and force a strike if you have to. The owners and the players need to give back to the game and it's fans.

ref: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=93576

The reality is that hockey is just not as popular as basketball or football. Teams cannot afford to pay these guys the same huge salaries as a basketball player.

Losing a season will hurt the league in the long term.... players are being selfish.

I saw last night that the Average Salary for a NHL player was $1.7 mil.

I would reckon thats pretty high.

I'll take the kids to Vancouver's WHL games. More fights anyway :)

I totally agree that they need a salary cap. They could copy 100% the NFL and things would be peachy.



but, unrelated to this, bettman is an idiot. Best interest of the sport my ass! If he could transfer all the franchise to big US markets he would. That guy can suck my nuts.

Hold on a moment... where do you get your info on this?

I have always thought that Bettman looked out for the best interests of the game of hockey and the NHL.