Truth & Rumors > NHL

CBA has NHL teams on thin ice

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Though it is technically accurate that NHL revenue is increasing by 7 to 10 percent a year, so is it technically accurate that the Esposito Brothers averaged 358.5 career goals apiece, though Phil got all 717 of them and Tony accounted for none. The NHL office has increased its share by between 1 and 3 percent since the lockout. That's one small step for man, probably a better measure of the standard that should apply. It seems a bit bizarre to expect a small-market team to be burdened by increases generated by big-market powers, especially when the big-market clubs seem to be able to command pretty much whatever they please for their tickets. Expect revenue sharing to be front and center on the table the next time around, but expect it to be on the Board of Governors' table so that the owners can confront one another over it before approaching the union.

New York Post

Gary Bettman, AP Gary Bettman, AP
July 13, 2008  04:08 PM ET

No! It is compulsive owners and GMs who cannot resit their sick spending habits who have NHL teams on thin ice, not the CBA. These dudes just can't help themselves! It's like a disease! They just keep handing out these outrageous contracts to mediocre players, underminding everything the lockout was supposed to have achieved.

I would like to say that the players outsmarted the owners again but, no, they didn't have to! They just let things be and the owners are sc*rewing themselves again! Serves them right!

July 13, 2008  07:43 PM ET

"No! It is compulsive owners and GMs who cannot resit their sick spending habits who have NHL teams on thin ice, not the CBA. These dudes just can't help themselves! It's like a disease! They just keep handing out these outrageous contracts to mediocre players, underminding everything the lockout was supposed to have achieved."

No. The CBA was not implemented to reduce player salaries; It was implemented to connect player salaries to the profits of the league. The league has been making more money, so the players can make more money. Paying someone 9M a year does not magically raise the salary cap.

Besides, the highest paid single season ever is still Federov's '98 deal. 28 Million for under 50 games including the playoffs. Don't complain about the CBA just because owners in bad hockey demographics can't get the same sort of money as Detroit or any of the Canadian cities.

July 14, 2008  02:03 AM ET

The Salary floor was instituted for 2 reasons:
a) to help get the union to accept a 'cap'
b) to help ensure competitive balance in the league so that the range that teams spend are all within reasonable reach of each other

The poor financial results of any particular team vary by team and by market.c market. Certain small market teams do a great job (business wise and on the ice) and they deserve a better revenue sharing plan.
But certain teams imcompetently overspend compared to revenue generated. They do not deserve to be automatically rewarded by the rest of the NHL.

July 14, 2008  06:31 AM ET

They better get it figured out before it's too late and they start losing teams.

July 15, 2008  04:16 PM ET

FUBAR.

Case closed.

 
July 15, 2008  07:47 PM ET

Honestly, who thought increasing each year is a good idea?
This should have been 3 years at a tier to make sure each market had a good balance & could sustain their growth 1st.

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