It's Official- No Hockey!

In a surprise to no one, the owners and players have been unable to agree on a new labor deal so the owners have locked out the players. The main issue is the owners need for "cost certainty" which basically involves a floating salary cap so that player salaries cannot go over a certain percentage of revenues. The players will not go along with any notion of a salary cap and have offered a baseball-like "luxury tax" system. Any team which went over a set figure in salary would have to put money into a pool which is then redistributed to the other owners as a way of competitive balance. Bottom Line: There is going to be no hockey this year, maybe not this whole season. Last time the Stanley Cup finals were not held was 1919, when Ottawa's team (ironically named the Millionaires) and Montreal canceled the series due to a severe outbreak of influenza. All we have now is a severe outbreak of greed.

The players' salaries simply way too high for the NHL's revenues to support with such a small TV contract. On the other hand, no one held a gun to the Rangers' head and made them pay Bobby Holik 9 million a year. If you said "who" that explains why he should not be paid 9 million. Gretzky, Lemieux, okay. Holik not. Even the marginal players now are making high six figures. The two sides are so far apart that this is going to take a long time to resolve.

The bottom line is, no matter who wins in the negotiations, it is abundantly clear who loses. The support staff who work for the teams and the league, the fans, and the game itself. What a good way to setback hockey's continued growth in America. What a shame for the sport!