THe 2012 CBA Thread

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As a sort of complement to threads about players, the game, and playing the game, this can be a discussion about the new Collective Bargaining Agreement battle looming, i.e., whether come October there will actually be any games to play.

From http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/201...ing-agreement/

MTL VP Serge Savard on "the single crucial issue in the next CBA":

I was there when we demanded salary caps. But the people who really wanted salary caps in order to save their franchise are the ones who are really hurting now. The people who voted against the cap are the ones who were rewarded. The big markets with all the money – New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and Detroit – would all spend $100 million [before the cap] instead of $55 million [after], so they are saving $45 million. Those teams didn’t want the cap, because they want to win and pay as much as it takes. But the teams that really wanted the cap have to spend [to the salary floor] $45 million. The system doesn’t work.

The article briefly discusses four possible solutions, none of which immediately jumps out as one that will be embraced to prevent another L-word, though in hockey hope springs eternal

[aapbolt]

My personal opinion is that a lockout for a month or more into the season will cause the death of weaker franchises. Some lack the financial abilitynto weather this kind of storm,that could cause a retraction. When you look at the weakness of the economy right now the last thing the league needs is a lockout.

[Adshockey06]

I thought the player revenue was the big issue? This could get ugly if the owners arent even on the same page going into the Lockout....

[ChaseSpace]

I honestly don't see this one going to a lockout. The owners know they can't suffer another and I'm sure the players are aware as well.

I see something like:
Player/Owner share moving closer to 50/50
Increased revenue sharing
NHLPA has input on schedules, rule changes, expansions, and relocation
More items that constitute as revenue included into the leagues annual HRR
Percentage of revenue that lead to salary cap number are lowered
Cap floor become a percentage of the ceiling instead of a hard set number(I'll say 30%)
No salary rollbacks(if cap is lowered I foresee the caphits taking a reduction but not the actual salaries)


Those are all of my educated guesses

[timothy]

Leading up to the previous lockout after the 2004 season, there was talking for two years or more that the owners were preparing for a long lockout by banding together and putting back operating monies in a warchest to be used by all the owners if a lockout happened.

I haven't heard of anything like that this time around, so if the owners are especially preparing to weather a long lockout, it probably isn't going to be a repeat of 2004. But that's just my initial and largely uninformed thoughts.

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In contrast, I recall Chad predicting the last lockout a full four years in advance. Pretty uncanny. I've not heard anything from him on this. Chad, if yer out there....what's the ol' crystal ball say about puck drop in October?

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During the draft show, they discussed the lockout matter-of-factly suggesting it's somewhere between a distinct possibility and a virtually inevitable certainty, and it's something all the GMs are preparing for in their decision making, etc.

So I decided to do some FYI surfing...enjoy

A brief, surface glimpse of five main issues:
http://proicehockey.about.com/od/nhl...The-Issues.htm

Haggerty at ComCast sez get used to no hockey in October, that new union tough guy Donald Fehr [prounounced Fear] will make sure the NHLPA stonewalls the owners really hard (unlike last time, when they got soft and gave in to the NHL after only 310 days of stalemate):
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/06/1...ckout-for-nhl/

From two years ago -- pretty good foresight (Fehrsight?):
http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2010...-lockout/4065/

Players are ~optimistic; this writer, not so much:
http://www.foxsportsnorth.com/06/21/...blockID=749710

Montreal Gazette sez "the signs are pointing to a destructive third lockout, beginning in September":

http://www.montrealgazette.com/busin...409/story.html

Per hockeydraft.ca, "the issue of another NHL lockout actually, really, seriously looms on the horizon":
http://news.hockeydraft.ca/2012/06/1...r-nhl-lockout/

And for proof that the hockey fans here at BP are not the only ones buying none of this hogwash, check out the optimism poll at bleacher report:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...nother-lockout

[Coldrice]

FEHR SAYS SEASON COULD START ON TIME EVEN WITHOUT AGREEMENT
ASSOCIATED PRESS
6/27/2012 4:13:24 PM

The NHL season could start without a new labour agreement if both sides agree to continue talks beyond the Sept. 15 expiration of the current deal.

NHL Players Association executive director Don Fehr said Wednesday "the players haven't considered what they would do on Sept. 15 or any other date if no agreement is in place."

...

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=399382

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Crazy, dopey question...

...why couldn't that have been done last time?

Fishy

[Donnie D]

Because the owners weren't willing to keep the same system they had last time.

And I'm not sure the owners are willing to keep the same system this year either.

The players may be willing to extend, and the owners may for one more year, to give Fehr time, but it isn't the long term agreement.