Post by Leafs_Pam on May 16, 2003 12:04:48 GMT -5
slam.canoe.ca/Slam030516/nhl_labour-sun.html
By BRUCE GARRIOCH -- Ottawa Sun
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- NHL players are already being warned to be prepared for the "War of 2004."
While the current focus is on the Eastern and Western Conference finals, that didn't stop the NHL Players' Association from gathering most agents last Monday in Toronto for a discussion about the future.
According to one high-profile agent who was on hand for the annual session with union president Bob Goodenow, they have been told to "prepare for the worst-case scenario" when the current CBA expires next summer.
What's the worst-case scenario for the union?
"We were told that we should be prepared to have no hockey for two years," said the agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "Basically, Goodenow told us he's not going to accept a salary cap. Then, he showed why systems in the NBA, NFL and MLB don't work. It was interesting."
Though Goodenow and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman have a cordial relationship, it's believed they have had no serious discussions about a new labour agreement.
Players who will become unrestricted free agents this summer expect to feel the pinch. If the league is going to institute a salary cap, teams will be leery about entering into long-term, expensive agreements.
Players are aware of the problem. That means guys who were expecting to cash in at age 31 could be forced to accept one-year deals because the teams would like to have as many bodies unsigned as possible going into the 2004-05 season.
"I've thought about it a lot because of what could happen," said Ottawa centre Bryan Smolinski, who will become an unrestricted free agent July 1. "You don't know how to feel because you're not sure what's going to happen.
"You wait for an opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent and you owe it to yourself to at least shop around. This is my first time going through it, so I'm not sure what's going to happen. But you're also facing an uncertain future (with the CBA) and you wonder how teams will react."
Obviously, the players and the agents don't want a work stoppage, but Bettman isn't going to take a proposal to the union until he believes it will get serious consideration.
THIS 'N' THAT: New Jersey coach Pat Burns says if the Norris Trophy is going to go to the defenceman with the best offensive numbers, then they should come up with a new piece of hardware. "I don't know ... Maybe they should call it the Bobby Orr Trophy or the Doug Harvey Trophy if they're just going to give it to the guy who is the best offensively. That seems to be the way things are going now," said Burns yesterday. He believes New Jersey Ds Scott Niedermayer and Scott Stevens should have been given more consideration for the trophy as the top defenceman because the criteria is for the best all-around in the NHL. "To me, these two guys play well at both ends of the ice. Where they get hurt, especially a guy like Scott Niedermayer, is they don't have the offensive numbers," said Burns ... The Senators have the Western Conference final covered like a blanket: Pro scouts Nick Polano, Phil Myre and California resident Bob Berry are all keeping a close eye on the Anaheim-Minnesota series ... How much do they love hockey in Minny? The club has 5,000 people on its waiting list for season tickets. Even if the Wild don't score a goal in this series against the Ducks, the Minny franchise will still come out a winner ... A New York newspaper reported that Isles D Kenny Jonsson, soon to be a restricted free agent, could play in Sweden next season if he doesn't get a deal he likes from New York.
By BRUCE GARRIOCH -- Ottawa Sun
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- NHL players are already being warned to be prepared for the "War of 2004."
While the current focus is on the Eastern and Western Conference finals, that didn't stop the NHL Players' Association from gathering most agents last Monday in Toronto for a discussion about the future.
According to one high-profile agent who was on hand for the annual session with union president Bob Goodenow, they have been told to "prepare for the worst-case scenario" when the current CBA expires next summer.
What's the worst-case scenario for the union?
"We were told that we should be prepared to have no hockey for two years," said the agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "Basically, Goodenow told us he's not going to accept a salary cap. Then, he showed why systems in the NBA, NFL and MLB don't work. It was interesting."
Though Goodenow and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman have a cordial relationship, it's believed they have had no serious discussions about a new labour agreement.
Players who will become unrestricted free agents this summer expect to feel the pinch. If the league is going to institute a salary cap, teams will be leery about entering into long-term, expensive agreements.
Players are aware of the problem. That means guys who were expecting to cash in at age 31 could be forced to accept one-year deals because the teams would like to have as many bodies unsigned as possible going into the 2004-05 season.
"I've thought about it a lot because of what could happen," said Ottawa centre Bryan Smolinski, who will become an unrestricted free agent July 1. "You don't know how to feel because you're not sure what's going to happen.
"You wait for an opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent and you owe it to yourself to at least shop around. This is my first time going through it, so I'm not sure what's going to happen. But you're also facing an uncertain future (with the CBA) and you wonder how teams will react."
Obviously, the players and the agents don't want a work stoppage, but Bettman isn't going to take a proposal to the union until he believes it will get serious consideration.
THIS 'N' THAT: New Jersey coach Pat Burns says if the Norris Trophy is going to go to the defenceman with the best offensive numbers, then they should come up with a new piece of hardware. "I don't know ... Maybe they should call it the Bobby Orr Trophy or the Doug Harvey Trophy if they're just going to give it to the guy who is the best offensively. That seems to be the way things are going now," said Burns yesterday. He believes New Jersey Ds Scott Niedermayer and Scott Stevens should have been given more consideration for the trophy as the top defenceman because the criteria is for the best all-around in the NHL. "To me, these two guys play well at both ends of the ice. Where they get hurt, especially a guy like Scott Niedermayer, is they don't have the offensive numbers," said Burns ... The Senators have the Western Conference final covered like a blanket: Pro scouts Nick Polano, Phil Myre and California resident Bob Berry are all keeping a close eye on the Anaheim-Minnesota series ... How much do they love hockey in Minny? The club has 5,000 people on its waiting list for season tickets. Even if the Wild don't score a goal in this series against the Ducks, the Minny franchise will still come out a winner ... A New York newspaper reported that Isles D Kenny Jonsson, soon to be a restricted free agent, could play in Sweden next season if he doesn't get a deal he likes from New York.