Tomorrow it will be announced

[Blue56]

Wednesday in New York Gary Bettman will anounce if the season is canceled or not.

[renuszm]

make that wednesday.

[Timberwolf]

It should have been announced in December.

[Blue56]

make that wednesday.
Yeha my mistake, I noticed, lol.
There still might be a season of 28 games I heard. Wouldn't it be nice.

[BPBlueSox]

Come on you bastards, they're only 6.5 million apart on a cap!!!

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=115048

[awefullspellare]

So close, but it looks like they won't get it. I do like the news that both would likely agree to a 45 mil cap. Now they just have to do that.

[Obri]

I'm aware that an announcement will be made later today, is it pretty much safe to assume that it'll be to confirm the cancellation of the season? Or is there still hope of an agreement?

[I Are Baboon]

I'm aware that an announcement will be made later today, is it pretty much safe to assume that it'll be to confirm the cancellation of the season? Or is there still hope of an agreement?

They are getting close. The two sides are only $6 million apart on a team salary cap agreement. At this point, I would actually be surprised if an agreement is NOT reached by 11:00AM today.

[Obri]

They are getting close. The two sides are only $6 million apart on a team salary cap agreement. At this point, I would actually be surprised if an agreement is NOT reached by 11:00AM today.

Cool! I speak as a totally part-time hockey fan(Islanders :( ), so I wasn't sure what was going on. Thanks for the update Babs. :thumbsup:

[awefullspellare]

I want to feel that way. But everytime they talk they say no more offers so I'm not so sure either side will cave. Supposedly 45 mil would be agreed to by both, but I'm not sure why they haven't gone there yet.

[rockin500]

I want to feel that way. But everytime they talk they say no more offers so I'm not so sure either side will cave. Supposedly 45 mil would be agreed to by both, but I'm not sure why they haven't gone there yet.
pigheadedness on both sides.

[I Are Baboon]

At this point, I would actually be surprised if an agreement is NOT reached by 11:00AM today.

Well colored me surprised.

BRING ON SPRING TRAINING!

[rockin500]

bring on the replacements for next year. :thumbsup:

[I Are Baboon]

I don't think there is a chance in hell the '05-'06 season gets delayed.

[imgreat95]

Ya know, the thing that pisses me off the most about this is the fact that they never negotiated from the time the season ended last season until December. Hell, they have known for 10 years that the CBA was going to expire. There is no excuse for not spending every day locked together in a room to try and get something worked out BEFORE this season was supposed to start. No excuse at all.

[PissedPrincess]

I don't think there is a chance in hell the '05-'06 season gets delayed.

Really? I think Hockey is dead. As long as it took for baseball to recover, the NHL is screwed. I don't see it recovering. :notme:

[I Are Baboon]

Really? I think Hockey is dead. As long as it took for baseball to recover, the NHL is screwed. I don't see it recovering. :notme:

I think die hard fans make up the bulk of the NHL's core audience. Die hards will come back to the NHL no matter what. I think MLB relies a lot more heavily on casual fans than the NHL does, and it's the casual fan that needs more time to get back into the sport.

But what the hell do I know, anyway? :D I'd be thrilled if the NHL dies and a new league is born.

[rockin500]

i agree with babs. die hards will still be there. but they will only come back if things are fixed. like opening up the ice. salary caps. stuff like that.

[imgreat95]

I think that the die hards will stay no matter what happens. I would have still gone to 12-15 games this season regardless of what happened to the rules of the game. Simply because I would have gotten to see the greatest player every each and every night. (assuming he was healthy, of course...)

With only 15-20,000 seats in most arenas, the NHL doesnt need much more than the die hards to survive. It is tough, though to see a sport which was already almost dead to fall even further.

[BPBlueSox]

:crying2:

[BPBlueSox]

I can't wait to hear what that jackass Goodenow has to say here in twenty minutes.

[rockin500]

probably some bullshit about how the union has to remain strong and that its all the evil owners fault.

[Blue56]

well thats that

[Timberwolf]

Obviously, it's a sad day for the fans and everyone involved with the sport. I feel awful for the workers like the ushers or workers at the concession stand or the custodians. If I were those people I try to look for another job.

Did I cry that there was no hockey? Definitely not. I wasn't even sad. If anything, I was very happy. I am glad it's over. I am tired of hearing about the he said, she said from the players and the owners. I am tired of the rhetoric. The next time I want to hear from the both of them is when they reach an agreement. Until then, they should not speak to the media or attack one another. They should speak in good faith and find a way to get it done.

I am done as a hockey fan. I did not like hockey two years ago and I watch the sport only in the playoffs. Now the sport has lost me for good. I lost a lot of respect for the players. They have been arrogant, classless, and condecending through all of this. I don't think they have the sport's best interest. From what I am interpreting, these players view the sport as "work" more than "fun" or how it's a "priviledge" They have attacked the fans. They have attacked owners. They have insulted everyone's intelligence. They have showed zero respect for the little guys that work at the arena and the officals who are not even getting paid for this. The NHL players are just so full of themselves. When I hear John Madden, Brian Rafalski, Scott Gomez, Dwayne Rollosson, Andrew Brunette, and others saying how they are happy not playing hockey or playing in Alaska or in Europe, that bothers the hell out of me because it shows that they don't care for the fans or for the workers at concession stands. That bothers me to no end. These players have conducted with lack of class. I think most hockey players are indifferent and some flat-out don't care either. How could fans relate to those punks?

It may take 15 years for me to come back as a fan. I don't know. One thing for sure. The owners better get a salary cap or this lockout was a waste of time. If the sport has to shut down, so be it. Maybe it's best that the NHL goes out of business. I doubt anyone cares. I really will be angry if the players get their way.

We might as well get a new commisioner. I am hoping either Scotty Bowman or Devils GM and CEO Lou Lamoriello is the commish. Gary Bettman has to resign as soon as the deal is reached. It's time for a new face.

I really have to wonder how many teams will go away. I sure as hell am worried about two teams. I wonder if the Wild will ever survive. I think that team is going to be contracted and Minnesota will lose another NHL franchise. Yes they draw well, but keep in mind the Wild were more of a novelty and the only reasons fans showed up last year was because of the Wild playoff run. Fans in Minnesota don't like stuff like this. They already been stabbed once with the move of the North Stars so why should they put up with this. As for the Devils, they will likely be contracted. They are not making money and they don't draw well including the playoffs. Who knows how many less hockey teams will be in Canada?

Two things need to accomplish for a sport to have credibility. Salary cap and a new commisioner who can market the game and run the sport well.

As for hockey being canceled, oh well. I expect next season to be canceled too along with the season after that.

[BPBlueSox]

I'll be back the second it starts back up.

[renuszm]

I'll be back the second it starts back up.
me too.