[scottitude]

Headline today in the Detroit Free Press:
Red Wings to join Mechanics - UHL club adds Hatcher, Chelios

There's a press conference going on right now, but no definite word yet on any other Wings. The article does mention Kris Draper may also sign. Here's a tidbit about the UHL pay and Drapers logic:

The pay won't be great, though. The UHL limits teams to a $260,000 payroll, and Draper acknowledged that he wouldn't be playing for big bucks.

"When I say I'm playing for the love of the game, I mean I'm playing for the love of the game," he said.

Maybe chanting "let's go mech-anics" doesn't have the same ring, but at this point, I can get behind anywing!

[brian1175]

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[Roy-at-tth]

That seems like a reasonable proposal.

[thedarkcanuck]

a reasonable proposal to everyone....except the nhlpa

[cferneyh]

a reasonable proposal to everyone....except the nhlpa

:lol: :thumb:

Reasonable to 99.9% of us working stiffs? Hell ya!

Reasonable to pampered professional athletes? Hell no!

[VioletlightHeron]

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I think this piece on Roenick contradicts the idea that the NHLPA is willing to accept a salary cap. My gut feeling says they may be willing to include the salary cap in the agreement but surrounded with alot of clauses that give them the legal wiggle room to avoid actual implementation of the cap. The union is talking a great game but I don't think they'll accept a cap like the NFL.

[cferneyh]

SWEET! Suddenly I'm a HUGE Kevin Kerr fan.

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Gotta love NHL players taking food off of the plates of minor league players. But that's OK. They just want to stay in shape.

[VioletlightHeron]

Agreed, plus you gotta wonder why he's not in the NHL if he's the all-time scoring leader in the minor leagues. cratch:

[fingernailsonhull]

This just goes to show that people with the last name Kerr are indeed great.

[NMAS]

The players are hypocrites, Draper and Hatcher are playing with a salery cap!
Screw em and shut the league down, start over.

[brian1175]

Here is the lastest news from yahoo on the new proposal.

A look at key points in the NHL's proposal Wednesday to the NHL Players' Association:

AGREEMENT LENGTH

The deal would cover the 2004-05 season and the following six seasons through 2010-11. The players' association would have the sole right to reopen the agreement after four years.
SALARY CAP

The new system would ensure that total league-wide player compensation in any year will not be under 53 percent of the league's revenues or exceed 55 percent. If teams spend less than 53 percent of the NHL's revenues, they will be required to contribute additional dollars to a pool to be distributed to the players.

FLOATING TEAM PAYROLL

The new range was established by averaging total team payrolls, reflecting the NHL's acceptance of the players' association offer to roll back all existing contracts by 24 percent. Each team would be required to spend at least $29.8 million in player salaries ($32 million including benefits) and no more than $40 million in salaries ($42.2 million including benefits)

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENCY

Age for Group 3 free agency reduced to age 30 beginning with the 2006-07 season.

ENTRY LEVEL SYSTEM

Four-year, two-way rookie contracts that would cap salaries at $850,000 per year -- including signing and performance bonuses. The signing bonus maximum in each year would be $100,000 for draft picks 1-5; $75,000 for picks 6-15; $50,000 for picks 16-30; and $40,000 for picks 31 and up. The league also proposed giving its own entry-level bonuses, awarding $500,000 to entry-level players who win the Hart, Norris, Vezina and Selke trophies; $400,000 to second-place finishers; $300,000 for a third-place finish; $200,000 for fourth; and $100,000 for fifth place.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENCY

Qualifying offers from teams would have to be 100 percent of the previous year's salary to players earning less than $800,000; and 75 percent or $800,000, whichever is greater, to players who earned $800,000 or more the previous season. The right-to-match and draft choice compensation remain the same from the previous agreement.

SALARY ARBITRATION

Mutual process in which players and clubs have same rights to request arbitration. In old system, only players could request arbitration. Arbitration was eliminated in NHL's Dec. 14 offer. The NHL would reserve the right to eliminate arbitration at any time by, giving players unrestricted free agency at 28 in return.

PLAYER CONTRACTS

Minimum salary increased 62 percent to $300,000 per year. Guaranteed contracts would remain in existence but the maximum length would be three years. Current contracts would be grandfathered.

PROFIT SHARING

The NHL would share profits equally with the players' association once a negotiated threshold is exceeded.

JOINT AUDIT

Each year's accounting will be performed by an independent firm. There would be a mandatory $2 million fine and loss of a first-round draft pick for clubs that fail to disclose required financial information. A repeat offense would bring a $5 million fine and loss of three first-round draft picks.

2004-05 SEASON

To compensate players for a shortened 2004-05 regular season with a full playoffs, the NHLPA would share money generated from the 2005 postseason to ensure they receive 53 percent of league revenues for the season.

JOINT OWNER-PLAYER COUNCIL

Establishment of a council to meet on a regular basis to discuss issues of mutual interest relating both to business and game-related matters.

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[j-monster]

SWEET! Suddenly I'm a HUGE Kevin Kerr fan.

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Gotta love NHL players taking food off of the plates of minor league players. But that's OK. They just want to stay in shape.

Hypocrites, all of 'em. If they are really against a salary cap, then they would refuse to play in any league with a salary cap, no? So you'd think they'd be intelligent enough and have enough integrity to not play in the UHL, which HAS a cap, right? WRONG! :roll:

Players, owners... I don't care now, they can all get bent! :rambo:

[cferneyh]

The NHL's offer goes a long way to alleviate the issues the PA has. The PA says that the owners have to partner with each other before they can partner with the players (whatever that means). Fine. So the proposed agreement says that at a negotiated point, league profits will be split amongst the teams and players 50/50.

The obvious retort by the players is that some owners lie about their revenues and/or try to hide them. Knowing this, the NHL proposes a joint audit committee and stiff penalties for owners who get caught trying to hide revenues.

So what do the players come back with? "There's a cap, and we won't accept a cap." Yet the NHL has addressed the VERY issues why players won't accept a cap, but it is still not enough. Unreal. The players say this is about Bettman's ego. Whatever. This most recent offer has addressed their anti-cap concerns, and they still turned it down because Goodenow's ego won't let him accept anything with the term "cap". Unbelievable. Is there seriously anyone out there who is still siding with the players? If so, WHY?

When reached for comment Tie Domi had this to say: Grrrrrrrr. Cap bad. Me no like. Grrrrrrrrr.

[go(r)d]

Tie's a great player, awesome grit guy, but even I laughed at that... In addition to your (well said) summary, they said in that proposal the P.A. has EXCLUSIVE rights to restart CBA talks a couple of years before it's up...sounds pretty reasonable to me. I was a fence-sitter for the longest time because the business people who run the teams are just as greedy and egotistical in their business life as the players are when it comes to THEIR business, but I am fast sliding towards the owners...the PA really hasn't accomplished ANYTHING over the course of the lockout and I don't think they realize the reality of the situation.

[cferneyh]

I'm a Leaf fan, but Domi's a bum. And an idiot. And he should be thankful that he found a job that pays more than minimum wage. He ripped into Pierre McGuire the other week saying that he won't cooperate with him in the future because McGuire had the NERVE to give his opinion that 75% of the players would accept a cap. So yeah, Domi's OK - as long as you agree with him.

With NHLers now playing in the UHL - a league with a salary cap - I thought I'd design a new jersey for Trevor Linden. What do y'all think?