[MikeS]

According to Stan Fischler at MSG, it's done, pending ratification by the NHLPA...

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Exactly 300 days later...finally. Was it good for you? :roll:

[NMAS]

Who cares! not me.

[cferneyh]

I care.

Best of all is the PA gambling and losing HUGE. Talk about worst case scenario - owners get the cap, it's linked to revenues, and the players lost a year of income for nothing. Amazing to me that Goodenow is still representing them. A monkey could have done that deal in an hour and not wasted a year of everyone's career.

[The Darkest Canuck]

i bet you're just thrilled that the billionaire owners will now be able to make even more money! :roll: for a working man your ideology is sure screwy. i guess some people just can't get over the fact the their childhood dreams of winning the Stanley Cup, and it makes them bitter to see that some people get paid millions of dollars to do so...well guess what, you're not them, you never will be, get over it...jealousy is an ugly colour on anyone.

[MikeS]

The silly season begins one week tomorrow...

A prominent player agent told ESPN The Magazine's E.J. Hradek that the draft lottery will be held on July 21, with the entry draft being held in Ottawa on July 30.

(source: espn.com)

[MikeS]

And the official word:

12:32 PM EDT, 07/13/2005
NHL, NHLPA reach agreement in principle on new CBA

NEW YORK/TORONTO (July 13, 2005) - The National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association have reached an agreement in principle on the terms of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Details of the new Agreement will not be made available publicly pending the formal ratification process by the NHLPA Members and the NHL Board of Governors.

It is anticipated that the ratification process will be completed next week, at which time the parties will be prepared to discuss the details of the Agreement and plans for next season. No further comment will be made until then.

(sources: NHL.com, NHLPA.com)

:thumb:

[The Darkest Canuck]

FUCKINGEH! THE HOCKEY'S BACK! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[prz]

i bet you're just thrilled that the billionaire owners will now be able to make even more money! :roll: for a working man your ideology is sure screwy. i guess some people just can't get over the fact the their childhood dreams of winning the Stanley Cup, and it makes them bitter to see that some people get paid millions of dollars to do so...well guess what, you're not them, you never will be, get over it...jealousy is an ugly colour on anyone.

I dont think it is jealousy. It is just pointing out the NHLPA took such a hard stand and lost huge. I think the NHLPA are idiots for what they did. How many guys are going to lose their jobs over this new deal?

[direwolf74]

It's about f**king time. That was the longest year of my life. Out of protest I haven't worn my Flames jersey since the lockout began. Now I can finally dust it off and take it out of the closet, barring any dipshit moves by Goodenow and the PA to derail this thing at the last minute. Speaking of which, I haven't heard from Goodenow in quite a while. Where is he? Does he still have a job? Have the players put a contract out on his head yet?

GAME ON!!!

[MikeS]

I dont think it is jealousy. It is just pointing out the NHLPA took such a hard stand and lost huge. I think the NHLPA are idiots for what they did. How many guys are going to lose their jobs over this new deal?

Not that it will save his rear in the end, but Goodenow has attempted to distance himself from it already...

It's clear this isn't a deal NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow was in favour of but he went along with it, respecting the wishes of president Trevor Linden and the rest of the players' executive committee... (source: sportsnet.ca)

One thing is certain, Gary Bettman just got a hell of a lot more powerful...gulp.

[gratts99]

The rule changes will come down soon. Heres an early outline

"To revitalize their on-ice product, the league is expected next week to announce, along with details of the new agreement, major changes to the game's rules which are intended to increase the game's appeal and win more fans.

These include:

1)A three-minute overtime period with three players from each team, should the score remain tied following the current five-minute overtime.

2)The fan-friendly shootout, which will be used if games remain tied.

3)Removing the red line to allow two-line passes without an off-side being called. This would presumably open up offensive chances and allow for more breakaways.

4)Reducing the size of goalie equipment, intended to allow for more goals to be scored"

Rule changes 1 and 4 sound good, as long as rule 1 is for regular season only

So is rule 2 going to be used after the 5 min ot and the 3min OT? I heard on the radio that the SHOOTOUT will be used in the playoffs. If so then screw that!

[MikeS]

The rule changes will come down soon. Heres an early outline

"To revitalize their on-ice product, the league is expected next week to announce, along with details of the new agreement, major changes to the game's rules which are intended to increase the game's appeal and win more fans.

These include:

1)A three-minute overtime period with three players from each team, should the score remain tied following the current five-minute overtime.

2)The fan-friendly shootout, which will be used if games remain tied.

3)Removing the red line to allow two-line passes without an off-side being called. This would presumably open up offensive chances and allow for more breakaways.

4)Reducing the size of goalie equipment, intended to allow for more goals to be scored"

Rule changes 1 and 4 sound good, as long as rule 1 is for regular season only

So is rule 2 going to be used after the 5 min ot and the 3min OT? I heard on the radio that the SHOOTOUT will be used in the playoffs. If so then screw that!

Rule 3 is actually more likely to DECREASE the number of offensive chances...Scotty Bowman was on the FAN590 last night and said that he had talked with Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock, who assisted the weak Princeton NCAA Div I team during the lockout (where they don't have a red line). What weaker teams will do is dump the puck off the boards in their own end and position a single forward at the other team's blueline who's sole job is to tip any pucks that are fired from their end to eleviate icings...several leagues in Europe are actually putting the red line back IN this season to prevent this activity. The remaining four players will line up along the blueline, rather than spread throughout the neutral zone when the red line is in play. Made sense to me...and coming from Scotty, I would tend not to argue it...

I'm all for the other rule changes (shootout, OT, goalie equipment) with the former only applicable to regular season games.

[hotmetal401]

When the owners lose their shirts this year due to low ticket sales, the hammer will fall on Bettman. He's just as vulnerable as Goodenow after all this I think.

All that is that this whole mess is over. Let's just hope the game can become a better product and regain lost glory.

Cheers

Pat

[NMAS]

I hope the fans stay away. then lets see what happens

[opiated]

why is the nhl so afraid of a tie? throw away all those old record books and stats..they're meaningless now...a shootout? 3 on 3?? fucking joke...they just don't get it