Lockout's effect on fantasy

[Rocketman9]

Very sad knowing that could indeed be the case. When egos are involved, common sense is forgotten.

[Cowtown]

Very sad knowing that could indeed be the case. When egos are involved, common sense is forgotten.

I'm not so sure that egos have become the dominant factor here. The intractable arrogance of the owners, well represented in Bettman's smug and relentless sneer, would get my vote.They were such pricks last time around that the players have vowed to not let let themselves be treated like that again. Nevertheless, it's true that the players have the weaker hand in all this, and they really only have one weapon - the A-bomb. But they didn't walk out, they were locked out - while willing to keep playing under the old arrangement. So regardless of who you support, remember the owners willingly provoked it.

I also wonder whether the owners figured that with the current economic situation in the US, that ticket sales would be down anyway, so that this would be a more propitious time to force the issue to white heat. Especially since not every team is a money maker.

[Flames89Champs]

I'm not so sure that egos have become the dominant factor here. The intractable arrogance of the owners, well represented in Bettman's smug and relentless sneer, would get my vote.They were such pricks last time around that the players have vowed to not let let themselves be treated like that again. Nevertheless, it's true that the players have the weaker hand in all this, and they really only have one weapon - the A-bomb. But they didn't walk out, they were locked out - while willing to keep playing under the old arrangement. So regardless of who you support, remember the owners willingly provoked it.

I also wonder whether the owners figured that with the current economic situation in the US, that ticket sales would be down anyway, so that this would be a more propitious time to force the issue to white heat. Especially since not every team is a money maker.

This is why I LMAO when I hear the NHL trying to split the cost of this lockout... or try to put forth that the NHLPA should take care of some of the costs involved with the amount of dollars being lost as each day goes by. The NHLPA won't agree to take on any of the financial responsibility involving the whole lockout process since it was the NHL who said from day one that there will be no hockey without an agreement... so here we are... near the beginning of December.. with no hockey, just pointless banter back and forth between the two sides on who is the bad guy this week and why.

After all that's said and done... nothing has really changed since the summer and I can't see it being settled in time to save any part of the hockey season.... especially with the new development of decertification being talked about within the NHLPA. That in itself is an issue that could take up to a month to come to a decision on amoungst the NHLPA membership.

[Flames89Champs]

This just released... interesting..

So.. this is the next step.. we may see a hockey season after all...
..

US federal mediators to join NHL labor talks
The Associated Press

NHL Players' Association executive director Donald Fehr arrives for labor talks at NHL headquarters in New York, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012, in New York. …

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal mediators are entering the stalled NHL labor talks, with the season's first 2½ months already lost because of the lockout.

George Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, said Monday the parties had agreed to use the agency. He assigned three mediators to assist in negotiations - deputy director Scot Beckenbaugh, director of mediation services John Sweeney and Commissioner Guy Serota.

"While we have no particular level of expectation going into this process, we welcome a new approach in trying to reach a resolution of the ongoing labor dispute at the earliest possible date," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said.

Cohen has worked with the players' associations for Major League Baseball, helping end the 1994-95 strike as an outside counsel, and the NBA. He was an adviser to the NHL players' union before joining the FMCS three years ago.

Cohen mediated during the 2010 negotiations in Major League Soccer and 2011 talks in the NFL and NBA, along with this year's dispute between the NFL and its on-field officials.

Hockey players and management have not negotiated since last Wednesday. The NHL has canceled more than one-third of its regular season, including all games through Dec. 14, the New Year's Day outdoor Winter Classic and the All-Star weekend scheduled for Jan. 26-27 at Columbus, Ohio.

"I have had separate, informal discussions with the key representatives of the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association during the course of their negotiations for a successor collective bargaining agreement," Cohen said in a statement.

"Due to the extreme sensitivity of these negotiations and consistent with the FMCS's longstanding practice, the agency will refrain from any public comment concerning the future schedule and/or the status of the negotiations until further notice"

[Mike]

In this article I take a look at how condensed the NHL schedule might be this season. The impact of this shortened season on fantasy hockey should be negligible:

http://www.leftwinglock.com/articles...-nhl-schedule/

[Mike]

Another data point here:

http://www.leftwinglock.com/articles...r-ryan-miller/

We just found out what Ryan Miller's projected workload is for the shortened season.

[Mike]

Here's what you guys have been waiting for!

Will NHL goalies be rested in a shortened season?

http://www.leftwinglock.com/articles...rtened-season/