[News] 4 year CBA Ratified. MOU released

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

CHL still the best league purely for developing young players because of the schedule and more physical play. That remains their selling point but obviously expect changes in the financial model.

Did you expect the NHL to do something to protect major junior hockey in their CBA? That’s not exactly their mission.

The so called loophole (it never actually was a loophole) is gone, doesn’t matter what you do after being drafted. Which is as it should be IMO.

The loophole isn’t gone at all? They just turned it from what has been perceived as a loophole to something every player can do regardless of where they play. Nobody took issue with the fact that some players couldn’t take advantage of it, people took issue with the fact that ANY players could… and now they all can lol.

It’s not about protecting the CHL. It’s now just the fact that any player drafted who doesn’t like where they were drafted has the option of going to college, even after they’ve played in the CHL, to make a little money/get an education and run the clock until they’re free agents, which gives virtually every drafted player significantly more leverage over the drafting team than before.

[sureLoss]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1938643987780509925

[devo22]

after 2004 and 2012, I'm just glad we're at a point where new CBAs are hammered out in a timely manner and we don't have to worry about potential lockouts. Good stuff.

[shutout]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

It’s not about protecting the CHL. It’s now just the fact that any player drafted who doesn’t like where they were drafted has the option of going to college, even after they’ve played in the CHL, to make a little money/get an education and run the clock until they’re free agents, which gives virtually every drafted player significantly more leverage over the drafting team than before.

Does not have to be college.
If you want to go and play in Europe until you are 22 that is another way to keep from going to the team that drafted you.
If you are losing prospects at age 22 because they don't want to sign with you that is signs of a poor organization and terrible asset management and not just providing an out in a players commitment to the team.

[FlamesAddiction]

What's the approval threshold for ratification? Unanimous, two-thirds, 50% +1?

I don't like the 4 year rule for all drafted players. I have no doubt that we'll see more players hold out or force trades by threatening it.

[Calgary4LIfe]

So all draftees are now under a standard 4 year team rights' ownership? I am going out on a limb and guessing that this does not include players drafted out of Russia since there is no transfer agreement in place, correct? What about Russians that get drafted out of the CHL, NCAA or USHL, but then go back to Russia before the 4 years are up? Do their rights remain with the drafting team indefinitely still, or are they also under the 4 year standard?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by shutout

Does not have to be college.
If you want to go and play in Europe until you are 22 that is another way to keep from going to the team that drafted you.
If you are losing prospects at age 22 because they don't want to sign with you that is signs of a poor organization and terrible asset management and not just providing an out in a players commitment to the team.

True, Europe as well.

I don’t think many teams will actually lose these players at 22, not good ones at least (probably the same calibre of player that is often available out of college now)

But it does give players significantly more leverage, which can really only hurt smaller market teams.

[FlamesAddiction]

The 4 year rule must be something that a lot of the owners want, because I can't see current players really caring about it that much. It's not something that benefits them and unsigned drafted players aren't NHLPA members. Like I don't think it would be a hill for them to die on or something that they would want in place if it meant they had to bend on something else.

[sureLoss]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1938653554518172131

[InternationalVillager]

Easy to reach an agreement when everyone is generally doing well. In this case, the NHL is doing fantastic. A 28% increase to $113M in salary cap is quite the tailwind for all.

[CroFlames]

Amateur EBUGs are one of the most exciting things about the regular season and they are taking that away from us.

They also took away our opportunity to see overconfident goalies play the puck in the corners causing hilarious turnovers and goals.

And they gave us two extra regular season games no one asked for.

I hate you Gary Bettman, hater of hockey.

[Cole436]

I see a lot of concessions given up by the players here: longer regular seasons, shorter training camps, limits on contract length, and new restrictions on bonuses. In exchange, they get better benefits, a bigger playoff bonus pool, and a few off-ice perks. That doesn’t feel like a great trade-off.

Most of the big changes seem to benefit the owners, not the players, especially when it comes to contracts and long-term earnings.

This feels like a poor deal for the NHLPA

[Shazam]

More regular season games means more revenue.

The number of pre-season games has been bordering on the ridiculous for a while now. Wasn't it like 8 or 9 decades back?

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Cole436

I see a lot of concessions given up by the players here: longer regular seasons, shorter training camps, limits on contract length, and new restrictions on bonuses. In exchange, they get better benefits, a bigger playoff bonus pool, and a few off-ice perks. That doesn’t feel like a great trade-off.

Most of the big changes seem to benefit the owners, not the players, especially when it comes to contracts and long-term earnings.

This feels like a poor deal for the NHLPA

Except for a cap that goes from $97 to $104 to $113 mil. Extra regular season games will help revenue too.

As a player you can't have a lockout when the cap is going up that fast. 4 years is a nice length, cap starts to flatten then the players can use that to their advantage next time.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Cole436

I see a lot of concessions given up by the players here: longer regular seasons, shorter training camps, limits on contract length, and new restrictions on bonuses. In exchange, they get better benefits, a bigger playoff bonus pool, and a few off-ice perks. That doesn’t feel like a great trade-off.

Most of the big changes seem to benefit the owners, not the players, especially when it comes to contracts and long-term earnings.

This feels like a poor deal for the NHLPA

Or they just recognize that the CBA is pretty good for them and to fight these changes isn't worth rocking the boat with the salary cap set to rise by a lot over the next 5 years.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Cole436

I see a lot of concessions given up by the players here: longer regular seasons, shorter training camps, limits on contract length, and new restrictions on bonuses. In exchange, they get better benefits, a bigger playoff bonus pool, and a few off-ice perks. That doesn’t feel like a great trade-off.

Most of the big changes seem to benefit the owners, not the players, especially when it comes to contracts and long-term earnings.

This feels like a poor deal for the NHLPA

Shorter training camps are a benefit to the players. They're trading off four fewer meaningless preseason games for 2 more revenue-generating regular season games.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

The loophole isn’t gone at all? They just turned it from what has been perceived as a loophole to something every player can do regardless of where they play. Nobody took issue with the fact that some players couldn’t take advantage of it, people took issue with the fact that ANY players could… and now they all can lol.

It’s not about protecting the CHL. It’s now just the fact that any player drafted who doesn’t like where they were drafted has the option of going to college, even after they’ve played in the CHL, to make a little money/get an education and run the clock until they’re free agents, which gives virtually every drafted player significantly more leverage over the drafting team than before.

You retain the players rights for 4 years, I don’t see a “loophole” based on how I understand the term. Nor do I see significant leverage for drafted players here either. All this does is extend the rights period for all players, since it was much less for CHL players previously.

I don’t see a need for a league as financially successful as the NHL to extend the rights window for drafted players past 4 years. NHL careers are short enough as it is.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Amateur EBUGs are one of the most exciting things about the regular season and they are taking that away from us.

Yeah, but on the other hand, being able to do that makes your league look pretty mickey mouse.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Both NFL and NBA had the players give up some. Just wish contract length was capped at 4/5.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Remain? It’s more appealing than ever.

There’s virtually no reason any longer for guys not to go NCAA at 18 unless they expect to play in the NHL the same year they’re drafted.

Agreed. At the same time, how watered down does the CHL become for those top pick players because the rest of the early drafted players in previous years end up in the NCAA?