When will next season start? Return to Play Negotiations

[Knut]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1329134692428345350

https://twitter.com/RealKyper/status...428345350?s=20

https://twitter.com/user/status/1329141245835415553

https://twitter.com/NHLRumorsDaily/s...835415553?s=20

News is starting to leak out regarding a potential start date. This week is very important as the meeting between the NHL and NHLPA is scheduled with the NHL asking the PA to take a pay cut to play a shortened season. Hope they can come to some sort of compromise.

[Toonage]

Very much a rock and a hard place situation for the players. I get why they would be upset considering the deal they agreed to was done with what seemed like pretty full knowledge of what this season was going to look like.

But if they dispute money, during a pandemic, they'll be roasted publicly and look no better than the baseball players did this past summer.

[FlamesAddiction]

I wonder if the news that mass vaccinations may begin before the new year will make the players just want to wait it out to see if there can be a season with fewer restrictions, or heck, even some fans in the stands to increase revenues.

[greyshep]

I've been searching for a thread like this. Its been far too quiet on the "NHL restart" front.

NBA has been moving on theirs for a while now and look like they have a set plan in place. Very odd to see the NHL be so silent as they are typically on the same type of schedule.

[Jiggy]

Originally Posted by greyshep

I've been searching for a thread like this. Its been far too quiet on the "NHL restart" front.

NBA has been moving on theirs for a while now and look like they have a set plan in place. Very odd to see the NHL be so silent as they are typically on the same type of schedule.

TV contract money. The NBA's is worth a ton more than the NHL's. Plus, there is a lot more expenses for NHL teams.

[Ashasx]

If the players don't give up a bit more, I don't see how teams like Arizona survive this.

[Locke]

Oh this is going to go well.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

If the players don't give up a bit more, I don't see how teams like Arizona survive this.

Arizona should have been relocated a long time ago.

[dammage79]

Its been a hard month with no hockey. No hockey in November is a cold desolate wasteland where the only good thing to hold out for is new mandalorian episodes. And there's 7 days to kill in between. I'm all movied out, I'm all done binging re runs of my favorite shows. I refuse to go out during this pandemic. I want to go to a gym but thats doubling the risk.

This sucks, hard.

Get camps rolling at least. Who cares how long a camp is, just give us something. Theres still a ton of FA work to do, cap managing.... yet crickets.

Ah well, back to staring blankly at this wall.

[Redliner]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Very much a rock and a hard place situation for the players. I get why they would be upset considering the deal they agreed to was done with what seemed like pretty full knowledge of what this season was going to look like.

I think when they were negotiating previously there was still some expectation (or hope anyway) that this season would have at least some fan attendance. With the NHL being such a gate-driven league, it is easy to understand why owners are hesitant about the possibility of having to float the cost of playing an entire season (albeit a shortened one) with very little revenue coming in.

The only reason we even got playoffs done was because of the bubble system, and pretty much everyone has already agreed that the bubble isn't sustainable for an entire season.

I hope they can work something out. Having no hockey at this time of year sucks.

[greyshep]

Originally Posted by Redliner

I think when they were negotiating previously there was still some expectation (or hope anyway) that this season would have at least some fan attendance. With the NHL being such a gate-driven league, it is easy to understand why owners are hesitant about the possibility of having to float the cost of playing an entire season (albeit a shortened one) with very little revenue coming in.

The only reason we even got playoffs done was because of the bubble system, and pretty much everyone has already agreed that the bubble isn't sustainable for an entire season.

I hope they can work something out. Having no hockey at this time of year sucks.

And the fact they had to complete the season to satisfy TV contract commitments so they could keep their money they were paid.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Redliner

I think when they were negotiating previously there was still some expectation (or hope anyway) that this season would have at least some fan attendance. With the NHL being such a gate-driven league, it is easy to understand why owners are hesitant about the possibility of having to float the cost of playing an entire season (albeit a shortened one) with very little revenue coming in.

The only reason we even got playoffs done was because of the bubble system, and pretty much everyone has already agreed that the bubble isn't sustainable for an entire season.

I hope they can work something out. Having no hockey at this time of year sucks.

Well said. A season where the owners front the players an amount equal to 80% of an enormously inflated cap makes little sense. Certainly the players must realize this.

[SuperMatt18]

I honestly think the league is being quite fair to the players.

With this they still get paid ~60% of their salaries, with another 19% being deferred, and 21% going to escrow (will never be seen) even though they are likely just going to play 60% of the season.

Owners could just trigger the pro-ration clause that's supposidely in the CBA and just have to pay the pro-rated portion of the salary anyways so don't see how the league is being unfair here.

[Knut]

https://twitter.com/andystrickland/s...778791428?s=20

https://twitter.com/user/status/1329055143778791428

https://twitter.com/walsha/status/13...678511616?s=20

https://twitter.com/user/status/1329159006678511616

[Erick Estrada]

I'm still uncertain how the NHL can resume outside of the bubble. It's a gate driven league and we aren't remotely close to the point where fans in meaningful quantities will be able to attend games. I can't imagine the TV deals will be nearly enough to cover operating costs and player salaries.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I'm still uncertain how the NHL can resume outside of the bubble. It's a gate driven league and we aren't remotely close to the point where fans in meaningful quantities will be able to attend games. I can't imagine the TV deals will be nearly enough to cover operating costs and player salaries.

Well it depends what player salaries are. They are supposed to directly correlate to hockey revenues.

[Jacks]

Players have no leverage here. If there aren't going to be fans in the stands then the owners are going to take a beating, wouldn't be surprised if it would be cheaper for them to cancel the season.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Well it depends what player salaries are. They are supposed to directly correlate to hockey revenues.

In theory yes but it that were true then escrow would be 50%+, they capped it at 20% so the owners are going to have to swallow the losses.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Players have no leverage here. If there aren't going to be fans in the stands then the owners are going to take a beating, wouldn't be surprised if it would be cheaper for them to cancel the season.

And I doubt there would be the ability to have fans until sometime into spring, by the time enough people are able to get one of the vaccines.
and even then, how many people would they be willing to allow into an arena?

feel bad for the players, but the league is screwed. If I was an owner, I'd want to cancel the season instead of pouring so many millions into a hole.

[nik-]

They should skip this season. Come back in Oct 2021.