On This Day In Canucks History: July 22
by Yankee Canuck on Jul 22, 2009 12:00 AM PDT
in Canucks History
22 comments
July 22, 2005 - This is really for all NHL fans and it's worth remembering: on this day in NHL history, the National Hockey League owners unanimously ratified the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), bringing an official end to the 310–day lockout that killed off the 88th season of the NHL and marked the first time a sport in North America shut down because of a labor dispute and also the first time since 1919 the Cup was not awarded.
Without hockey, we were instead shown the dark side of sports, watched millionaires tirelessly bitch with millionaires and being inundated with "cost certainty", Bob Goodenow, "hard cap", Arthur Levitt, "revenue sharing", Ted Saskin, "salary rollbacks", Bill Daly, "significant philosophical differences", February 16th (the day Bettman officially ended the season) and so on.
The two sides reportedly spent ten straight days in negotiations in July, finally coming to agreement in principle on a new CBA and a $39 million dollar salary cap on July 13. On July 21, the NHL players formally accepted the new deal with 87% of the membership voting in favor of the deal.
The end of the lockout didn't just usher in the cap era, but a new corporate logo and set of game changes and rule adjustments as well.
Bettman sent out a letter on July 22nd that read in part:
While it may be said that the greatness of hockey, and the NHL, is best measured by the character and tenaciousness of its players, I would add that the greatness of our game is also reflected by the character and tenaciousness of you, our devoted fans. I thank you all for that passionate support and I apologize to all of you, on behalf of everyone involved, for testing that support as severely as we did.
Thanks Gary. I trust you'll remember that severe testing when the current CBA expires at 12:00 AM ET on September 15, 2011. A mere 785 days away...
0 recs |
22 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
Bah.. don’t make it so black and white. I support Bettman But I will argue more tomorrow.
by Sean Zandberg on Jul 22, 2009 2:04 AM PDT up reply actions
Seconded, Too Much Expansion, His Obsession with moving teams out of Canada, His Radio Show on XM Satellite Radio which has never gotten a negative call, Unwillingness to admit that Phoenix might be a failure, Destroying the old Divisional names and conference names, the list goes on and on.
He’s a cunning and smart douche. How the fuck do people keep getting on him for expansion? Expansion is gold. Rubbing the Phoenix situation in his face isn’t cool either. He believes that franchise can turn it around. He’s not a quitter. I have a bigger problem with management in Phoenix if anything. Gretzky should have been out on his great one ass a long time ago.
by Sean Zandberg on Jul 22, 2009 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Obviously Phoenix is the biggest one, but is Florida or Atlanta any better? I know Florida got to the Cup, but that was because Beezer got hot and that year the 1-2-3 seeds in the east all got eliminated. Every year it seems like Florida and Atlanta are trading all the players they can’t afford away. Plus no one shows up for games in Atlanta, and in Florida they only sell out Rangers games.
Well, at some point either the plug gets pulled, or the team starts winning again and fans come back.
by Sean Zandberg on Jul 22, 2009 1:36 PM PDT up reply actions
I wasn’t really defending the players at his expense. Personally I found both sides to be equally at fault but always felt the agents were the worst of them all.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Jul 22, 2009 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions
I don’t think it helped that the Rangers season after season threw insane amounts of money at every FA. It kept overinflating the whole FA Market
Right, I don’t think anyone is disputing that. But the agents are smart guys who figured out ways around the old CBA (and the new one in some ways) while playing on the fears of the owners. Some owners did it too. Made a lot of players a lot of money in the process of dragging the league down.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Jul 22, 2009 1:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Tin Hat Time
My least favourite feature of Bettman was the fixed Crosby draft. I know, I know; but I’m not a conspiracy nut, promise. I don’t know who else watched that draft, but if you’ll recall, each team was placed in a series of envelopes, which were then revealed to the assembled media. The announced draft order proceeded accordingly until there were two teams left, Buffalo and Pittsburgh: then the representatives of those teams left the able, along with the envelopes and reps from the NHL into a back room, where they stayed for a short while; then they came out and announced that the failing and bankrupt franchise won.
I don’t think he’s done a good job; I don’t think he’s doing a good job; and I sure as hell don’t think he’s worth $7 million a season. His defenders seem to rely on two things: the owners love him (despite so many announcing that they’re losing money hand over fist, which is as honest as any Hollywood accounting), and that he “sticks to his guns”. Which is either patience for a plan to coalesce, obstinateness at the possibility of being wrong, or being too terrified to move…
The Ducks picked second, not the Sabres though?
My biggest complaint with Bettman now is just the TV deal (I’m sure I could come up with more)…but Versus is a train wreck.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Jul 22, 2009 7:41 PM PDT up reply actions
Versus has improved though, I’ll give them that. I think they’re better than NBC when NBC does the games.
by Beantown Canuck on Jul 22, 2009 8:50 PM PDT up reply actions
I don’t know how anyone can take NBC seriously when they have Milbury as one of the analysts. I understand he was really good in that position when he worked for ESPN, but anyone that knows anything about hockey should understand that Milbury blew all credibility he had with his one sided trades and a draft history which makes Matt Millen look like a genius. When they do that segment during the 2nd period intermission in which they put Milbury against the other guy and they have to pretend they are the coach in the locker room. As a coach Milbury managed 57 wins in nearly 200 games head coaching with the Isles, and since a lot of the players he coached during those years became all stars.
Well if you attack Milburry’s creds as an analyst there’s always other question marks.
John Garrett
Al Strachan
Harry Neale
by Sean Zandberg on Jul 22, 2009 9:25 PM PDT up reply actions
I like John Garrett! But no one can hold a candle to Tom Larsheid, the man, the myth, the legend.
by Beantown Canuck on Jul 22, 2009 9:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Love the Larscheid indeed!
John Garrett does a good job. He’s a major biased homer though. I was comparing his lack of NHL success to Milbury’s in relation to success at the NHL level. Actually, Milbury was a great hockey player in his day.
by Sean Zandberg on Jul 22, 2009 9:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Tommy Canuck’s homerism used to make me cringe, but after watching NHL Centre Ice this past season, I realize that it’s part and parcel of being an analyst in the NHL.
I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Follow The Misconduct
 |
 |
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Fantasy Hockey Philosophy: How Darryl Dobbs builds his teams
- Puck Headlines: Return of Nordiques news; ‘Goon' movie casting
- Fight Video: Jonah Coonishish-Coon says hello with his fists
- NHL 2010-11 Season Preview: Wrestling with Carolina Hurricanes
- An Internet-owned hockey team, for the price of a few beers?
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
