NHL Article

Finally, after 301 days of pain and agony, hockey's gonna be back on the ice! Just a ratification process, then it's off to the draft, and a whole new season to begin!!! If this isn't the best news in a long time, I don't know what is.

My dad's a huge Rangers fan, even though we live in California, because he grew up in NYC. He orders cable just for the Stanley playoffs and usually has at least four or five hockey watching parties with his friends/cousin.

The only team to root for is clearly the Colorado Avalanche.

Euterpe, LOL, good call on the gay marriage thing, that's awesome.

kool............i can't wait whas a good team to go for this season

The NHL owners and the NHLPA (players association) were at odds financially. The collective bargaining agreement they had been working under for the past decade had expired and a new one had to be reached. A collective bargaining agreement, or CBA, is the economic governing basis that determines players salaries, league revenues, and other financial matters. Up to last year, the league had been working without a salary cap. Therefore, however much revenue the individual club generate was how much they could spend on players for their teams. Consequently, the teams with bigger economic markets, such as Detroit, Colorado and New Jersey, were able to buyout big name players for big contracts because they could afford to. However, the smaller market teams would suffer to put a quality team on the ice, although it was done on rare occassions.

Long story short, the owners wanted a salary cap and revenue sharing to make an even playing field and prevent teams from becoming bankrupt, and the players wanted no salary cap so that they could make as much money as possible. Eventually the two sides agreed to a $39 million cap. ANd the season starts in October.

quote:

Originally posted by Honeigurl919:
what happened to cause them to not be on the ICE

The league and players' union couldn't agree on a salary cap. Players' union wanted $49 million per team, and the owners said $42.9 million. They kept at this until the union gave in and said it would accept a lower salary cap if the NHL would drop the "insistence that there be a link between revenue and player cost."

They couldn't compromise so they shut down the entire season through the Stanley Cup and the June draft.

But they've solved their problems now. Lol, though something good did come of all this. Canada was so bored it legalized gay marriage.

quote:

Originally posted by ItalianStallion:
NHL Article

Finally, after 301 days of pain and agony, hockey's gonna be back on the ice! Just a ratification process, then it's off to the draft, and a whole new season to begin!!! If this isn't the best news in a long time, I don't know what is.

what happened to cause them to not be on the ICE

Hockey is a great sport. Your first two points are personal issues, and that's fine if you're upset about 3 periods and that you can't see the puck. However, fighting in the NHL does not occur that much. Granted, it shouldn't occur at all and the NHL is taking steps to limit fighting and eventually eliminate it (even though it does serve a purpose). And a lot of people watch the NHL. Certainly not as much as football or baseball, but it is watched and enjoyed. For example, the Colorado Avalanche (my addiction) have sold out every game for the past nine seasons they have been in existence. Besides, hockey require so much skill and talent requires a mental element that rivals all other sports.

But enough about proving the greatness of hockey, the new schedule will be announced tomorrow at noon EST, July 27th and the entry draft is coming up this Saturday, July 30th, where Sidney Crosby, the all-star out of Quebec's junior league, will be the first pick.

Hockey, in my eyes, is a bad sport.
1. I can't see the puck...I only see guys with tons of padding
2. There are 3 periods...what's with that?
3. Violence...they spend most of their time (the players) fighting when they should be playing. If the violence in the NHL took place in the NBA, everybody would be thrown out of games.
4. NHL...who watches it? Really...NASCAR is more watched...(If you really want hockey...go to Canada)

My dad and my brother are rejoicing. They're huge hockey fans. I'm actually starting to love it too. Well, it's gonna be another season of sitting on the couch staring at the t.v. with the game on. Same thing every year.

My firiend outta be happy about this. She's a big hockey player. Her dad played for the Admirals and his number was recently retired.