Jeff Vinik, Guy Boucher, Steve Yzerman, & Jon Cooper. Photo by Linda Hamilton

The news out of the recent labor negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA have been grim at best. When even the intervention of federal mediators failed, many saw this as a sign that the season was all but cancelled. This time, they’re trying something a little different. A group of six owners is set to meet with a handful of players in an attempt to get something going. Lightning owner Jeff Vinik will be among those owners. Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr won’t be in attendance.

A newcomer to hockey labor negotiations, Vinik is thought to be a moderate owner who wants a deal to be made. He wouldn’t be opposed to revenue sharing being expanded or payroll reductions. On the other hand, he is the owner of a team that Gary Bettman sold to him a couple years ago. What do the Lightning  players think of this development?

» Continue reading “Bolts’ Owner Vinik To Join NHL Labor Negotiations”

Photo by Alexis Boucher

As the lockout stretches on with no end in sight, it’s easy to get cranky about the situation we’re in. Sure, there are meeting scheduled for later this week. That’s a small comfort as no major financial issues are set to be discussed. It’s kind of like planning a menu but refusing to address the entree.

Everyone’s frustrated and you see hockey fans arguing just about everywhere. To quote Jimmy Buffett “If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane”. That’s just what we’re going for this evening: laughter.

What’s going to help us get there? Why, two Swedish Hockey players singing ABBA, of course!

» Continue reading “Victor Hedman Sings!”

Hockey at Amway Arena Photo by Linda Hamilton

First went training camps and now preseason games. The NHL announced the cancellation of all of the September preseason games as a result of the lockout. The Bolts will lose four games as a result.

The games included two on the road against the St. Louis Blues and Carolina Hurricanes as well as two home games. One of the “home games” was to be played at the Amway Arena in Orlando Florida.  It would have been the second preseason contest at the Amway in the last two years for the Bolts. The first resulted in a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues.

It’s also a bit of a foregone conclusion, but the team officially announced the cancellation of training camp as well.

To make things even more encouraging, the NHL and NHPLA haven’t had any formal talks this week. As a fan, it’s hard to believe that both sides are working as hard as they can to reach a resolution. It’s pretty maddening.  We’re hearing all kinds of jabber about how hockey fans are the best in the world and they want to get back on the ice for us. If we’re so great, lock yourselves in a room and get it done. Everything else is just lip service. Actions speak louder than words.

Today’s post brought to you by Elvis Costello and the Attractions:

» Continue reading “Lightning Lose Four Preseason Games”

Steven Stamkos & Marty St. Louis Photo by Linda Hamilton

September 15th is a few short days away without any formal negotiations for the NHL and NHLPA in sight. If no new CBA is in place, Gary Bettman has said the players will be locked out and the season will be delayed. It’s understandable that some NHLers are looking for contingency plans with both sides seemingly still miles apart.

Various European hockey leagues saw an influx of NHL talent during the 2004-2005 season lost during the last lockout. Vinny Lecavalier and Brad Ricards suited up for Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL. Dan Boyle headed to Djurgårdens IF, then a part of the Swedish Elitserien. Marty St. Louis played for HC Lausanne in Switzerland and Pavel Kubina for HC Vítkovice in the Czech Republic.

If you think it’s tough keeping up when your team is on a West Coast road trip, try when they’re on the other side of the world. Unfortunately it’s looking like many of us are going to have to renew our relationship with Google Translate.

» Continue reading “St. Louis & Stamkos Look Abroad With Lockout Looming”

B.J. Crombeen Photo by Bridget Samuels

On the eve of the NHLPA submitting their new CBA proposal to the league, the difference between the two sides seems insurmountable. The owners want to cut back the players’ share of revenues to pre-2004 lockout levels. It goes without saying that the players don’t want to take a huge step back on a game that has seen a huge amount of growth and profitability since the previous work stoppage.

New Lightning right winger B.J. Crombeen has been thrown into the labor negotiations before even playing a shift for his new team. As a member of the players negotiation committee, Crombeen continues to offer a view from the players’ association.

After commissioner Gary Bettman’s speech last Thursday declaring that the owners would not play another season under the current agreement, pessimism coursed throughout hockey fandom. Can we hope for a season that starts on time once the NHLPA submits their proposal tomorrow?

“They feel strong enough that they don’t want to continue under this agreement and want further concessions from the players. We’re trying to make sense of what they need and what they want. Our proposal is a good proposal. With our proposal we feel we’ll be closer to getting that agreement done,” Crombeen said. (Quote Source: Tampa Bay Times)

Vague and not too terribly comforting. For now we wait and see what happens.

B.J. Crombeen Photo by Bridget Samuels

When the NHL delivered their first proposal for the new collective bargaining agreement to the NHLPA  last week, you could pretty much hear the collective hearts of hockey fans sinking. In short the league was proposing a reduction in the players’ revenue from 57 to 46 percent, entry level contracts of five years instead of three, and unrestricted agency after ten years instead of the current seven or the age of 27.

New Lightning defenseman B.J. Crombeen has a message for you: Don’t Panic.

When Tampa acquired Crombeen from St. Louis earlier this month, they also got a member of the players negotiation committee.  Even with the outlandish terms of the league’s proposal, he isn’t ready to start warnings about a  lost season yet.

» Continue reading “Lightning’s Crombeen Offers Insight Into Labor Talks”