NHL lockout -We should make a petition .

[Rebel_1812]

I think the petition is a good idea.  But remember anytime there is a bunch there will be a bunch of people saying "petitions never change anything", "this is a waste of time" and etc.  You know variations on the idea that regular people or their thoughts and opinions don't matter.  I'm trying to think of a label that fits for this group of people.... aristocrats ;-)

 

[moon111]

To the NHL, you really screwed my favorite team's operational procedures in the last lock-out and salary cap.  It was almost as big of a slap in the face produced by that Kerry Fraser.  Now the Leafs have a strong bunch of young guys and a bunch of older pieces of garbage who'll see there contracts expire after this season.  NHL, you owe us.  Do not settle, lock-out the players for an entire year.  Bring the Cap down so other teams are forced to move their better players to the Leafs.  Burke has positioned the team to take advantage of this.  And frankly after so many league decisions to cripple the Leaf's chances...it's the least the league can do.  I have no problem sacrificing a year of watching a non-playoff team once again dash my slimmest of dreams.

 

[LittleHockeyFan]

I will be watching my Barrie colts more this season, and maybe I should discuss the idea of getting season tickets with the spousal unit.....

at least they're affordable!

 

[13th fan]

Let's hope that this new CBA will help the Leafs then the last one . Just think of it  , we been out of the playoffs since the last lockout , wow , 7 years . I must be a true fan or crazy , still trying to figure  that one out

 

[lamajama]

Dear Bettman,

Congratulations on your hat-trick. You're the first comissioner to lockout 3 seasons.

In Case of a 2004-05 repeat, PLEASE do the magic you made with the Pittsburgh Penguins and let the Leafs win the draft and select Nathan MacKinnon or Aleksander Barkov.

Do people realize Bettman just does what the owners tell him to do? He can't settle the strike without their approval. I understand the anger towards him but let's look at the idiot owners who signed these players to mega year deals and circumvented the Cap - "rules" allowing it or not. It's
hypocritical of Snider to even be in the same room as the negotiators.

 

[Corn Flake]

Do people realize Bettman just does what the owners tell him to do? He can't settle the strike without their approval. I understand the anger towards him but let's look at the idiot owners who signed these players to mega year deals and circumvented the Cap - "rules" allowing it or not. It's
hypocritical of Snider to even be in the same room as the negotiators.

Agreed.  They give Gary his orders and he carries them out in his own special way.  If they told him to settle tomorrow, he would settle tomorrow. 

 

[Peter D.]

Let's hope that this new CBA will help the Leafs then the last one . Just think of it  , we been out of the playoffs since the last lockout , wow , 7 years . I must be a true fan or crazy , still trying to figure  that one out

I was listening to a part of Gary's presser on the radio yesterday and all I could do was cringe when I heard him say (paraphrased), "The parity of the league has never been higher.  That can be seen by the fact that 29 teams have made the playoffs since the last lockout."  :'(

 

[maplesyrup]

Ouch.

 

[Corn Flake]

Ouch.

Are you the ghost of Sarge?!?!?

 

[maplesyrup]

Too much time on my hands I guess.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Do people realize Bettman just does what the owners tell him to do? He can't settle the strike without their approval. I understand the anger towards him but let's look at the idiot owners who signed these players to mega year deals and circumvented the Cap - "rules" allowing it or not. It's
hypocritical of Snider to even be in the same room as the negotiators.

Agreed.  They give Gary his orders and he carries them out in his own special way.  If they told him to settle tomorrow, he would settle tomorrow.

But at the same time, Bettman was apparently meeting with the owners far in advance of the last lockout, running through what their position was going to be, ensuring solidarity, and reportedly any owner who spoke out was subject to a fine from the Commissioner.  They obviously still hold the power, but he's got them pretty tightly wrapped around his finger I think.

 

[L K]

Do people realize Bettman just does what the owners tell him to do? He can't settle the strike without their approval. I understand the anger towards him but let's look at the idiot owners who signed these players to mega year deals and circumvented the Cap - "rules" allowing it or not. It's
hypocritical of Snider to even be in the same room as the negotiators.

Agreed.  They give Gary his orders and he carries them out in his own special way.  If they told him to settle tomorrow, he would settle tomorrow.

But at the same time, Bettman was apparently meeting with the owners far in advance of the last lockout, running through what their position was going to be, ensuring solidarity, and reportedly any owner who spoke out was subject to a fine from the Commissioner.  They obviously still hold the power, but he's got them pretty tightly wrapped around his finger I think.

I think people forget sometimes that a good proportion of the owners have the team as a play-thing, and it isn't their sole line of business.  They aren't watching the team at all times.  They pay Bettman to run the NHL for them.  They aren't out there making day-to-day changes, and they really aren't out there deciding what is best for the league, otherwise they wouldn't make stupid decisions that cause them to bleed money all the time.

 

[maplesyrup]

Oddly, I'm far less devastated by a lockout this time around. Do I want NHL hockey back? Sure. That said, while I might be leaning ever so slightly on the side of the players, I just can't muster up much venom towards either side this time around. I'm not sure why this is. Anyone else kind of got a similar "meh" attitude towards this all?

 

[Kin]

Oddly, I'm far less devastated by a lockout this time around. Do I want NHL hockey back? Sure. That said, while I might be leaning ever so slightly on the side of the players, I just can't muster up much venom towards either side this time around. I'm not sure why this is. Anyone else kind of got a similar "meh" attitude towards this all?

Yeah, kind of. Not so much in the right or wrong of it but in terms of the absence of hockey I'm pretty blase about it. There's other stuff going on.

 

[ZBBM]

Also there's the fact that we won't be making the playoffs again anyway. I would miss the bighouse game but otherwise losing a month or two doesn't bother me. Sad to say.

 

[Kin]

Also there's the fact that we won't be making the playoffs again anyway. I would miss the bighouse game but otherwise losing a month or two doesn't bother me. Sad to say.

Oh, yeah, I forgot I bought tickets to that. I suppose I'd miss that.

 

[MonikaM]

How about we all donate the money we would normally spend on hockey to tmlfans.ca, to charities, or to our local hockey programs? How about a fund to support the concession workers, cleaners, restaurant staff, etc. whose incomes will be lowered or terminated by the lockout?

I love hockey but the NHL is not my only source - plenty of other things to do.

 

[Corn Flake]

I will be investing my money and time at more Guelph Storm games.  Having moved only 20 mins away from there, it's close, cheap, great for the kids and gives me a chance to get even more scouting time than I've had in a long time. 

Support local OHL hockey... best way to deal with no NHL and get to watch some really good, underrated hockey. 

 

[maplesyrup]

Yeah, I kind of follow the Colts a little but I'm not sure the lockout will have me pay any much more attention than usual with all the other stuff going on. The Marlies however could get some bucks from me this winter. I really hope MLSE doesn't raise concession and parking prices.  :-\ They wouldn't dare raising ticket prices at this point, would they?

 

[Corn Flake]

Yeah, I kind of follow the Colts a little but I'm not sure the lockout will have me pay any much more attention than usual with all the other stuff going on. The Marlies however could get some bucks from me this winter. I really hope MLSE doesn't raise concession and parking prices.  :-\ They wouldn't dare raising ticket prices at this point, would they?

I would sure hope they wouldn't dare, but with MLSE who knows.

We've done the Marlies thing quite a bit. My kids absolutely love going to games. They put on a pretty good show overall, plus they have the pre-game play area with table hockey, bouncy castles, etc... they got nuts for that stuff.  It's pretty reasonable for tickets and parking, and the concessions aren't too bad either.  It's a long drive for us though, so with Guelph so close it's just easier to get to and from.  Will also depend on how the weather is this winter. If it's like last year, getting downtown isn't so bad.