NHL 2013: Off-Season Running Thread

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

Donald Fehr will probably talk. Fehr will listen.

Will Gary? Wouldn't count on it. Meeting won't last two hours.

(And here to hoping I'm completely and utterly wrong.)

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

Fehr doesn't want to give in because he knows Marvin Miller will be calling asking him what the fuck he was thinking.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

John Davidson out as president of the St. Louis Blues. Cost-cutting move.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

Stupid if that's the reason. Everything I've read credited him with leading that organization back into the light. It was a complete mess when he left the broadcast booth to take that job.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

The writing was on the wall when new local ownership took over. IIRC, J.D. had $6 million remaining on the three years left in his contract. He has agreed to a buyout.

Doug Armstrong and Dave Taylor now head the hockey braintrust at Scottrade Center.

I agree with you. Davidson did a fantastic job of selling the Blues to what had become a very weary fanbase.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

My point is if both sides consider the issue important enough to get a deal done, a deal will get done.

See the NFL officials. Something happened between the start of September and the end of September that resulted in a deal getting done. The same can happen here if there's a sense of importance. That's what seems to be missing.

The attitude seems to be: "Miss half a season? Miss the whole season? Who cares?" OK, fine, I really don't anymore. I've got plenty to do with or without the NHL. I'm disappointed that they are damaging a game and league many of us enjoy. But life goes on. In the end, each side loses.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

J.D. also did a fine job of not letting his ego get in the way of surrounding himself with other good hockey men.

Retaining Larry Pleau was a solid move as was transitioning to Doug Armstrong. The Finnish fellow who headed the scouting department, Jarmo (can't remember how to spell his last name), was one of the best in the league before heading back home.

You have to give Dave Checketts credit for hiring him in the first place.

Wish J.D. all the best, be it in a front office or back in the broadcast booth.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

Wasn't Armstrong making most of the player personnel moves?

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

Yes, which is a big part of this cost-cutting decision, IMHO.

J.D. was making a ton of money and the new local ownership appears to be somewhat Harry Ornest-esque.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

Krys Barch, a guy who's been in the league for over five years but not a name a marginal fan would recognize goes on a tirade about the lockout.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/read-krys-barch-epic-nhl-lockout-rant-jerry-041844345--nhl.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

It's not eloquent but I suspect he speaks for a lot of fourth line guys. It's a rant fueled by a little bit of alcohol but still...

"The lockout is a procedure to take from the players to pay for the NHL mistakes. Let not allow the NHL to make any more mistakes.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

I have mixed opinions on this. The owners are dumb for paying exorbitant salaries and then realizing after the fact that maybe they shouldn't have paid out so much for player salaries. On the other hand, the league is making a lot of money and the players deserve to get a fair percentage of that money.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

Players have done pretty well over the last seven years. Salary cap has gone up every year. So, please, no crying poverty.