by Adam Aucoin
The intensity of the puck being dropped at center ice. The sound of players being crunched against the boards. The relief the crowd feels when the goalie makes a great save. The elation that flowing through the crowd when the horn sounds for a goal. The exhilaration felt when the announcer says, “The Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup!” That statement that you heard in 2011 when the Bruins beat the Canucks will not be heard this year due to the NHL Lockout currently going on.
The NHL Lockout began on September 15, 2012 and continues to this day. The dispute, like most other lockouts, is between the owners and the players of the NHL. The season, originally set to start on October 11, has been pushed back and nobody can predict when it will return. This is the second lockout within the last ten years for the NHL. The last lockout occurred in the 04-05 season, which completely canceled the whole season. The owners and players are determined to not let that happen again, due to the public damage it did to the league, but nothing can be promised in this type of situation.
Just look at what the 04-05 lockout did to the league. There were so many people like the concession vendor, the ticket guy and all of the other people employed by the team that lost their jobs. The players and owners need to think about whom they are affecting. The league lost so many fans during that time, as well. Sure the attendance and TV ratings were up in the 05-06 season, but that was just because the league was back. Not only did that lockout kill the reputation of hockey with many fans, which is just now starting to get their normal reputation back. It also cost the teams incredible amounts of money. The teams lost an estimated $2 billion in revenue from tickets, media, sponsorships and concessions. The players lost about $1 billion in salaries.
The owners, led by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, have many issues that they want to be fixed. The owners want to reduce the players cut of the hockey related revenue (HRR) from 57% to about 46%. This means that 46% of all the money the league makes would go to the players. They also want to set a restriction on the length of contracts signed at a 5 year maximum. The owners want to eliminate signing bonuses and set a uniform value for each year of a contract. This would make it so the player is making the same amount each year. They want to extend the length of entry level contracts from three to five years. Lastly, they want to change free agency so that you need at least eight years in the league to become an unrestricted free agent. They made this offer in July.
The NHL players association (NHLPA) took about a month to set a counteroffer. The NHLPA wanted to retain a salary cap, but not link it to revenue. They proposed a fixed cap for three years, with an option to return to the old collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in the fourth year. The NHLPA head Donald Fehr said the proposed deal would save the league $465 million and would also feature an enhanced revenue sharing system aiding lower revenue teams.
The two sides have continued to negotiate since. The last offer the NHLPA gave included them saying they would drop their revenue share from 57% to 52% by the 15-16 season, but would increase back to 54% in the last two years of the deal. The NHL would counter with an offer that would continue the existing definition of HRR and a linked salary cap, but would lessen the players cut to 49% this upcoming year and 47% by the end of the deal. This offer was rejected. The NHL offered a 50-50 split in a recent offer, but that was also rejected.
Players throughout the league have found alternatives during the lockout, such as playing in Europe and other countries. In fact, at least 140 players are playing overseas during the lockout. In the end, it seems like the players hold the leverage here. They have other options to make money and they seem to be in control here. The owners are losing money every day this lockout ensues. They are the ones who desperately need this to end. To this day, 326 games have been cancelled, including the Winter Classic that takes place on New Year’s Day.
It’s not only these two sides that will suffer. In the end, we the fans suffer the most. We are being deprived of such an intense sport. People will not have that excitement of preparing and going to a game. They won’t have that great feeling of sitting around the TV with friends and family cheering on their team. Hockey is a lifestyle for many people in America, and taking it away is like losing a part of yourself.
The two sides have become too focused on the money, and fans are losing faith in the sport. The NHL needs to end this lockout and to save the reputation of their sport.
