Is The NHL Nuts?

Is the NHL nuts?

With the latest unofficial deadline to accept “changes” to the CBA as Friday, the NHL is daring the NHLPA to get stronger fast. Is this a wise decision? Probably not. While the NHLPA floats out names like Donald Fehr all they are doing is buying time. Gary Bettman and the Board of Governors view this as a weakness and want to do away with long term contracts. Human nature being what it is whenever an animal is cornered it only has one thing it can do and that is lash out.

Bettman is stupid enough to believe the NHLPA will go along under the veiled threat of examining other contracts. While the NHLPA is disorganized at best and most players could care less, a move like this awakens the beast and you can bet the house that players who were not interested before have become very very interested in union dealings.

Further Bettman wrongly assumes this is a Union issue. No it is a GM and owner issue. These are the guys offering the contracts. Teams use these contracts to keep star players much like the NFL uses the franchise player designation.  Long term deals are acceptable until a new CBA is negotiated. Too bad for Gary that will not be until 2012.

So what should the NHLPA do?

1)      Tell Gary to take a hike. Investigate all you want and we will take our chances in court. Hossa’s deal is safe based on most contract law. Once paid the contract is valid. Any contract where a player has not received compensation could probably be ruled invalid. That is why there is a Friday deadline. Players could be receiving compensation with the opening of camp.

2)      Call for a work stoppage with the first pre-season game.  What if all the NHLPA decided not to play the first pre-season game? A strong show of support will definitely cause Bettman to reassess his position of strength.  A weak show of support leads to the next possibility.

3)      If the NHLPA cannot come together on this issue then maybe it is time for the union to cease to exist. Give in and become the marketing arm for the players rather than the legal representation for the players.

One question emerges from the NHL’s deadline. Who is really calling the shots at HQ? Which owner or group of owners is ticked off enough to wage this kind of attack? We all know there are have and have nots in the NHL. I don’t think Bettman would wage this war without the backing of a strong group of governors. One would assume that the governors from Philly, the Devils, Bruins, Rangers, Blackhawks and Canucks are not on the inside. Thus some other set of governors are waging war against five teams that the NHL needs to do well to sell their sport to advertisers nationwide.  These five teams need premier players to break through the daily sports news. Long term contracts benefit these teams and these markets. Talk about shooting a puck into your own net!

The fight against long term contracts is properly waged in 2012. Only an idiot would wage war before then. Then again Gary B and his band of governors are not the bright wicks in the goal light lamps.

Frank Sez