Bad News for Hockey Fans
NHL lockout: Stalemate prompts open letter from Stars owner and some players tojump leagues
The National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association failed to reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement by midnight September 16, triggering the fourth work stoppage in NHL history.
A lockout means that the NHL’s owners have barred the players from team facilities. Team personnel may have no contact with players, and players will not be paid, even if they are currently under contract.
It also means there probably won’t be hockey anytime soon. Formal bargaining sessions are not currently scheduled. The NHL and players’ association are trying to reach an agreement on the division of approximately $3.3 billion in league revenue.
NHL training camps were set to start later this month, with the beginning of the regular season scheduled for October 11. Now, all of that is in limbo.
Published reports have NHL owners asking players to accept less than 50 percent of league revenue for salaries and a rollback of current salaries of as much as 24 percent.
The players’ association, led by former Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Donald Fehr, is seeking more revenue sharing to close the perceived chasm between large- and small-market teams without damaging the players’ current revenue cut of 57 percent.
Dallas Stars owner Tom Gagliardi wrote an open letter to Stars fans asking for patience as the league and the players’ association works toward an agreement. In addition, Stars president Jim Lites communicated to Stars season ticket and ticket package holders that they would receive account credit for unplayed home games this season.
“You will receive account credit for all home games which are not played, based on the original 2012-2013 NHL schedule,” Lites wrote. “In addition, we will credit your account 5 percent of your ticket value for any unplayed games in your plan. This account credit may be applied to purchase tickets or suites to any Stars home games during the season or playoffs. Or, you may choose to apply this credit toward your 2013-2014 season tickets.”
NHL players are allowed to pursue contracts with other leagues during the lockout. Several have already signed with Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, considered the top league in that country. Among them is reigning league MVP Evgeni Malkin of Pittsburgh.
NHL training camps were set to start later this month, with the beginning of the regular season scheduled for October 11. Now, all of that is in limbo.
The last NHL lockout erased the entire 2004-05 season. Two other work stoppages occurred in the 1990s. In 1992, a player strike forced the cancelation of 30 games. In 1994-95, a lockout limited that season to just 48 games.
