HOCKEY IS BACK!!!

Been waiting all year for this post. Well ladies and gentleman we are going to have a season!!!. last night after a marathon session the NHL and NHLPA both reaches a tentative agreement to get the season started. Expecting #Caps and other #NHL training camps to begin before next weekend. Not sure yet 48 or 50 game season.  

Federal Mediators...they are at it again...

Today the NHL and NHLPS sat down with federal mediators to try to seek traction or an end to this damn lockout. Unfortunately they came out of the meeting with no conclusions and not even a inkling if they are going to meet tomorrow.

The thing to remember about the mediation process is that it is a lot of back and forth and until they are in the same room as each other there are no definite deals. Speculation from today says that the mediators asked what if the league put its last offer back on the table would the players agree to its core principles. That of course led to a resounding no and a lot of pissed off fans now.

Here’s hoping to more to come from this process in the coming days. Even for me it is getting frustrating....

Keep your sticks on the ice.

Cracks in the wall?

Last week a report came out the Washington Capitals Defencemen Roman Hammerlik blasted Donald Fehr in an interview about not being able to make a deal. Here is what he said

"I am disgusted. We have to push Fehr to the wall to get the deal. Time is against us we lost 1/4 season it is $425mil who will give it back to us?

There should be voting between players yes or no if yes the. We sign contract and play if no he should leave and we will find someone new. Time is against us"

This talk also has brought out the rumor Cavour the players possibly decertifying the union. This is a double edged sword for players and owners and should not be taken lightly.
For the owners decertification adds extra pressure to get a deal done due to the threat that players will be able to file anti-trust lawsuits against the owners. If these go through players can be awarded up to triple what they have lost in damages. Players would also have the ability to file for an injunction from te courts to lift the lockout and allow games to be played again. If decertification happens this is Probolly the reason why.
Pro sports are actually an oddity when it comes to unions. For one pro sport owners actively want players in a union so they can deal with players under a standard contract rather than each individual player.
If the players were to decertify I feel there would be no hockey this year. But I still feel strangely confident there will still be a season. It wasn't untill Feb 16 that the league gave up on the 04-05 season so there is some time left. Here's hoping for some good news to come now especially that both sides have agreed to a federal mediator.

Keep your sticks on the ice.