Federal Mediator Fails During Lockout Talks

By Andrew Miller

On Wednesday and Thursday, a federal mediator met with both the NHL and the NHLPA only to conclude that the sides still remain too far apart to continue with mediators.

(Getty Images/Allison Joyce)

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said to ESPN, “After spending several hours with both sides over two days, the presiding mediators concluded the parties remained far apart, and that no progress toward a resolution could be made through further mediation at this point in time. We are disappointed that the mediation process was not successful.”

Both sides need to come together on the core issues quickly to salvage what is left of the NHL season. Daly said it himself, “no further progress could be made.” The owners and players are too stubborn to cooperate with one another even when a third party is brought in to aid them in negotiating.

The last meeting without a mediator was over a week ago on November 21. It seems almost juvenile to not try and get something, anything accomplished. It is almost three months into the lockout, and no progress has been made in finding a new collective bargaining agreement. 

However, a lone bright spot remains. The owners have extended the option to the players to set up a meeting without negotiators present. A whole new format during the negotiations may end up finding a solution. With only those directly impacted by the situation in a room together, they may finally realize how ridiculous it is to cancel two seasons in under a decade. 

I am well aware that is not as simple as swapping concessions between the two sides, but standing at a stand still waiting for the other side to balk will never solve anything. The old saying a true compromise leaves neither side happy must come into play. Owners have to understand they cannot immediately recover seven percent of the hockey related revenue while voiding contracts that are already inked. 

On the other hand, the players must know that 15-year contracts cannot become the standard and that their chunk of the revenue pie would be seen as ludicrous in any other sport. 

It seems as if both sides are doing what fans are doing right now, simply praying a new collective bargaining agreement will pop out of thin air. Fans are getting more and more restless as negotiations become grimmer and grimmer. 

NHL Labor Talks Back Underway

After weeks of stalled conversation and the cancellation of more games, the league and the NHL Players’ Association are negotiating once again

By Tyler Piccotti

Hockey fans: I come to you with a message of hope amidst the turbulence of the NHL lockout. League officials and the players union are once again actively discussing the current labor dispute.

Do you know what that means? We may actually have a season after all!

I apologize for the overly optimistic point of view, but I can’t help but be encouraged by the fact that the two sides still seem interested in solving the predicament. As ESPN New York’s Katie Strang reported on Friday afternoon, both sides met for the fourth day in a row. Unlike during past meetings, they actually talked about the “meat and potatoes” issues behind the disagreement. These issues included revenue sharing, the “make-whole” provision to honor existing player contracts, and a variety of other contract issues.

New to the discussions was the topic of player pensions. A few of the league’s owners even appeared as a result. Among those that showed up were Ted Leonsis of the Washington Capitals and Jeremy Jacobs of the Boston Bruins.

A few high-profile members of the NHLPA also made the trip to New York. Brad Richards, Chris Campoli, George Parros, and other players came to listen in on the discussions. Earlier in the week, the union’s executive director, Donald Fehr, reportedly sent the players a letter that told them to curb any extreme sense of optimism. Still, ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the NHLPA had made two offers on Wednesday pertaining to both revenue sharing and the aforementioned “make-whole” provision.

In the end, Donald Fehr is probably right. It is not a good idea to get too excited about the possibility of an agreement within the coming days. The two sides are still pretty far apart on a variety of topics, and a labor dispute isn’t something that normally shifts from a complete stalemate to an agreement phase within the span of a week.

Still, it is encouraging to see the league and players’ union take the initiative to resume their talks. This is especially true after the NHL recently decided to cancel this year’s Winter Classic at the University of Michigan. It is obvious that a full season is a lost cause at this point. However, the NBA proved last year that a shortened season could still provide plenty of drama and bring in the television viewers. For starved hockey fans, any season would feel like a full season at this point.

Again, I caution you to not read too much into this week’s discussions. They are certainly encouraging, but they are just one step on the road to a resolution. In the coming weeks, we should have a better understanding of what the final verdict will be for this NHL season that, so far, has yet to begin.

As dreary as the lockout has been, there is still hope. That’s all that matters.

         

Minnesota’s Suter-Parise Pairing Put On Ice

The Wild made waves when it was able to sign both Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. Unfortunately, the lockout continues to delay their debut as teammates.

(AP Photo)

By Tyler Piccotti

The Minnesota Wild franchise has been considered a doormat of the Western Conference for years. Since reaching the Western Conference Finals during the 2003 postseason, the team made the playoffs on only two other occasions. Both of those resulted in first round defeats. The past four years produced no postseason appearances at all. After suffering its worst season in years last season, the franchise decided that something needed to be done.

That “something” turned out to be the two marquee signings of this summer’s free agency period. Hometown hero Zach Parise and former Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter both decided to take their talents to Minnesota. Their presence was supposed to help the relatively young squad make another run towards the postseason. They even had some people believing that Lord Stanley’s Cup would make its next appearance in the Twin Cities. In short, they were going to make the Wild relevant again in the West.

Then the lockout happened.

It is now November, and NHL arenas remained draped in silence. This includes the Xcel Energy Center, the site where the Suter-Parise renaissance was supposed to rejuvenate a downtrodden hockey team. Instead, fans and analysts are left to ponder what could have been for the Wild this season.

While it may have been a stretch to label the Wild a Stanley Cup contender, the team would likely be a playoff caliber squad with Parise and Suter in the lineup. Niklas Backstrom is one the most underrated goaltenders in the league. He alone makes the team a tough opponent on a nightly basis. While Minnesota lacks an offensive superstar on the level of Evgeni Malkin or Steven Stamkos, it does have some nice pieces. Former Sharks Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi are fairly skilled with the puck. Mikko Koivu has produced on a yearly basis as well. There are definitely pieces to build around. Even before this offseason, Minnesota was a tough opponent.

Parise and Suter, however, were going to be the final two pieces in Minnesota’s playoff puzzle. They were going to carry the team over the threshold of mediocrity to the promised land of postseason play. After his first season in New Jersey, Parise had established himself as a yearly thirty-goal scorer who averaged nearly one point per game. Suter, meanwhile, had built a reputation as one of the best young defensemen in hockey while playing for the Predators. They were the perfect duo of offense and defense, skill and toughness. They were going to make a difference.

Instead, their impact continues to lie dormant amidst the lockout chaos.

When the NHL does return to action, many eyes will be on the Wild. Specifically, they will be on Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. For Wild fans, this is because of their assured impact on the team’s playoff chances. For the rest of us, it’s because Suter and Parise are two of the most talented players in all of professional hockey. Whether you root for the Wild or not, there’s no denying that magic will be made on the Minnesota ice when these two play together. Until that happens, however, we are left to do nothing but wait and dream.

Of course, I have a feeling it will be well worth the delay in the Twin Cities.

Winter Classic Cancelled

By Andrew Miller

As of Friday, the NHL has cancelled the 2013 Bridgestone Winter Classic. An annual outdoor game played traditionally on New Years Day, the game has turned into the highlight of the NHL season besides the playoffs.

(AP Photo)

This year, the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs were scheduled to play in “The Big House” in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Because of the various preparations that need to be made prior to the game being played, the Winter Classic had to be cancelled due to the lack of progress in negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.

Cancelling the Winter Classic brings along many additional losses besides losing the hockey game itself. The league had to cancel the Winter Festival events that were to be held at Comerica Park in Detroit, which was supposed to hold a second outdoor rink. There all levels from kids to college to minor leaguers would play hockey games in the two week event.

HBO’s signature series 24/7 is also slated as a loser of the cancellation. Since the 2011 Winter Classic the show went behind the scenes for four weeks leading up the game. Well known for the incredible images as well as colorful sounds bites, HBO’s 24/7 became one of the great parts of the Winter Classic that will be greatly missed.

It’s hard to imagine not seeing the thrilling game of the year played where hockey began, outside. From the freezing temperatures to the throw back jerseys, everything about the game brought a smile to those who are not even regular fans. Only one game out of the five previous Winter Classics was not decided by one goal. The signature moment happened during the first Winter Classic when the Sabres and Penguins fought through the snow to end the game in a shootout. Unfortunately, hockey fans will have to wait until next year to witness another magical chapter of the Winter Classic.