Scanlan: Classic cancellation shows NHL just can’t embrace prosperity
Once in a while, even the NHL stumbles upon the perfect scenario. So it seemed, as hockey fans conjured images of the 2013 Winter Classic: A record-breaking crowd of 110,000 people jammed into Michigan Stadium, the Big House, to see the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Detroit Red Wings on New Year’s Day, a few flurries dancing in the air, enhancing the romantic notion of old-time, outdoor hockey.
Once in a while, even the NHL stumbles upon the perfect scenario.
So it seemed, as hockey fans conjured images of the 2013 Winter Classic: A record-breaking crowd of 110,000 people jammed into Michigan Stadium, the Big House, to see the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Detroit Red Wings on New Year’s Day, a few flurries dancing in the air, enhancing the romantic notion of old-time, outdoor hockey.
Cue the all-time greats, rosy-cheeked in the brisk Michigan breeze, as they’re introduced to the masses: Gordie Howe, Red Kelly, Frank Mahovlich, Steve Yzerman … on and on … and when the goosebumps register, fans don’t know if it’s from the chills or the thrills.
In six short years, the Winter Classic has become the single most important hockey property in America, and NBC had proudly speculated this tilt between Original Six teams in Ann Arbor would draw the largest television audience in NHL history. Far from a one-day event, the Classic included a two-week Winter Festival, beginning Dec. 16 in Detroit, a city that has been ravaged by the recent economic downturn and figured to reap more than $30 million in spinoff benefits.
There is so much more to consider with the Classic, including an old-timers event, nine outdoor games to be played at Comerica Park, involving college, AHL and OHL teams, plus the always popular behind-the-scenes HBO 24/7 TV series building up to the Classic.
But first, this bulletin: THE WINTER CLASSIC AND ALL THAT IT ENTAILS HAS BEEN KILLED, STRUCK DOWN BY A DIMINUTIVE ASSAILANT.
On Friday afternoon, the game became the latest victim of the sporting world’s dumbest labour conflict — the NHL and players’ association failure to figure out a way to divide $3.3 billion in hockey-related revenues.
This is a league that truly hates prosperity, where a hat trick is no longer a hockey term but refers to the lockout track record of commissioner Gary Bettman.
It wasn’t enough that the NHL cancelled all scheduled games in October and all games in November: Now this vital piece of the league’s bedrock has been pulled out from beneath the NHL’s house of cards. The self-destruction ensues, before a gathering of no-longer-surprised witnesses.
“The logistical demands for staging events of this magnitude made (Friday’s) decision unavoidable,” said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly in a statement. “We simply are out of time.”
Guess what? The players disagree. In a Players Association statement sent to the Citizen and other media, executive director Don Fehr called the cancellation “unnecessary and unfortunate, as was the owners’ implementation of the lockout itself.”
Fehr added: “We look forward to the league’s return to the bargaining table, so that the parties can find a way to end the lockout at the earliest possible date, and get the game back on the ice for the fans.”
By the way, the league would ask that those fans kindly cling to those sentimental Winter Classic thoughts, if not the actual ticket stubs, for a year or so. Collective Bargaining Agreement willing, the NHL says it will stage the next outdoor event in Michigan, carefully avoiding using the 2014 date. What, the league isn’t sure the lockout will be settled by then?
That’s encouraging.
How much long-term damage this latest indignity wreaks on the NHL is not yet clear, but we do know that the news was greeted with heightened disdain on Twitter and in blog posts, no small feat considering how annoyed fans have been for the past two months of the lockout.
In fact, mixed among the angered and embarrassed multitude there seems a larger number rather bemused by the carnage, the type we presume also enjoy watching train wrecks and NASCAR crashes. With the hashtag #nhlcancels, they sarcastically noted that the league would now cancel everything from … “Christmas” to “Life” to “Children’s dreams.”
“When will the billionaires talk to the millionaires?” chimed in CBC business correspondent Amanda Lang on her twitter account. “Canadians want their Cup back!”
Many Senators fans also expressed a wish of getting their team back.
Too many others have already turned away in apathy from the NHL, immune to any further bad news.
Seasoned lockout observers had speculated the Winter Classic might somehow salvage the 2012-13 season, if only the event itself could be spared. Instead, the idea that the classic was leverage players could use in negotiations may have spurred the NHL’s quick cancellation, although there were financial and logistical factors involved.
There is another consideration: so poisoned are the waters between the league and its players, there was little chance the ill will would subside by New Year’s Day, even if a miracle CBA were to be hammered out this month. In other words, the NHL wanted to avoid tarnishing what should be an unbridled hockey celebration at its signature event.
Daly and Steve Fehr, Donald’s brother, are expected to talk this weekend to decide if there is reason for the two sides to meet next week. No rush, fellas, but if something is not resolved soon, it will be time to agree with American sports blogger Bill Simmons, who called the NHL the: “Dumbest. League. Ever.”
I have usually enjoyed your articles over the years but your articles on the lockout have been so one sided that they might as well have been written by Donald Fehr,
How you can mouth the PA talking points -as though, after Fehr refused to negotiate months ago the league had any option but to lock out the players. Because of Fehrs antics at the MLB , striking before the playoffs, no league will begin a season without a CBA..
The man wrecked baseball and is doing his best to do the same to hockey.
It is disappointing to see you take the lazy way of hurling abuse at Bettman and letting Fehr completely off the hook.
The league is trying to find an agreement. Fehr appears to be in no hurry; he has his own fish to fry which does not necessarily have to do with the welfare of the players, but more to do with ideology ,ego , and settling old scores.
With a complacent and lazy press and eager to please and gullible players he has a free hand to do whatever he wants.
Thanks for your comment. Sure, Fehr is dug in, but who is the common denominator for the past three lockouts? Not Fehr, Bettman. He told us the CBA just needed to be tweaked after all the heavy lifting in 2005, yet it’s still hard line, hard ball. His way or no way. He won so handily in 05, brought a fractured union to its knees, now they have their backs up. Yet, they have shown interest in getting a deal done while Gary has not been willing to negotiate unless it’s on his terms, off his offer. Where is the leadership? The onus is on the commissioner to keep his league from a disastrous path, not to author its very destruction. He wears this mess. If he resigned tomorrow the NHL would be a day closer to getting back to work.
It makes no differenece if it is Bettman or another commissiner, Fehr is persuing his own agenda and doesnt show any sign of wanting to end this stand off.
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It is so easy to rail at Bettman but the common denominater in these work stoppages is the same group of hardliner s in the PA.
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Goodenow was prepared to hold out for 2 years and was reportedly enocuraged to so so by Fehr. Saskin was dumped early but then there was a true search for a new head for the PA. Paul Kelly was that man and would have been a reasonable and honest person to deal with,. but Lindros and the other hard liners brought in Buzz Hargrove ; they called for a vote in the middle of the night and dumped Kelly. who had refused to have Fehr on the advisory committee,
The same group bought in Fehr. and Richard Rodier.the archtect of Jim Balsilies raids on the NHL.
There will be no labour peace in the NHL while the PA is the most belligerent and obstructive one in North American sports.
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Fehr is no deal maker. After the strike that killed the world series. he did not reach a negotiated agreement with the owners, the strike was ended by court order.
it is hard to see what the PA goals are now, but they seem to involve indefinite stone walling and an attempt to get rid of the cap. Too bad for the players. but I dont think they count for much in the Fehr game plan.
I see many indications that Bettman has the health of the league in mind. but I see no indications of that from the Fehrs.
The players are not trying to get rid of the cap, that talk was an idle threat and quickly passed. Plenty of blame to go around here, but until both sides are sitting down, as they will apparently now try again, nothing will get done.
Your comment contains the following: “the NHL and players’ association failure to figure out a way to divide $3.3 million in hockey-related revenues.” Surely that should be billion, not million! $3.3 million is like pocket change to them, less than what many of the players make in a single season.
Thanks. Fixed.
I agree with your comments by and large. Also, the billionnaires made the millionaires. They agree to the contracts, sign the cheques. The players are the product.. plain and simple. I personally think 50-50 is still more than fair to the players. Contracts already signed and sealed prior to a new CBA should be honoured- as signed. The owners pay a great deal of money aside from the contracts including hotel expenses, meals etc… They still make billions as a league….the players don’t decide where new teams go or are moved to.
Good points. Owners and their GMs are sometimes their own worst enemy. They signed a whack of players at the last minute to long term deals. Was that done in good faith? Did they intend to honour them, or did they count on rollbacks? And when there is a deal, after all this pain and suffering by fans and stakeholders in the game, who would bet against the owners/GMs lavishing players with more fat deals? Round and round it goes, where it stops . . .
Wayne
Bang on – but you could have added two more salient points to aid you arguement about the NHL (league and players) throwing it self on their own sword.
The 1st major lock-out was immediately after the Rangers won the cup in 1994 and hockey was dubbed the next great thing by the US media. Talk about killing momentum as the lock out also lead us into the “dead puck” era.
And….no seems to talk about the Alan Eagleson factor anymore. To me there is a culture of mistrust between the players (likely via their agents) and the owners that seems to have transcended generations of new playesr and must still be tied to the Eagleson era.
Yes, and the Eagleson era grew out of a time when players were absolutely abused by owners, poorly treated to boot. Things were so bad that Brian Kilrea helped start the Players Association (he sometimes wonders about the monster he created) by more or less launching a mutiny in Springfield. Many players have no idea what those before them went through to get to the land of riches they know today. (When the NHL is functioning, that is).
And yet the man who put Eagelson behind bars while the RCMP did nothing and the power brokers were bowing and scraping to the “Eagle”, Paul Kelly – was given the axe in the middle of the night in a piece of sleazy skull duggery, by Buzz Hargrove, Ron Pink(most recently of the aborted Junior hockey union) Eric Lindros and an assortment of union hacks, agents and hangers on while most of the players were still asleep.
And this is the group that brought in Fehr and Rodier while the man who brought down Eagelson was turfed.
Strange world, eh?