https://twitter.com/TSNBobMcKenzie/status/287864139634843649
https://twitter.com/aaronward_nhl/status/287863447666950145

CBA Length: 10 years (8 year opt-out)
Final Cap Hit: 64.3m
Contract Lengths: 7 years (other free agents), 8 years (your own).
2 Amnesty Buyouts per team before season 2013-2014

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If we are throwing around blame, I think the owners started way too low and from there it was two guys doing their dirty jobs at the top of both parties.

The 2005 agreement was much longer in the making plus it cost a season and it was much worse. It's probably the main reason we had this stoppage. Too many concessions made in desperate times. The players gave a ton off the top, the owners gave them too much revenue share in return and, significantly, the small market owners made way too many concessions to the bigger market ones to keep them on board.

I am glad we will see an end to these bloated ass contracts, those were just absurd. The two buyouts will mean some get out of jail free cards for the big spenders and take some of those deals off the books.

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first off they are way under the cap anyway but beyond that they have almost all home-grown guys and team controlled contracts. even the guys that aren't in those groups like Jackman and McDonald are very good values. Pollak makes OK money but he did a good job on defense last year. obviously they have to ear mark some money for pietrangelo's extension but overall their money situation is excellent with a lot of very manageable contracts.

Between the Vikes loss and Kevin Love probably needing surgery, I needed some good sports news.

I can't stand when my favorite guys go to rival teams, it's such an annoying feeling.

This is worse than Scotty Gomez in a Ranger jersey. Or Niedermayer on the damn Ducks.

i don't "love" hockey, but i'm happy it's back.

I need me some Bruins.

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BOSTON BRUINS, 2011 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS

2010 OKAY COLLEGE FANTASY CHAMPION

Some interesting things in the new CBA...

2 amnesty buyouts in the next couple years. The cap lowering a little bit soon. Seven and eight year term limits.

there is little ticky tack crap like ELC and minimum salaries tweaks but the variance of salary is big.

the big market teams and players won a small victory as the salary can vary up to 35% from year to year, i believe. that is way up from the 10% (a la NBA) the owners had pushed for. the biggest year of the deal and the smallest can only have a 50% variance though, so no more of these ridiculous deals with a $12M season and a 500K season.

that needed to happen. they really fucked up with the whole "average cap number" thing, vis a vis market competition and roster continuity it was a real elephant in the room. if the league had any balls they would have been using their discretion (was in the CBA) to be crush those deals from day one. they did not want to step on the toes of their big breadwinners though.

YES! YES! YES!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

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Occupy Big Government..

Fannie, Freddie dole out big bonuses
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67292.html

Finally.

I feel like the 82 game season is too much, especially when you tack the playoff length onto that. I know it would put the majority of the season in competition with the NFL, but a 48 game October to February (roughly) season with playoffs through March/April would be just right.

Regular season games would mean so much more.

100% more to be exact.

which was tremendous (well, until Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals that is).

if they had a 48 game sched they could have way fewer three in four nights and back to backs in general. they would have full camp also.

this is going to be really intense.

>if they had a 48 game sched they could have way fewer three
>in four nights and back to backs in general. they would have
>full camp also.
>
>this is going to be really intense.

virtually no training camp, a number of injuries (guys playing overseas and shit) and a sprint to the finish. it's going to feel fast and grueling.

I dont think its to long. But that's probably because I grew up a baseball fan and I'm used to insanely long schedules. I wouldn't mind those 82 games taking place a little quicker. Sometimes there are like 4 days off between games.

Makes sense. But I look forward to catching an east coast team live every year.

This will be interesting

Besides Charlie and Rob (I assume you're going opening night)... I don't plan on going to any games this season... Don't really have interest in it right now... I'll definitely watch all the games I can, either in a bar or at home... But I really don't want to give any money to the NHL...

We'll see, maybe if I can come up on some cheap tickets. Also, I hate driving to St Paul and having to pay for parking. But who knows.

Only a game that someone gave me tickets to. I know there's been a lot of lip service about not supporting the NHL the same way... but for me, it'll certainly take some time to want to spend any money on it.

I will only use my father inlaws company tickets. My first lock out so I am not as pissed as others here. I was going to buy my wife a jersey year. I think she might have to wait. Unless can find one on ebay. I am not giving them any money this season.

i will pay to see selanne, i won't let some petty crap rob me of that. any southern california playoffs i'll work, finals, too. i can't really see buying playoff tickets, if the flyers go deep i'll pick up some cheap work for those games, too.

Nonis is just laying in wait every time lol. Sudden. Oh well, I would have liked to see Burke sink with the ship.

I wonder if this was over Luongo. The organization wants him, Burke doesn't, that seems to be the consensus. I bet it's going to be some messy trade with a bunch of interchangeable parts that winds up being Luongo for a second rounder or something.

he is constantly getting shit on by his team, fans, and now a team that wants him. Sad for a guy that is an above average goalie.