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NHL
Q&A: Season canceled
Some important questions and answers on the lost 2004-2005 season.
By TOM JONES
Published February 17, 2005
What happened?
The National Hockey League became the first North American sports league to cancel a full season because of a labor dispute. Major League Baseball lost the second half, the playoffs and the World Series in 1994, but no league had ever wiped out an entire season.
What happens if I bought tickets for the 2004-05 Lightning season?
You have three options. You can get a 100 percent refund. You can roll over your season tickets to next season (or whenever the NHL returns). Or you can keep a 25 percent deposit on your account and keep your seat location. Each option has several more details, so for more information, call the Lightning ticket office at 813-301-6600.
What is the dispute about?
Owners, saying they lost more than $497-million over the past two seasons and $1.8-billion over the past 10 years, claim players are receiving 75 percent of the revenues and demanded a salary cap (a limit to the amount of money teams can spend on players), preferably set as a percentage of revenue. The players opposed a salary cap until the final days of negotiations, and when they did agree, proposed a higher price than the owners were willing to pay.
How close did the sides come to an agreement?
The league's final offer was a salary cap of $42.5-million per team. The players said they would accept a $49-million cap per team with a few other wrinkles. Commissioner Gary Bettman said that could have meant a difference of potentially $200-million ($6.5-million a team multiplied by the 30 teams) and denied the sides were very close.
What are the chances the two sides will reach an agreement before the start of next season?
Who knows? Some owners and players have suggested this lockout could wipe out next season too. No talks have been scheduled and now that the season is canceled, there doesn't seem to be any urgency to resume negotiations. Bettman, though, said the NHL plans to have a 2005-06 season.
What could happen next?
Bettman said the owners will "regroup" and take a break from negotiations. The sides could resume talks at some point or they could bring in a third party to help reach a resolution. So far, federal mediators have not been able to break the logjam. The league also could try a legal maneuver by declaring an "impasse." That would dissolve the league and allow the owners to open up a new league with new terms next season and invite anyone who wanted to play under the new rules.
Would an impasse work?
Possibly, but the union likely would take the league to court to stop it. Because the NHL is dealing with legal systems from two countries (the United States and Canada), such a fight could be bogged down in courts for years.
Could a rival league be started?
Doubtful. For starters, teams would not be able to play in current NHL arenas because many of them are operated by NHL teams. That leaves either smaller venues or cities that do not have NHL teams. And it's unlikely anyone has the money to invest in a league after the NHL has shown it is financially difficult.
Are any franchises in danger of folding or being contracted?
Bettman said he expects all 30 teams to survive.
Who are some of the older big-name players we may never see again?
Tampa Bay's Dave Andreychuk (41), Detroit's Chris Chelios (43), Toronto's Ron Francis (turns 42 on March 1), Ottawa's Dominik Hasek (40), Detroit's Brett Hull (40), St. Louis' Al MacInnis (41), the Rangers' Mark Messier (44), L.A.'s Luc Robitaille (39), New Jersey's Scott Stevens (40) and Detroit's Steve Yzerman (39).
Will the league coaches and club officials still get paid?
Yes, since they are a part of management, they should still get a paycheck. Some, however, might have their salaries reduced until play resumes. The Lightning, for example, cut coaching staff and management salaries by 30 percent. The league office and many teams have trimmed their staffs during the lockout.
Are players getting anything?
The players are receiving between $5,000 and $10,000 a month from the union (depending on the month). Those payments will continue for at least two years, if necessary.
What about replacement players?
The league admits that it's possible it could turn to replacement players in the future, but so far, has no plans to use them. Bettman said he preferred to reach a new agreement with the players, but did keep the door open, saying the league would explore all options.
So, does the Lightning get to keep the Stanley Cup?
Well, the Lightning is the defending champion, but the Cup does not belong to it. The Stanley Cup officially belongs to the NHL and, more specifically, the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Even if there was a season, the Cup would be in the care of the Hall of Fame and touring the world.
What happens with the NHL draft, which is scheduled for this summer?
The league cannot hold a draft without a collective bargaining agreement. Bettman said, however, there would be a draft before the league plays again.
[Last modified February 17, 2005, 05:44:02]
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