[The Hoser]

Today I heard some of the worst news in a very long time. I don't have the story to link, but, apperently ESPN (The large sports broadcaster from the US) has cancled their TV contract for next season, if their IS a next season. Now, though ESPN probably doesn't have a larg Hockey audience (And that fucking fox-puck pisses me off!) but they still paid a assload of money for the contract. Now, with the NHL missing an entire season, and the loss of ESPN, can the NHL even survive, let alone have a next season? I guess it was waiting to happen...

Anyone's thoughts? The NHL boned for good now, or is just a temporary set back?

[Tman1]

Oh noooooo ESPN. Who cares, as long as Hockey Night In Canada resumes with a spiffy new tune, I dont care if America watches or not its our sport and to downgrade it by concerning ourselves on whether or not a foreign broadcaster shows it or not is pitiful. Besides, American hockey fans dont like it, they can subscribe to CBC or Rogers sportsnet or TSN.

[xerxes]

All hope is not yet lost...

Guiliani to start a new NHL?

[Streaker]

I don't really care if the NHL dies in the US. If it did then some teams would move to cities that have serious fans; places like Winnipeg, Quebec City and Hamilton.

I really like the idea of Giuliani and Maurice Strong starting a new league. Good luck to 'em!

[QuebecSpock]

Freaker Freaker:

I don't really care if the NHL dies in the US. If it did then some teams would move to cities that have serious fans; places like Winnipeg, Quebec City and Hamilton.

[The Hoser]

Well, it's good to see that the future for Hockey isn't completely bleak

And I really agree, I don't give a rats ass if Americans don't get hockey, but I'm concerned because ESPN gives an assload of money to the NHL for a TV contract. The NHL is already poor because they missed a season, I just don't know if, finanncially, it can survive

[Pimpbrewski]

At least not with the salaries that the NHLPA is asking. They need to come back to earth if they want the league to be successful.

[The Hoser]

The NHL and the NHLPA suck so incredibly bad, I wish that a new, less corrupt league couldbe formed I mean comon... You don't need 10 Billion a year to put food on the table!!

[canucker]

$1:

Report: ESPN ends NHL negotiations

6/1/2005 2:50:55 AM

The NHL has lost its only remaining U.S. cable TV rights holder.

According to a report in the Globe and Mail, ESPN announced on Tuesday that they have ended contract negotiations with the league.

"Right now we're done negotiating," Mark Shapiro, ESPN's executive president for programming and production told the paper.

"We held various discussions and had several meetings with Gary (Bettman, the NHL commissioner) and his team. And unfortunately, we were not able to get a deal done."

The NHL announced its cable agreement with ESPN last May, worth half the $120 million US a season it made under the five-year, $600-million deal that expired with ABC/ESPN after the 2004 Stanley Cup Final. Both sides reached a one-year agreement with options for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons in May 2004.

While ESPN and ESPN2 covered a plethora of games during its previous contract, the new deal called for ESPN2 to air just 40 regular-season contests. The cable sports network also held exclusive rights to the conference finals and the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final.



The league also signed a two-year deal with NBC last year, which had the same type of revenue-sharing agreement the network has with the Arena Football League. Under the agreement, NBC would take the first portion of income from advertising to cover production expenses, while the NHL takes the next portion and the two split additional revenue equally.

The regular-season ratings on ABC have declined 21 per cent since the 2001-02 season while last year's Stanley Cup final ratings were down 21 per cent from 1999-2000.

Shapiro indicated to the Globe that the only arrangement acceptable to ESPN at this point would be profit sharing.

[dennis_is_canadian]

Good for em' all. Maybe now they will open their friggin eyes and make a damn deal already. The players keep saying they care about the game and they love being a part of the greatest league in the world. Yet they will rather play in Europe or a minor league for peanuts compared to what they would make in the NHL even if they had the salary cap. Hypocrites!

If they do care about the game, they will make a deal before the NHL folds. Otherwise if they don't, people will see that the players don't have any heart or love for the game. Back in the day, players played to pain and low salaries if anything just to be a part of the best league in the world. Now adays players won't play if they don't make atleast 2 Mill for being a 15 goal scorer.

What the players are concerned about is paying their ferrari bills, they couldn't care less about the league.

If there is no deal made, the NHL should replace them all with AHL and CHL players who will be proud to be part of the NHL. In a few years, the league will have it's stars back and the NHL'ers who left will come crawling back for jobs.

I may sound like I hate the players. I still would love to see em' all come back (except Brett Hull, Chris Chelios and Darian Hatcher).
Can't wait for NHL hockey, but if the players let us down, why should we care about them? If replacement players are what the NHL has to use to make the NHL click again, so be it. It's like a break up. You may feel betrayed, sad and hopeless for awhile, but soon enough you will find someone better and you will forgett all about the cheating b!tch or B@stard.

[-Mario-]

Freaker Freaker:

I don't really care if the NHL dies in the US. If it did then some teams would move to cities that have serious fans; places like Winnipeg, Quebec City and Hamilton.

I really like the idea of Giuliani and Maurice Strong starting a new league. Good luck to 'em!

I hope this works out... I would hate to see another XFL

[CanadianLynx]

Well if no NHL,then ESPN might switch and carry the AHL..

[ManifestDestiny]

Freaker Freaker:

I don't really care if the NHL dies in the US. If it did then some teams would move to cities that have serious fans; places like Winnipeg, Quebec City and Hamilton.

Why would teams move back to cities that already lost their teams? Grow up would you.

[CanuckEMT]

I have a really bad attitude now towards hockey, but to tell the honest truth I have not missed it one bit. I have been watching the juniors and loving every minute of it

Also the thought of Team Canada and the others being NHL players pissed me right off. Those guys are locked out right now and should not ahve played in that tournament. They should have used junior players to fill it.

It doesn't matter what league starts or if the NHL will revive again, in the long run we will be right back where we started as the players keep asking for more and more and us fans get left behind watching and waiting to see if they end up getting thier way again.

[bootlegga]

NYCisHome NYCisHome:

Freaker Freaker:

I don't really care if the NHL dies in the US. If it did then some teams would move to cities that have serious fans; places like Winnipeg, Quebec City and Hamilton.

Why would teams move back to cities that already lost their teams? Grow up would you.

Well, when teams like Atlanta and Carolina can only get 8,000 fans to show up, then it makes sense. And a measly 30,000 or so fans showed up when Tampa won the Cup. What a joke! Calgary had 60,000+, in a city half the size show up to cheer on their team even though they LOST!

Winnipeg had an average of over 12,000 before the Jets left. They just needed a new stadium (which will open for the AHL season in September 2005). There are talks that either Pittsburgh or Anaheim could be sold and moved there BTW. I also know Quebec had way more than 8,000 a game too. Hell, their team won the Stanley Cup the very first year in Denver (due to some shrewd trades admittedly). And Hamilton never had a team, but can't get one because of geography. Sandwiched between Toronto and Buffalo, both teams fear losing fans if a team was put there. so it's not a matter of growing up, its fans in those markets wanting to watch pro hockey!

In the end, it won't matter because several teams in the southeast US won't survive the lockout. The only question is will those teams close up shop, or come back north of the border will they will at least have a chance to survive.