Sagittarius
Players are able to take reduced salaries in order to "allow the team more space under the cap." Take Detroit goaltender Dominik Hasek, who signed for two million for a single season.
Interestingly, the Players' Union never used this as a stratagem. I suggest to all players' unions across all sports that they should reflect on this simple point a while.
If they want to abolish the cap and return to higher bidding on their salaries - and indeed abolish the cap forever - why not just take one year and all agree to play for the same team for oh - say 30,000 each. The Union can compensate participating free agents with subsidizing them with union dues. On Day 1 of the new season the owners will get the point. It is the players who have all the power - but only if they remain united in proving it.
Ownership of professional sports teams assert that players can be replaced. But the truth is, as a single collective unit the NHLPA offers the highest level of hockey attainable on the planet. And that service is NOT replaceable.
Someone to own and operate hockey teams? Well, there's lots of them out there. RIM's Balsillie for one.
I don't like the high cost of tickets, or the fact that being really really good at hockey pays more in a single year than a lifetime of diligent nursing, teaching or fire-fighting - but those are market forces. People like watching sports and so there's lots of money in them.
A union is meant to aggregate labour and negotiate as a single entity - as such the NHLPA ought to be indomitable. The members just have to strategize a little bit further ahead.
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This year's free agency made
By luyen, July 8, 2007 at 17:23This year's free agency made the two words, "team loyalty" seem like a distant hope, there are few glimmers of hope like Joe Thornton signing with San Jose thinking of the long run...hmm, anybody else?
It's all about the mo' money, and buffalo losing Briere and Drury case in point, here you have one of the most exciting and explosive teams, surely a contender for the cup in 2007/2008, and its two leaders sell to the highest bidder, going to non-contending teams.
I just don't get that, if you're a hockey player and want to win the cup, you'd make it work wouldn't you? Forget about polarizing union vs management...if I were a player, i'd forgo that extra million a year, and maybe get a performance bonus instead, and win the cup??!
Anyway that's me, and you pointing out Hasek is a case in point, and there are other veterans who have made such sacrifices in the past, even before the salary cap ever existed...