Ongoing NHL Thread Part IV - A New Hope

[Nasty_Magician]

Sorry if posted:

 

[tducey]

Yeah, the Sens situation is to bad. I think you're going to see them with an arena that's not in the middle of nowhere within the next few yrs.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Perhaps I'm out of touch on the subject but wouldn't the PA, politely, not be very happy about this?

 

[BGDave]

Perhaps I'm out of touch on the subject but wouldn't the PA, politely, not be very happy about this?

I am sure they will have a view. As will the US Department of Justice.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Perhaps I'm out of touch on the subject but wouldn't the PA, politely, not be very happy about this?

i think they want to protect their current membership though no? The type of veteran player who is being squeezed out of the league, searching for pto's, by younger players ... idk

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I am sure they will have a view. As will the US Department of Justice.

I've always wondered if players themselves are okay with the draft. It seems to violate a lot of labour laws in both countries and yet no major lawsuits has been initiated to get rid of it (you'd think Lindros or anybody drafted by the Browns would've gone that route at least).

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

i think they want to protect their current membership though no? The type of veteran player who is being squeezed out of the league, searching for pto's, by younger players ... idk

I'd assume so, typical human nature.

If I were the youngsters though I'd just retaliate by striking and voting no on every deal presented if that's how the veterans were to act. I've got 10-15 years to make money in this game, new franchise on the way too for even more job security. How long is an early 30's vet willing to sacrifice paychecks for?

 

[puckhead]

I've always wondered if players themselves are okay with the draft. It seems to violate a lot of labour laws in both countries and yet no major lawsuits has been initiated to get rid of it (you'd think Lindros or anybody drafted by the Browns would've gone that route at least).

Considering CHL lawsuit (junior players not getting paid even minimum wage) seemingly went nowhere, the culture is fairly ingrained.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

just googling it and it looks like the NHLPA is on board with the change ... although i dont see any official statement of position from them

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Even going beyond the morality and legality of the draft and imposing age restrictions to begin with, rules like this mean the rookie seasons of guys like Matthews, Crosby, McDavid etc. would've never happened. I don't understand how that's better for the game. Why does the NHL hate its fans so much?

Considering CHL lawsuit (junior players not getting paid even minimum wage) seemingly went nowhere, the culture is fairly ingrained.

I thought that was still ongoing?

The CHL is a modern form of slavery. It takes a pretty special organization to be even worse than the NCAA.

 

[forty_three]

Even going beyond the morality and legality of the draft and imposing age restrictions to begin with, rules like this mean the rookie seasons of guys like Matthews, Crosby, McDavid etc. would've never happened. I don't understand how that's better for the game. Why does the NHL hate its fans so much?

You can argue they would, just a year later.

I wonder how much of it is a bone for Junior teams and colleges that keep losing young players? LaFontaine said "hockey world". Maybe it doesn't have as much to do with old dudes and collecting checks alone.

Maybe there's some "we have to put butts in seats in Sarnia" too.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

I'd assume so, typical human nature.

If I were the youngsters though I'd just retaliate by striking and voting no on every deal presented if that's how the veterans were to act. I've got 10-15 years to make money in this game, new franchise on the way too for even more job security. How long is an early 30's vet willing to sacrifice paychecks for?

Only a handful of 18 year olds play in the NHL every year anyway. It's not really going to affect the earning potential of 99.5% of NHLPA members.

As for making the draft more effective at distributing talent, going to 19 is a pretty significant step (assuming all GMs are of equal aptitude).

 

[dash]

Only a handful of 18 year olds play in the NHL every year anyway. It's not really going to affect the earning potential of 99.5% of NHLPA members.

As for making the draft more effective at distributing talent, going to 19 is a pretty significant step (assuming all GMs are of equal aptitude).

I hate it that these guys are no longer in charge...

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Only a handful of 18 year olds play in the NHL every year anyway. It's not really going to affect the earning potential of 99.5% of NHLPA members.

As for making the draft more effective at distributing talent, going to 19 is a pretty significant step (assuming all GMs are of equal aptitude).

And what happens to that 99.5% of players today? They return to their junior teams, or foreign teams etc. The current system just allows for players to play with guys their own talent level if they can handle it, or for foreign drafted players to go to the AHL. For the best players this is just stunting development and I don't understand that logic considering how badly the NHL needs some more "best players".

You can argue they would, just a year later.

I wonder how much of it is a bone for Junior teams and colleges that keep losing young players? LaFontaine said "hockey world". Maybe it doesn't have as much to do with old dudes and collecting checks alone.

Maybe there's some "we have to put butts in seats in Sarnia" too.

It probably is, but why? Fuck them.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

And what happens to that 99.5% of players today? They return to their junior teams, or foreign teams etc. The current system just allows for players to play with guys their own talent level if they can handle it, or for foreign drafted players to go to the AHL. For the best players this is just stunting development and I don't understand that logic considering how badly the NHL needs some more "best players".

It probably is, but why? Fuck them.

The reason for the move is that first round draft picks have become (perhaps incorrectly) hugely coveted assets. Other than the very top tier of elite forwards it is pretty damn impossible to assess the relative value of players who are 17-18 years old. This will make the draft less of a crap shoot. The move is being made to protect those first round assets a little more.

The current draft age is an arbitrary number anyway. If you're just looking to have the best 600 players in the world in the NHL at any given time, why cut it at 18? Could McDavid not have been in the NHL as a 17 year old? Ditto for Crosby?

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

The reason for the move is that first round draft picks have become (perhaps incorrectly) hugely coveted assets. Other than the very top tier of elite forwards it is pretty damn impossible to assess the relative value of players who are 17-18 years old. This will make the draft less of a crap shoot. The move is being made to protect those first round assets a little more.

The current draft age is an arbitrary number anyway. If you're just looking to have the best 600 players in the world in the NHL at any given time, why cut it at 18? Could McDavid not have been in the NHL as a 17 year old? Ditto for Crosby?

Both definitely could've. I'm assuming the 18 cutoff was put in place when they first instituted the draft.

To that, I'd go back and argue that the draft itself is obsolete, a product of a time when teams had rights to players within their "exclusive" zone and the league had to fix that. If players were free to sign with whomever they wished to play for, for fair market value and at any age they decided to sign at, things would be fairer overall. Works just fine in soccer for the most part.

 

[BGDave]

The current draft age is an arbitrary number anyway.

I believe there are some legal considerations given to the number 18. That is the age of consent generally, when an individual tends to be treated as an adult in the eyes of the law (until you want a beer of course).

I am no lawyer, but can a 17 year old legally sign a contract and it be binding?

 

[BGDave]

if they raise the age to 19, you have to believe there will be more "Matthews". Some highly skilled 18 year olds may choose to play in Europe, maybe even the KHL, to get "better" experience while they wait their draft year.

 

[forty_three]

It probably is, but why? Fuck them.

OHL: Help us boost revenue
NHL: Give us a share
OHL: ... Fuck. Okay.



This is a fictional representation that lives only the mind of forty_three and in no way indicates that there is indeed a shady backroom deal between the NHL and Junior leagues to fuck with the draft for profit, any and all similarities to any such shady deal, past or present, is purely coincidental.

 

[BGDave]

DGB Grab Bag: Toews Still Getting Trolled, and a Gretzky Was Overpaid Take

This deserves to be here just for the old clip of Dick Beddoes being, well, Dick Beddoes. He as a Dick in every sense of the word. They broke the mould after Beddoes.