Kukla's Korner Hockey
Next entry: Ducks Still Believe In Carlyle
Previous entry: Gerber Facing Suspension
Hometown Discounts Here To Stay
by Paul on 03/25/09 at 01:50 PM ET
Comments (6)
from Ken Campbell of The Hockey News,
Does the NHLPA think players will begin taking pay cuts en masse because an above-average second-line player is suggesting the concept? And what exactly does the PA have to fear? Shouldn’t part of its mandate be to make sure all aspects of the player’s well-being are addressed, not just the money issue?
As much as the NHLPA doesn’t like it, the hometown discount is here to stay. For some players, the notion of remaining in a place in which they are comfortable and playing for a team they know will be a long-term contender outweighs the prospect of making more money somewhere else. The NHLPA should accept and encourage players to do what is right for them as individuals.
Filed in: NHL Teams, NHLPA | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
The head office is the one that should be upset with hometown discounts, since not every town can get them. The cap is supposed to level the playing field, but if everyone wants to play in a few cities and no one wants to play in a few other cities, it starts to look less and less level.
Good observation. How often do you hear about players who need to be paid more to go to a particular team, either because of the city or the losing history (whether either issue is real or just erroneous perception is irrelevant - it’s real to the player, and that’s whose opinion counts)? It’s one thing for a team to pay a “loser premium” if it just means they need to find more money for payroll - it’s a different matter if paying more to convince a player to play there means that another player gets less, possibly a home-grown player who turned out to be better than they thought.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 03/25/09 at 02:54 PM ET
IF the cap goes down a bunch like people are suggesting then these discounts won’t be much of discounts. For instance an 8 million a year contract when the cap is 56 million is the same percentage wise as a 6.8 million a year contract if the cap goes down to 48 million.
So in reality they are making a contract for themselves that won’t see them being bought out or traded to an awful team with lots of cap space in the near future.
Posted by kstewy16 on 03/25/09 at 02:56 PM ET
Great point, Ryan. You would think the PA would get it. Driving salaries “higher” is impossible, in a way, because it’s all tied to revenue. With escrow, I suppose they can give the illusion of driving salaries higher, but the necessary amount of money to cap gross player salaries across the league has to be given back.
Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 03/25/09 at 03:05 PM ET
Ken Campbell is the biggest idiot when it comes to cap issues. He showed that when he didn’t understand that players only get 57% of league revenues so overspending doesn’t matter anymore.
Anyway, the REAL benefit of taking a discount in the cap system is that you won’t price youself out of the league. You risk getting buried in the minors (Kasparaitis a few years ago, Rissmiller, Satan, almost happened to Avery) or stuck on a deadbeat team (Roberts in Tampa, Blake in Toronto).
Posted by bcrt on 03/25/09 at 03:24 PM ET
What power does Glenn Healy have exactly? Kesler was just speaking his mind (and the truth I might add as you can’t have sustained success as a team in a cap world with all players getting market rates). I know its probably taboo to speak out against the union agenda, but what can they do? Can they kick him out of the union?
This is exactly why I hate unions. Both unions and management get in this win/lose who has the biggest Phallus mentality with each other and everything else gets neglected.
Posted by UMFan from Colorado on 03/25/09 at 10:21 PM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Video-Shane Lehman, Always A Hockey Player
Making Peace At The Winter Classic
You Have A 2 1/2 Hour Window To Do What You Do
About KK Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
When learning from experts it’s best to learn personally from them, or from their blog. We can provide that with poker lessons blog, your home to learn poker personally.
Do you get shocked from the luck in the game of poker? Stop getting shocked and start being a Poker Shoker
Make extra cash while playing online poker. Rakeback is free and comes with rake races.
Kukla’s Korner is always a free service for readers, but it costs some money to maintain. If you’re ever in a position to donate a few dollars to help out, we’d be very appreciative.
If the NHLPA actually does have a problem with players taking hometown discounts, then it’s taking them a lot longer to understand the new CBA than anyone else. Players, as a group, will be paid the same amount no matter what contracts they sign. So anyone who takes a discount just frees up more money for the players that didn’t.
The head office is the one that should be upset with hometown discounts, since not every town can get them. The cap is supposed to level the playing field, but if everyone wants to play in a few cities and no one wants to play in a few other cities, it starts to look less and less level.
Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 03/25/09 at 02:28 PM ET