Man, there’s nothing Red Wings fans want more than a guy who’s forced to play in a league he tried to leave for a salary that was imposed on both him and his team by a third party…

The NHL picks its battles very strangely.  Please get a transfer agreement set so we don’t have to keep going through this crap every summer.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 07/10/09 at 10:24 AM ET

Great.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/10/09 at 10:31 AM ET

That won’t end well…

Posted by Guilherme from Brazil on 07/10/09 at 10:34 AM ET

Like they said when Bin Laden was born “its gonna get ugly”

Posted by TEMO from LANSING, MICHIGAN, U.S.A. on 07/10/09 at 10:36 AM ET

So likely Hudler will get a 3,5 millions contract from the arbitrator…

Either Detroit takes it (and trade him, since he doesn’t fit in the cap) or chooses not to sign, so Hudler goes to KHL and we lose the guy’s rights…

NHL, could you just STFU?

Posted by Guilherme from Brazil on 07/10/09 at 10:40 AM ET

Can’t Detroit step in and tell the league to back-off?

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/10/09 at 10:40 AM ET

How come this wasn’t done with Radulov?
Oh, silly me… he’s not a Wing.

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 07/10/09 at 10:52 AM ET

This is absurd. I don’t begrudge Hudler for wanting to leave, I would imagine the Wings don’t either. This seems like a good way to turn what could’ve been a mutual agreement for both parties into a situation where they both walk away very unhappy with each other, through no fault of their own.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 07/10/09 at 10:55 AM ET

Why can’t the NHL just shut up this time?

Right now the player and his team are on, if not good terms, at least civil terms, and both have come to an understanding and are willing to move on.  Arguing over this is just going to make things worse for everyone.

If the NHL and IIHF were smart (hah!), instead of fighting to make a player come back to play in a league where he doesn’t want to be right now, they would use this and the other cases as examples of the many ways that disputes can arise, and negotiate an agreement with actual cases in mind instead of vague hypotheticals.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/10/09 at 11:03 AM ET

Tick Tock thumbed his nose at Lil’ Gary and his salary cap with the Zetterberg and Franzen contracts. Now it looks like Buttman is going to stick it to the Wings over Hudler trying to go to the KHL.

Wheeeee. Isn’t this summer turning out to be a lot of fun.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/10/09 at 11:03 AM ET

The NHL isn’t doing this for the Red Wings.  The NHL is doing this because it wants to establish a new precident—that restricted free agents, contractually speaking, cannot be “poached” from the NHL by the KHL just as players under contract cannot sign with KHL teams.

The KHL tends not to have any form of “restricted free agency”—either you’re a team’s property or you can sign anywhere you want to—and I think that, in response, the KHL may very well attempt to make everyone a restricted free agent…

But it’s an interesting philosophical point.  When a player is still technically not a free agent by NHL standards, is he a free agent by IIHF standards?

I don’t think that the KHL’s going to give a rat’s butt about this, however.

Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 07/10/09 at 11:06 AM ET

It’s such a ridiculous argument.  Hudler filed for arbitration, therefore he wants to play in the NHL?  Ok, but the Wings tendered an offer sheet, which means they intend to sign him, but if they don’t, does that mean the PA can sign a grievance?

Or does it mean that the NHL can force Chris Pronger to finish out his contract if he decided to retire after Year 5 of it?  Same thing!  He signed his new contract, therefore he intended to play for seven years, right?

This opens up a retarded can of worms for the NHL.

Bottom line:  Hudler’s not under contract with an NHL team.

Period.

Posted by Garth on 07/10/09 at 11:09 AM ET

It would be in the NHL’s best interest if they were to both agree to what kind of compensation the teams get when a player defects.  The NHL still doesn’t take the KHL seriously and doesn’t think they should have to pay for players they bring over, but they want the KHL to have to pay up if a player moves the other way.  It’s a ridiculous stance.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 07/10/09 at 11:18 AM ET

He’s not under contractual obligations, at least I don’t think NHL rights are a contract (who understands Bettman’s mind?)

“The NHL: where screwing the Wings happens”

Posted by Guilherme from Brazil on 07/10/09 at 11:19 AM ET

The NHL might be better off if they focus on players actually under valid contract instead of RFAs not under contract to a team.  Very few restricted players are actually going to command the dumptrucks full of money that Hudler is getting, so most would me more likely to sign a contract with their own NHL team or hold out for an offer sheet or something - especially the players who have ties to either North America or northern Europe, as opposed to Russia and the countries of Eastern Europe.

Concentrate on having a contract being honored and deal with the fuzzier areas once they have that concept nailed down, maybe.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/10/09 at 11:23 AM ET

I’m guessing that the IIHF rules that RFA status protects NHL rights only and does not extend to other professional leagues. But, as George pointed out, the KHL won’t give a crap either way.

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 07/10/09 at 11:24 AM ET

“Intent” to whistle, “intent” to play in the NHL…

I “intent” to kill Bettman, can they arrestme for that?

Posted by Guilherme from Brazil on 07/10/09 at 11:29 AM ET

I “intent” to kill Bettman, can they arrestme for that?

Posted by Guilherme from Brazil on 07/10/09 at 12:29 PM ET

Technically, yes.  But that’s a law with which I actually agree

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 07/10/09 at 11:38 AM ET

does that mean the PA can sign a grievance?

Wouldn’t that be something, taking up a fight for someone that doesn’t want to be represented.  This is exactly why I can’t stand some advocates. 

“Oh we know what’s better for you and we’re going to fight for it”

The Chicago players actually would benefit from Chicago failing to tender qualifying offers by the specified deadline (as in, more money potentially), whereas Happy would be forced to take X money to play for a team (any one) that he didn’t want to play for.

Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 07/10/09 at 12:14 PM ET

I “intent” to kill Bettman, can they arrestme for that?

Posted by Guilherme from Brazil

The grammar police might lock you up. 

Posted by Moq from Denmark on 07/10/09 at 12:25 PM ET

The grammar police might lock you up. 

Thanks, genius

Posted by Guilherme from Brazil on 07/10/09 at 12:32 PM ET

This is getting unnecessarily uglier.

Posted by SYF from a "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" on 07/10/09 at 12:32 PM ET

I “intent” to kill Bettman, can they arrestme for that?
Posted by Guilherme from Brazil on 07/10/09 at 12:29 PM ET
Technically, yes.  But that’s a law with which I actually agree
Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 07/10/09 at 12:38 PM ET

Well, remember the Pittsburgh kid who threatened the life of Alex Ovechkin?  Yeah that didn’t end well for him.  But seeing as Guilherme is in Brazil (if that’s true) then I don’t think he has much to worry about.

Either way, this really shouldn’t be an issue.

Bat phone in Gary’s playhouse goes off…
“Gary, we found another loop hole we can use to frustrate Ken Holland!”
“Normally I would be mad about someone interrupting my tea party, but this is an exception.  Tee hee!”

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/10/09 at 12:46 PM ET

“Oh we know what’s better for you and we’re going to fight for it”

The ACLU and PETA leap to mind.

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 07/10/09 at 12:46 PM ET

I keep hearing rumors of Happy’s rights to Ottawa for Chris Kelly….anyone else hearing these?

Posted by Aaron from MI from Huron, MI on 07/10/09 at 12:56 PM ET

I keep hearing rumors of Happy’s rights to Ottawa for Chris Kelly….anyone else hearing these?

Posted by Aaron from MI from Huron, MI on 07/10/09 at 01:56 PM ET

This is the first I’ve heard of it.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 07/10/09 at 12:57 PM ET

I keep hearing rumors of Happy’s rights to Ottawa for Chris Kelly….anyone else hearing these?
Posted by Aaron from MI from Huron, MI on 07/10/09 at 01:56 PM ET

Aaron, don’t listen to those voices in your head… they will just lie to you.

Posted by calquake on 07/10/09 at 01:06 PM ET

I keep hearing rumors of Happy’s rights to Ottawa for Chris Kelly…

They must be coming from the folks in Ottawa. Kelly is more physical than Happy, but he averages less than half of what Happy did and his cap hit is $2.125M for three more years.

I hate to keep beating the Grier “horse” to death, but the big guy is definitely more physical than Kelly, scores about the same, can be a beast on the PK and probably would cost about $500k less per year (and for no more than two years). A SJ fan in another thread noted he’s had some physical problems (including a knee injury last April) so that would have to be checked out.

If the Wings are “stuck” with Happy, I sure hope they get more in a trade for him than Kelly. A first round pick from LA would be nice.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/10/09 at 01:12 PM ET

If the NHL and IIHF were smart (hah!), instead of fighting to make a player come back to play in a league where he doesn’t want to be right now, they would use this and the other cases as examples of the many ways that disputes can arise, and negotiate an agreement with actual cases in mind instead of vague hypotheticals.
-Baroque

I wholeheartedly agree, Baroque.  This and the other issues of the last year or so are a perfect set of examples to build a stable framework around.  The lack of an agreement is really shooting the league in the foot, and they know it; more importantly, so does the IIHF.  If we had a real agreement in place, then the IIHF could become an ideal post-AHL farm team system for us.

I remember reading an article that, loosely paraphrased, had Holland saying that if he wants to come back to the NHL he’s gotta come through us; makes me believe Kenny’s not upset about this at all since he can rest easy with them player rights.

The grammar police might lock you up.
-Moq

Moq, I like you more every day.

Posted by Hippy Dave from Portland by way of Detroit on 07/10/09 at 02:47 PM ET

I hate to keep beating the Grier “horse” to death, but the big guy is definitely more physical than Kelly, scores about the same, can be a beast on the PK and probably would cost about $500k less per year (and for no more than two years). A SJ fan in another thread noted he’s had some physical problems (including a knee injury last April) so that would have to be checked out.

He’s been terrible the last two seasons.  Wings don’t want him, Wings fans shouldn’t want him.  Maybe 3 or 4 years ago, but not now…

Posted by Primis on 07/10/09 at 03:38 PM ET

(Grier)’s been terrible the last two seasons.

You keep saying that but his stats and his play against the Wings would indicate otherwise. And one of the Sharks fans in another post described him this way: “He was the captain of the penalty kill during the regular season according to Todd McLellan…”

But I guess you and I can argue about this all day. It won’t sway Kenny one way or the other.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/10/09 at 04:02 PM ET

Wings don’t want him,

And you know this how?

Holland’s been talking to agents.  How do you know he’s not talking to Grier’s?

Posted by Garth on 07/10/09 at 05:33 PM ET