The NHL Lockout Has Turned Ugly

An estimated 400+ million dollars lost. Long breaks between negotiating sessions. A commissioner seemingly intent on fracturing the union. Fans without the game they love. Rhetoric getting heated and ugly. This sums up where the lockout is today when it comes to the NHL.

1st on the negotiation front. The league rejects the players latest proposal was rejected quickly by the owners. The players moved to accept the owners 50/50 split of revenue, down from the 57/43  cut it was in the last deal. The players have also caved on the "make whole" provision which deals with current contracts. I have said for me this is a no deal. Pay me what we agreed to but the players have buckled so it seems. For about the 3rd time now the liar that is Gary Bettman claims the players have received the owners " best proposal". Yeah that means they haven't!

Last week it was believed the sides have moved closer to a deal with the head of the players union, Donald Fehr claiming the sides were "only" 40 million apart. he estimated that to be about 1.2 million per team, the cost of a below average defenseman.

On Friday games through December 14th were cancelled as was the all star game. Now the ugly has started to appear and the players could be splintering.

1st the ugly-Ian White of the Red Wings called Gary Bettman an idiot. I agree. However in words that should never be expressed Blackhawks player Dave Bolland re-tweeted a message that expressed hope for Gary Bettman to die. The tweet has been deleted but too late the genie is out of that bottle and Bolland is a joke. Seems it is popular in todays culture to wish death on those that  people disagree with. A total disgrace in Bolland. I can't stand Bettman but wish him personal ill will- NEVER!

Now the players are starting to snipe a bit at each other. Defensemen Roman Hamrlik expressed disgust at Fehr and questioned if he should be retained as head of the union. His team mate in Washington, Goaltender Michal  Neuvirth agreed with Hamrlik's view. However Montreal Canadiens forward Erik Cole said that Hamrlik's comments are " the most selfish thing I have heard during the lockout."

As of this moment no new negotiations are scheduled.