There is no contract correct? Doesn’t that mean the NHL is free to negotiate with any group willing to meet it’s labor requirements.

You want Donald Fehr to go away? See what happens when several careers end and everyone loses a year of their career.

I stopped buying game tickets when the last dispute went down. After the Kings won the Cup I was about to order their DVD until the current dispute went down. Keep mindlessly paying to line the multi-millionaires pockets and they’ll keep treating you like trash.

“The NHL was to pay a total of $3 million – over multiple installments – to rent the stadium. Calling the game off by Friday cost the league only a $100,000 deposit paid to the University of Michigan.”

Collateral damage is much higher for the NHL:

“The league said it would schedule the…Winter Classic at the stadium, which holds more than 100,000 people and had been expected to set a record for attendance at a hockey game. Among other things, the event called for a winter festival about 45 miles away in Detroit and the construction of two outdoor rinks for multiple college and youth teams.

“Some 400,000 people were expected in the area over the New Year’s weekend, filling hotel rooms, restaurants and bars.”

More small businesses damaged by the antics of millionaires and billionaires.

Oh, in case you haven’t noticed, us “pessimists” (i.e., realists) aren’t leaving the game, the game is leaving us.

Id4joey – If that’s true friend, then I think we’ve got this case solved ! For the life of me, I just couldn’t see them throwing out the Winter Classic ? Anyway, that will dove tail perfectly with my original assertion that a “magical” agreement will be announced during the week of Nov 5-10 with a margin for error of “plus or minus” 3 x days.

Book em Dano … murder one !

Look at MLB, you have about ten competitive teams, the rest is well- CRAP! Pirates, Blue Jays are just name a few examples.

The facts are clear, we will not have hockey.

Greed, arrogance, pride, and emotions will cause STUPIDITY AMONGST PLAYERS.

you ruined baseball for the fans and now you’re trying to do the same to hockey, don’t even pretend to care about the folks in the seats

As long as Donald Fehr is the leading NHLPA there will be NO HOCKEY.

NHL had to cancel or else they would have had to pay u of m 250k. Expensive gamble, unless you truly believe yourself with respect to the conspiracy theory. Anyway. It is possible that there remains an opportunity to reschedule the WC, but probably no more than within a week or 2.

Attention All Fellow Conspiracists !

Hey man, I do have to admit that I’m a bit surprised the NHL decided to throw this one out the window ? After all, the Winter Classic has been a money-maker as far as I know and it’s become the flagship for the marketing effort Stateside, etc. So what gives here ? Has Bettman seriously gone nuts or something ? … you know, “absolute power corrupts absolutely” etc ? Or do any of you fellow conspiracists know whether it’s possible to reverse this announcement over the next few days ? I’d love to hear from you ! … take it easy man … Blomfeld

ps: as far as all you “pessimists” go with your threats to leave the game, etc … well I say good riddance to you people ! … you are not “real” hockey fans, you never were and this business of catering to your ilk is a big part of the reason why we’re in this mess ! … NHL hockey is not meant to be “entertainment” like some movie or DWTS … no, it’s rather the “food” which we real hockey fans live by !

But with all the the logistics and equipment involved in the event, yes, it did need to be cancelled this far in advance.

But getting back to my original point…