Five for fighting: NHL players and owners brawl

Reporter|November 13, 2012

The annual Winter Classic was the latest event of the NHL to be cancelled due to the current lockout.

The annual Winter Classic was the latest event of the NHL to be cancelled due to the current lockout.

Living in Texas is not without its perks, such as year round sunshine and the ability to not be affected when 326 of this season’s National Hockey League, NHL, games are canceled. For those who do follow hockey, this year’s lockout has been one brutal cross-check.

The 2012-2013 NHL Lockout began on Sept. 15, following the expiration of the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, CBA3. This particular CBA had been in effect since July 2005 and was the response to the 2004-2005 dispute that caused massive game cancellations. Because an agreement was not reached by the September expiration date, team owners locked out all members of the National Hockey League Players Association, which means every player in the league.

The season was to begin on Oct. 11, less than a month after the lockout was declared. Since the lockout, the league has canceled a grand total of 326 games. The new start date for the 2012-13 season is Dec. 1, cutting the number of games this season drastically. The NHL lost approximately $100 million following the preseason cuts alone, according to ESPN.

The major issues on the table involve the percentage of hockey-related revenue to which the players are entitled based on the player contract policy and player salary cap. According to ESPN, the ownwers wanted to cut the player’s revenue from 57 percent to 46 percent. 

The owners hope they can pressure the players into caving, but the union and the players themselves have made it very clear that they are not willing to budge. Some players have even said they would sit out the whole season if need be.

The players have alternatives, though. Many have either began playing for their team’s lower level affiliate or now play in Europe. In fact, over 100 players have begun careers abroad. 

Austinites missing their hockey fix are not without options, either. Cedar Park has its very own AHL team, the Texas Stars, which remains on the ice while the NHL is locked out. Hopefully the lockout will end in time for the Dec. 1 start date, finally giving the players a chance to face off with each other instead of with the owners.