For the Canes' Eric Staal, there seemingly was symbolism in everything.
Having put in a skate at Raleigh Center Ice, he was standing near a locked door that said, "Property of the Carolina Hurricanes." He had just paid for the ice time -- money out of his pocket. He was lugging his own equipment bag.
Such is life for an NHL player during the NHL lockout. It's October and he has no games to play. He's a team captain with no team to captain. He didn't spend his time at RCI skating in circles -- with brother Jordan Staal, Joni Pitkanen and a few others -- but he might as well have been doing it as the NHL and NHLPA continues to haggle over a CBA.
"There's a lot of mixed emotions you go through," Staal said. "There are times when you're frustrated, times when you're wondering what both sides are doing.
"I guess now it's down to where we're going to be losing games. Everyone is missing out. You hope here in the next very short time they get down to it and get serious and get it done."
The lockout began Sept. 16 and the NHL by last week had canceled all preseason games. Today, the NHL announced the cancellation of the regular-season schedule from Oct. 11 to Oct. 24.
"It's starts to get real," Staal said. "There's real money lost for players and more money lost for owners. It's too bad because of where the game has been going and how it's grown.
"You'd like to think these people are smart enough to figure out how to get a deal structured properly for both sides to be OK with it. We're not at that point yet, and it's hopefully sooner than later."
Staal was asked if he and the NHL players are prepared to sit out an entire season, as the players did in 2004-2005 because of labor strife.
"I don't think anybody wants that," he said. "I don't think their side wants that and I don't think we want that. What we want is a fair deal and I don't think we've gotten to that point yet.
"Obviously it's a process and it's been a long process, an up-and-down process.. But I don't think there's anybody on either side who would say they want to miss the whole season, because no one wins in that regard."
Staal stands to lose big -- $8.5 million in salary if the entire season is canceled. He's the highest-paid player on the Canes. But many players, regardless of where they fall on the salary scale, would feel the pinch.
Will the NHLPA be able to stand strong, or will there be some splintering, especially from the top-end star players?
"I think it's about both sides just coming together to get a deal," Staal said. "I don't like how, especially the media, they portray how one side wins and the other side loses. No one wins when we're not playing.
"It's about getting a deal done. Yes, if we miss a season you're never going to get that money back, you're never going to make that up again, regardless. But right now we're in this, we're in the negotiations and it's taking a longer process than anyone would have hoped."
Staal said he has heard speculation about the league possibly bringing in replacement players. But he more or less laughed off the notion.
"I don't know," he said, smiling. "It seems kind of silly. I don't know if it will ever get to that point. You'd like to think both sides will continue to talk and just get it done.
"It's frustrating for fans, it's frustrating for us. We need to get it figured out."
For now, Staal waits. He and Jordan say they have no plans -- for now -- to go overseas and play. But if there's no hockey by December ...
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at
Comments
Poor Eric
Fri, 10/05/2012 - 12:43 — HockeydogHe has to pay for his ice time, and carry his own equipment. Kind of reminds me of many fans of hockey who have to pay for ice time, carry their own equipment, AND provide the income the NHLPA and Owners are fighting over.
To me both sides have some serious flaws here. They need to agree on just one thing, to let an arbitratior, or arbitratiors come in and resolve this. Both sides can pick one and split the difference between the two decisions. At the very least let an independant party decide what should be HRR. The NHL thinks the league can rebound as it did the last time they stopped the game. I hate to say it but the arms may not be as open this time around. With the economy the way it is right now, and with all the momentum the game had going in general, I surely thought both sides would see how stupid it would be to halt the league right now. I guess I was wrong. This is no way to treat NBC after it put 10 years of faith in the NHL. Add the new FOX Sports deal the Canes got to that. Not to mention all the corporate sponsors who have committed millions to associating with the NHL. All that corporate money is not only good for the owners, it's good for the players as well. The NHLPA needs to consider the record money the league made last year, and what they can do right now to restore that. Personally I was pretty crushed last time, but this time I am pretty okay with no hockey. As the NHL is losing me slowly over this, I am sure they are losing others as well. When a married couple's relationship is in trouble, and they don't know what to say or do to fix it, they go to a marrige counseler. The NHL needs to bring in a neutral, reputable third party to get things moving. If both sides are too chicken to make the 2nd offer, let someone else do it. The game was at an all time high last year, every day that goes by brings it closer to 20 years ago.
No chance that the owners
Fri, 10/05/2012 - 16:14 — ctillNo chance that the owners will put tens of billions of their dollars at risk by empowering a third party to impose a binding outcome on them.
The Fehr/Bettman Standoff
Fri, 10/05/2012 - 11:12 — abramsdougBoth Fehr and Bettman are playing negotiation games. This stage is who will make the first serious offer? There's a recent article stating that Fehr is adhering to the silence approach; and is waiting for the NHL to cave.
It's been obvious to me that Fehr was using the stall tactic. The problem is the stall tactic has about a 100% failure rate for the party trying to negotiate in order to obtain money from the other party. The owners now hold all the cards. They can wait out the NHLPA and cause the players untold misery from a financial standpoint.
I believe Bettman fully intended this result. He is essentially willing to burn the fields of the NHL in order to starve out the players. His first offer was intended solely to be offensive and incendiary. The players leaders, rather than asking themselves "why is Bettman doing this; he must want us to over-react" took the bait. Bettman's approach is polarization. He has ensured even the most moderate owners have no voice in the discussions. Meanwhile, the negotiating leverage of the players gets less and less.
It would take an NHLPA leader of tremendous personal courage to tell the players, they need to show the willingness to compromise based on a 50/50 Hockey Related Revenue (HRR) split. Thus far, Fehr is playing the role of victim; and it's a miserable, unadulterated failure.
No sympathy from this fan...
Fri, 10/05/2012 - 07:34 — hurricanes17Sorry, but I am having a really difficult time feeling sorry for the players in this debacle. Their representative, Fehr, knew the potential for a lockout was looming a year ago, but he refused to take any serious steps to avoid it. A few prominent owners are obviously calling the shots, but give them credit for at least trying to begin negotiations last season. Fehr essentially kicked the can down the road, so the players have no valid reason to whine about losing salary due to cancelled games. They all knew this day would eventually come due to their inaction. Now, they have to suffer the consequences, but unfortunately, so do the fans.
The great white north
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 23:34 — greg_98Candain owners will never agree to revenue sharing , they hate the carolina franchise and any further south, they would love for this to cause a contraction, and they could easily afford the extra talent and less compettion for the cup, it is the national pastime in canada and a fringe sport here in the southeast...while teams in the U.S. have not made lots of money they have won the cup way too much , they are intent on changing that
Oversimplification. Canadian
Fri, 10/05/2012 - 08:17 — ctillOversimplification. Canadian owners supported expansion all the way back to the 1960s, including acquisition of the WHL. What Canadian owners want is U.S. TV money, and they understand that the league must reach a lot of the U.S. population to maximize that take. What the Canadian owners don't want is a bunch of money-losing franchises in the U.S. just to get the U.S. TV money.
Although Canadian fans are frustrated by their recent record in the Cup -- especially the fact that Tampa, Carolina, and Anaheim (warm-weather markets) beat Canadian teams in the finals -- I wouldn't project the fans' frustration onto the owners. Owners think differently from fans.
the great white north
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 23:49 — louis12580It's not the neccessarily Canadian teams' owners that are against revenue sharing, it's the Bruins (Jacobs), Flyers (Snider), and Rangers (Dolan) who are the ringleaders with Jacobs the head of the group. Somehow I thing that Detroit (Illitch) might be a part as well.
Just as I suspected...
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 19:49 — gf101112I've had a bad feeling in my gut for the last few weeks, but now the realization is just starting to sink in. Oh well...so much for attending the games on the 17th, 18th, and 20th. Sorry I won't be able to say "Hi" and talk with Chuck, John, and Tripp. Sorry I won't be able to talk with the coaches and players and management who make the trip. Sorry I won't be able to attend any practices and get autographs for my wife's Hurricane jacket. I will ALWAYS be behind this team and organization, but man this sucks!!!!! So. Cal Caniac.
Not to mention
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 15:31 — AN0NYM0USSTHs who scheduled the time to make sure that we would be there for the home games this Fall/Winter. Now we'll make other plans to spend our time--and money.
It got real...
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 13:42 — louis12580when teams began laying off employees. No pre-season games means no teams traveling to other cities and having that money in food/accomodations. No taxes collected by the cities/states on sales of any kind related to games being held. Charity events cancelled or postponed. Team related charity branches effected because players can't participate. I could go on and on about the fallout from this farce, clearly orchestrated by a few owners in the league. This is much worse than the lockout of '04-'05 as this one didn't need to happen. I really don't think that the owners clearly grasp how angry fans are becoming each and every day there's no hockey. Shame on the few ruining it for so many out there who clearly need the extra income today. Many owners will get their money back. Cities/States will not.
Same old, same old
Thu, 10/04/2012 - 12:04 — tbrundage"It's starts to get real," Staal said. "There's real money lost for players and more money lost for owners." I get it Eric - I really do. But what about the fans? You know - the ones that pay your salary and make money for the owners? It's been real for us - for a while.