GI at Bragg starts new fan oriented lockout website

[MIKELIUT]

I got a phone call last night from Roger Farina. Roger was the NHL 7th Man national award winner for 2003 as Fan of the Year. He came back from Iraq to accept the award, see:
http://www.nhl.com/intheslot/read/features/seventhman052103.html

Roger is currently in the Army stationed at Fort Bragg. he's started a website at
http://www.nonhllockout.com/
and asked me to publicize it. Please post the URL at any other hockey websites you frequent.

Comments on his website also welcome in this thread.

[MIKELIUT]

I got a phone call last night from Roger Farina. Roger was the NHL 7th Man national award winner for 2003 as Fan of the Year. He came back from Iraq to accept the award, see:
http://www.nhl.com/intheslot/read/features/seventhman052103.html

Roger is currently in the Army stationed at Fort Bragg. he's started a website at
http://www.nonhllockout.com/
and asked me to publicize it. Please post the URL at any other hockey websites you frequent.

Comments on his website also welcome in this thread.

[MIKELIUT]

I got a phone call last night from Roger Farina. Roger was the NHL 7th Man national award winner for 2003 as Fan of the Year. He came back from Iraq to accept the award, see:
http://www.nhl.com/intheslot/read/features/seventhman052103.html

Roger is currently in the Army stationed at Fort Bragg. he's started a website at
http://www.nonhllockout.com/
and asked me to publicize it. Please post the URL at any other hockey websites you frequent.

Comments on his website also welcome in this thread.

[nccanes]

Someone mentioned this in the main "Lost Season" thread.

Have to admit I visited the site and it seems like a nice idea. Nice that they are getting some media attention, but I'm not sure there's been a fan groundswell yet. The forums looked to be devoid of activity.

I noticed also that they have a very anti-union image and I think that's going to repel some fans for sure.

I'd post it, but the image is huge as it's stored on their server. It says "Bring on the Scabs".

At that point you are a PR outlet for ownership, not a bunch of fans that just want to see hockey.

At least that's my 2 cents.

[nccanes]

Someone mentioned this in the main "Lost Season" thread.

Have to admit I visited the site and it seems like a nice idea. Nice that they are getting some media attention, but I'm not sure there's been a fan groundswell yet. The forums looked to be devoid of activity.

I noticed also that they have a very anti-union image and I think that's going to repel some fans for sure.

I'd post it, but the image is huge as it's stored on their server. It says "Bring on the Scabs".

At that point you are a PR outlet for ownership, not a bunch of fans that just want to see hockey.

At least that's my 2 cents.

[nccanes]

Someone mentioned this in the main "Lost Season" thread.

Have to admit I visited the site and it seems like a nice idea. Nice that they are getting some media attention, but I'm not sure there's been a fan groundswell yet. The forums looked to be devoid of activity.

I noticed also that they have a very anti-union image and I think that's going to repel some fans for sure.

I'd post it, but the image is huge as it's stored on their server. It says "Bring on the Scabs".

At that point you are a PR outlet for ownership, not a bunch of fans that just want to see hockey.

At least that's my 2 cents.

[Soulja]

I was just reviewing our 'referrers' and came across this thread as one of them.

I see your concern and it's true, we have a lot of ideas going in a lot of different directions. Roger is very active with this project and sometimes he over-extends himself. The bring on the scabs logo was a submission by a fan, and we are waiting for him to re-word it to 'replacements.'

As far as the site and our direction is concerned, we aren't against the NHL nor are we against the NHLPA. We are hockey fans, trying to get a voice for people like us (other hockey fans!)

This is a grass roots effort, and to be honest it is larger than I ever expected it to get. But since we have been successful, we are trying to clarify our objectives. Just to inform you all, and let you know where we stand:

#1 priority is to show support for the NHL by supporting sponsors, celebrating hockey, and continuing to remain dedicated to the game. In doing so, we hope to gain the respect of the NHL and NHLPA and hopefully, one day, open the doors for a fan governing board to oversee negotiations and discussions that would affect the fans or the game itself

#2 is supporting the guys at freestanley.com to get the Stanley Cup awarded to SOMEONE this year. See freestanley.com for more info on that.

#3 we do come off as more pro NHL or anti-NHLPA. The reason for that is that we do feel that a salary cap is necessary and unfortunately that is not the stance of the NHLPA. The problem here isn't so much that we are siding against the NHLPA, but that instead of informing the fans as to why they don't want a cap, they play these posturing games and offer no answers for their reasoning. The NHL also plays those games, but from a business point of view, we can see how they NEED a cap. Our rationale may side with the owners, but really, looking at the whole picture, our side is with the fans and no one else. We want to see the NHL back in action. And yes, we would support replacement players. But that too is easy to take the wrong way. We have heard from players and agents that say they want to play, they would have loved to sign the last offer by the NHL and some have even suggested that they would cross the picket lines if replacements were brought in. We would support the replacements because in essence, there are NHLPA members that want to play, that understand the economics of the game. We support the replacements because with them, come the NHL'ers that truly love the sport and want to see it thrive. For the players willing to take the hit in the next 3-5 years to help get hockey back in the spotlight, we will support them because they are looking more at the fan interest than they are the NHLPA interest or even the NHL.

Sorry to make this so long. If you have any questions feel free to email me. I will try to check back here but if you have a question you want to get answered immediately, just send it to me at dennis@nonhlstrike.com
Oh, and thanks for the support guys.

[Soulja]

I was just reviewing our 'referrers' and came across this thread as one of them.

I see your concern and it's true, we have a lot of ideas going in a lot of different directions. Roger is very active with this project and sometimes he over-extends himself. The bring on the scabs logo was a submission by a fan, and we are waiting for him to re-word it to 'replacements.'

As far as the site and our direction is concerned, we aren't against the NHL nor are we against the NHLPA. We are hockey fans, trying to get a voice for people like us (other hockey fans!)

This is a grass roots effort, and to be honest it is larger than I ever expected it to get. But since we have been successful, we are trying to clarify our objectives. Just to inform you all, and let you know where we stand:

#1 priority is to show support for the NHL by supporting sponsors, celebrating hockey, and continuing to remain dedicated to the game. In doing so, we hope to gain the respect of the NHL and NHLPA and hopefully, one day, open the doors for a fan governing board to oversee negotiations and discussions that would affect the fans or the game itself

#2 is supporting the guys at freestanley.com to get the Stanley Cup awarded to SOMEONE this year. See freestanley.com for more info on that.

#3 we do come off as more pro NHL or anti-NHLPA. The reason for that is that we do feel that a salary cap is necessary and unfortunately that is not the stance of the NHLPA. The problem here isn't so much that we are siding against the NHLPA, but that instead of informing the fans as to why they don't want a cap, they play these posturing games and offer no answers for their reasoning. The NHL also plays those games, but from a business point of view, we can see how they NEED a cap. Our rationale may side with the owners, but really, looking at the whole picture, our side is with the fans and no one else. We want to see the NHL back in action. And yes, we would support replacement players. But that too is easy to take the wrong way. We have heard from players and agents that say they want to play, they would have loved to sign the last offer by the NHL and some have even suggested that they would cross the picket lines if replacements were brought in. We would support the replacements because in essence, there are NHLPA members that want to play, that understand the economics of the game. We support the replacements because with them, come the NHL'ers that truly love the sport and want to see it thrive. For the players willing to take the hit in the next 3-5 years to help get hockey back in the spotlight, we will support them because they are looking more at the fan interest than they are the NHLPA interest or even the NHL.

Sorry to make this so long. If you have any questions feel free to email me. I will try to check back here but if you have a question you want to get answered immediately, just send it to me at dennis@nonhlstrike.com
Oh, and thanks for the support guys.

[Soulja]

I was just reviewing our 'referrers' and came across this thread as one of them.

I see your concern and it's true, we have a lot of ideas going in a lot of different directions. Roger is very active with this project and sometimes he over-extends himself. The bring on the scabs logo was a submission by a fan, and we are waiting for him to re-word it to 'replacements.'

As far as the site and our direction is concerned, we aren't against the NHL nor are we against the NHLPA. We are hockey fans, trying to get a voice for people like us (other hockey fans!)

This is a grass roots effort, and to be honest it is larger than I ever expected it to get. But since we have been successful, we are trying to clarify our objectives. Just to inform you all, and let you know where we stand:

#1 priority is to show support for the NHL by supporting sponsors, celebrating hockey, and continuing to remain dedicated to the game. In doing so, we hope to gain the respect of the NHL and NHLPA and hopefully, one day, open the doors for a fan governing board to oversee negotiations and discussions that would affect the fans or the game itself

#2 is supporting the guys at freestanley.com to get the Stanley Cup awarded to SOMEONE this year. See freestanley.com for more info on that.

#3 we do come off as more pro NHL or anti-NHLPA. The reason for that is that we do feel that a salary cap is necessary and unfortunately that is not the stance of the NHLPA. The problem here isn't so much that we are siding against the NHLPA, but that instead of informing the fans as to why they don't want a cap, they play these posturing games and offer no answers for their reasoning. The NHL also plays those games, but from a business point of view, we can see how they NEED a cap. Our rationale may side with the owners, but really, looking at the whole picture, our side is with the fans and no one else. We want to see the NHL back in action. And yes, we would support replacement players. But that too is easy to take the wrong way. We have heard from players and agents that say they want to play, they would have loved to sign the last offer by the NHL and some have even suggested that they would cross the picket lines if replacements were brought in. We would support the replacements because in essence, there are NHLPA members that want to play, that understand the economics of the game. We support the replacements because with them, come the NHL'ers that truly love the sport and want to see it thrive. For the players willing to take the hit in the next 3-5 years to help get hockey back in the spotlight, we will support them because they are looking more at the fan interest than they are the NHLPA interest or even the NHL.

Sorry to make this so long. If you have any questions feel free to email me. I will try to check back here but if you have a question you want to get answered immediately, just send it to me at dennis@nonhlstrike.com
Oh, and thanks for the support guys.

[StormShaman]

The site is pretty disorganized, mi hombre. I had trouble trying to figure out what the heck direction you're going with it, and your post hasn't done much to clear things up.

Not a flame, just a comment.

[StormShaman]

The site is pretty disorganized, mi hombre. I had trouble trying to figure out what the heck direction you're going with it, and your post hasn't done much to clear things up.

Not a flame, just a comment.

[StormShaman]

The site is pretty disorganized, mi hombre. I had trouble trying to figure out what the heck direction you're going with it, and your post hasn't done much to clear things up.

Not a flame, just a comment.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

On the one hand, I think it's awesome that these fan organizations are forming and even better that one is forming here in NC since we get slammed so often as not being worthy of hockey.

On the other hand, with so many out there I'm not sure I see how any of these fan organizations can really be effective and it might be more productive to pick one and all unite under it's name. Then we might actually have enough clout to make an impact. There aren't 8 different PAs because they know they have to be unified to be effective. I think the same is true for fan organizations. I joined the NHLFA sometime last season. Guess I'll stick with that.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

On the one hand, I think it's awesome that these fan organizations are forming and even better that one is forming here in NC since we get slammed so often as not being worthy of hockey.

On the other hand, with so many out there I'm not sure I see how any of these fan organizations can really be effective and it might be more productive to pick one and all unite under it's name. Then we might actually have enough clout to make an impact. There aren't 8 different PAs because they know they have to be unified to be effective. I think the same is true for fan organizations. I joined the NHLFA sometime last season. Guess I'll stick with that.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

On the one hand, I think it's awesome that these fan organizations are forming and even better that one is forming here in NC since we get slammed so often as not being worthy of hockey.

On the other hand, with so many out there I'm not sure I see how any of these fan organizations can really be effective and it might be more productive to pick one and all unite under it's name. Then we might actually have enough clout to make an impact. There aren't 8 different PAs because they know they have to be unified to be effective. I think the same is true for fan organizations. I joined the NHLFA sometime last season. Guess I'll stick with that.

[puck_it]

well, i think your organization would get more credibilty if you use proper terminology. its a lockout not a strike. if your uncomfortable with lockout, use labor stoppage.

which makes me think. thats why we havent seen replacements. simply because the owners are chosing not to conduct business, not that they are trying to but have no work force. they need to declare impasse.

EDIT: ok well the site is nonhllockout but the email is nonhlstrike :huh:... just checked it out and well, both are registered and direct to the same page.

[puck_it]

well, i think your organization would get more credibilty if you use proper terminology. its a lockout not a strike. if your uncomfortable with lockout, use labor stoppage.

which makes me think. thats why we havent seen replacements. simply because the owners are chosing not to conduct business, not that they are trying to but have no work force. they need to declare impasse.

EDIT: ok well the site is nonhllockout but the email is nonhlstrike :huh:... just checked it out and well, both are registered and direct to the same page.

[puck_it]

well, i think your organization would get more credibilty if you use proper terminology. its a lockout not a strike. if your uncomfortable with lockout, use labor stoppage.

which makes me think. thats why we havent seen replacements. simply because the owners are chosing not to conduct business, not that they are trying to but have no work force. they need to declare impasse.

EDIT: ok well the site is nonhllockout but the email is nonhlstrike :huh:... just checked it out and well, both are registered and direct to the same page.

[nccanes]

The bring on the scabs logo was a submission by a fan, and we are waiting for him to re-word it to 'replacements.'

As far as the site and our direction is concerned, we aren't against the NHL nor are we against the NHLPA. We are hockey fans, trying to get a voice for people like us (other hockey fans!)


"Replacements" is just a nicer word for "scab", the meaning is the same. If you are accepting replacements/scabs, you are anti-NHLPA.

I agree with SHC, I'm very impressed with people that have gone the extra step to get involved. Good luck to you!

[nccanes]

The bring on the scabs logo was a submission by a fan, and we are waiting for him to re-word it to 'replacements.'

As far as the site and our direction is concerned, we aren't against the NHL nor are we against the NHLPA. We are hockey fans, trying to get a voice for people like us (other hockey fans!)


"Replacements" is just a nicer word for "scab", the meaning is the same. If you are accepting replacements/scabs, you are anti-NHLPA.

I agree with SHC, I'm very impressed with people that have gone the extra step to get involved. Good luck to you!

[nccanes]

The bring on the scabs logo was a submission by a fan, and we are waiting for him to re-word it to 'replacements.'

As far as the site and our direction is concerned, we aren't against the NHL nor are we against the NHLPA. We are hockey fans, trying to get a voice for people like us (other hockey fans!)


"Replacements" is just a nicer word for "scab", the meaning is the same. If you are accepting replacements/scabs, you are anti-NHLPA.

I agree with SHC, I'm very impressed with people that have gone the extra step to get involved. Good luck to you!

[Soulja]

Everywhere i go i get the cluttered site and I hate frames comments. And believe me, I'm working on it. By next week I hope to have it more organized, and hopefully cut out some of the outdated info. (we have articles from 2003 when the lockout was just an option)

The biggest problem I have here is that none of us know web design. If anyone is willing to volunteer time and effort to create a more professional site, then I am all for it. As you can see, my ability as a web designer is nil.

As far as the fan "union" is concerned. That is one thing we understand, that everyone has a site and no one is unified. I too am a member of the NHLFA and just yesterday I recieved a notice from the NHLFA that the season was cancelled. (um..yeah..we know) I don't want to start throwing stones at the NHLFA, but they aren't doing anything as far as we can see. The FSB! site is trying to gain all the support it can from other fan sites. We link to everyone we talk to, and we have several sites we are looking at that we just haven't added yet. We are trying to unify the fans but it isn't as easy as it looks. The one distinctive competancy that we do have is the support of not only the 2003 NHL Fan of the Year, but also team FOTY from San Jose, Tampa Bay, Boston, and the Islanders. We are still trying to contact FOTY from other teams, but that too is a tough task.

To answer the question of the Strike/Lockout terms, the history of the site goes back to 2003 when the options were a player strike and an owner lockout. NoNHLStrike.com was our origional home, but we bought the lockout domain when it became apparent that a lockout would take place and not a strike. But the site had already gained popularity so we anchored the site at the strike location and pointed our new domain to it. We are also in the process of adding www.fansstrikeback.com to the list of domains we own.

As for the rest of it, if you are confused about our direction, goals, etc, feel free to send me questions/comments at dennis@nonhlstrike.com
I went out and bought a laptop so I could keep up with all this so definately send in your comments/questions otherwise my fiancee will think I started this site just to convince her I needed a laptop!

Anyway, thanks again for the support and I hope I've helped answer a few of your questions.

[Soulja]

Everywhere i go i get the cluttered site and I hate frames comments. And believe me, I'm working on it. By next week I hope to have it more organized, and hopefully cut out some of the outdated info. (we have articles from 2003 when the lockout was just an option)

The biggest problem I have here is that none of us know web design. If anyone is willing to volunteer time and effort to create a more professional site, then I am all for it. As you can see, my ability as a web designer is nil.

As far as the fan "union" is concerned. That is one thing we understand, that everyone has a site and no one is unified. I too am a member of the NHLFA and just yesterday I recieved a notice from the NHLFA that the season was cancelled. (um..yeah..we know) I don't want to start throwing stones at the NHLFA, but they aren't doing anything as far as we can see. The FSB! site is trying to gain all the support it can from other fan sites. We link to everyone we talk to, and we have several sites we are looking at that we just haven't added yet. We are trying to unify the fans but it isn't as easy as it looks. The one distinctive competancy that we do have is the support of not only the 2003 NHL Fan of the Year, but also team FOTY from San Jose, Tampa Bay, Boston, and the Islanders. We are still trying to contact FOTY from other teams, but that too is a tough task.

To answer the question of the Strike/Lockout terms, the history of the site goes back to 2003 when the options were a player strike and an owner lockout. NoNHLStrike.com was our origional home, but we bought the lockout domain when it became apparent that a lockout would take place and not a strike. But the site had already gained popularity so we anchored the site at the strike location and pointed our new domain to it. We are also in the process of adding www.fansstrikeback.com to the list of domains we own.

As for the rest of it, if you are confused about our direction, goals, etc, feel free to send me questions/comments at dennis@nonhlstrike.com
I went out and bought a laptop so I could keep up with all this so definately send in your comments/questions otherwise my fiancee will think I started this site just to convince her I needed a laptop!

Anyway, thanks again for the support and I hope I've helped answer a few of your questions.

[Soulja]

Everywhere i go i get the cluttered site and I hate frames comments. And believe me, I'm working on it. By next week I hope to have it more organized, and hopefully cut out some of the outdated info. (we have articles from 2003 when the lockout was just an option)

The biggest problem I have here is that none of us know web design. If anyone is willing to volunteer time and effort to create a more professional site, then I am all for it. As you can see, my ability as a web designer is nil.

As far as the fan "union" is concerned. That is one thing we understand, that everyone has a site and no one is unified. I too am a member of the NHLFA and just yesterday I recieved a notice from the NHLFA that the season was cancelled. (um..yeah..we know) I don't want to start throwing stones at the NHLFA, but they aren't doing anything as far as we can see. The FSB! site is trying to gain all the support it can from other fan sites. We link to everyone we talk to, and we have several sites we are looking at that we just haven't added yet. We are trying to unify the fans but it isn't as easy as it looks. The one distinctive competancy that we do have is the support of not only the 2003 NHL Fan of the Year, but also team FOTY from San Jose, Tampa Bay, Boston, and the Islanders. We are still trying to contact FOTY from other teams, but that too is a tough task.

To answer the question of the Strike/Lockout terms, the history of the site goes back to 2003 when the options were a player strike and an owner lockout. NoNHLStrike.com was our origional home, but we bought the lockout domain when it became apparent that a lockout would take place and not a strike. But the site had already gained popularity so we anchored the site at the strike location and pointed our new domain to it. We are also in the process of adding www.fansstrikeback.com to the list of domains we own.

As for the rest of it, if you are confused about our direction, goals, etc, feel free to send me questions/comments at dennis@nonhlstrike.com
I went out and bought a laptop so I could keep up with all this so definately send in your comments/questions otherwise my fiancee will think I started this site just to convince her I needed a laptop!

Anyway, thanks again for the support and I hope I've helped answer a few of your questions.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I too am a member of the NHLFA and just yesterday I recieved a notice from the NHLFA that the season was cancelled. (um..yeah..we know) I don't want to start throwing stones at the NHLFA, but they aren't doing anything as far as we can see.

Hmm, that's not been my experience at all. Here's the letter I recieved from them on 3/2:

The 2004-05 NHL hockey season has been lost, but our advocacy efforts on
behalf of NHLFA Members are in full swing.

In the past few weeks, we have conducted numerous media interviews to voice
our collective displeasure with the CBA negotiations. In the coming weeks,
we will solicit your opinions on matters related to the return of NHL
hockey.

We are very pleased to announce the release of a 30 second public service
announcement (PSA) that is being circulated to the media today. Hopefully,
television stations will broadcast the spot and more fans will join our
ranks. The PSA was created (gratis to the NHLFA) by a group of hockey fans
from Toronto, led by David Daga. Spy Films of Toronto also donated
production time. We encourage you to view the commercial by visiting
www.nhlfa.com/psa and to consider sending the link to as many of your
friends and colleagues as possible. The commercial depicts a lone man in a
hockey arena walking on the ice. When he gets to centre ice, he bends to
one knee and begins chipping at the blue circle with an ice pick. We watch
as he uncovers what he came for. He steels the loonie buried beneath ice -
a tradition Canadians began at the Salt Lake Winter Olympics. The title
card asks the viewer: "When did hockey come to this?"

We are in the process of building a better back-end structure for our Web
site. The new site will allow us to more easily and economically distribute
news and polls to our Members. It will have an improved bulletin board and
secure, self-management tool for each Member's profile. Stay tuned...

We continue to solicit sponsors to support the Association. Please
encourage business owners to support the fans of the game. We have
sponsorship opportunities starting at $2000. Interested prospective
sponsors should contact Jim Boone at boone@nhlfa.com

We are less than 100 people shy of the 27,000 mark. Please encourage your
friends to join the NHLFA today (www.nhlfa.com/send.asp)

Finally, we encourage you to make a small donation to the NHLFA. If you are
able to contribute some money, please use our PayPal account at
www.nhlfa.com/2don8.asp or mail a cheque to NHLFA, 56 Glendenning Drive,
Ottawa, ON, CAN, K2H 7Y9.


Sincerely,
Jim Boone
boone@nhlfa.com
&
Jim Spendlove
spendlove@nhlfa.com


P.S. The following letter was sent to NHL season ticket holders this week by
Commissioner Bettman:


Dear Fans:

On behalf of the 30 NHL teams, I want to say how sorry we all are that,
given the very practical reality that there are not enough days available to
play a representative regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs, we have been
left with no choice but to cancel the remainder of the games scheduled for
the 2004-05 campaign.

The NHL is very fortunate to enjoy the support of the most loyal and
passionate fans in all of professional sports, and we want you to know how
very much we appreciate the patience and understanding you have shown the
NHL during this very difficult time in our history. We understand the
impact this dispute has had on you, our loyal fans, and I want you to know
we worked very hard, starting as far back as 1999, to prevent this from
happening.

Our intention throughout the collective bargaining process has been, and
continues to be, the creation of an enduring partnership with our players
that will allow you to enjoy a world-class product, at affordable prices,
and enter each season confident that your favorite team can compete for the
most cherished trophy in pro sports, the Stanley Cup. Our resolve to
deliver on that promise will not change.

While the various economic systems we have proposed to the players' Union
would have permitted the maintenance of an average player salary in the
neighborhood of $1.3 million (U.S.), and would have allocated as much as 55%
of every dollar of revenue that the League and Clubs can generate to the
players, Union leadership has not shown, to date, any interest in sharing
our vision of the future.

Accordingly, we remain resolute, for the good of the League and our fans, to
postpone our return to the ice until we can assure you that the current
business issues have been resolved in a way that assures the long-term
viability of all our Clubs. I can promise you, though, that when NHL hockey
does return, it will be in a way that allows our great game to prosper for
years to come, both on and off the ice.

Sincerely,
Gary B. Bettman


Funny, as a season ticket holder, I never got the Bettman letter.

Anyway, if I remember correctly, the NHLFA also made a proposal to the NHLPA in the last days before the season was officially canned. I think they are a far cry from doing nothing. Maybe no one is listening but I haven't seen that anyone is listening to any of the fan organizations. IMO, the NHLFA is doing a lot.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I too am a member of the NHLFA and just yesterday I recieved a notice from the NHLFA that the season was cancelled. (um..yeah..we know) I don't want to start throwing stones at the NHLFA, but they aren't doing anything as far as we can see.

Hmm, that's not been my experience at all. Here's the letter I recieved from them on 3/2:

The 2004-05 NHL hockey season has been lost, but our advocacy efforts on
behalf of NHLFA Members are in full swing.

In the past few weeks, we have conducted numerous media interviews to voice
our collective displeasure with the CBA negotiations. In the coming weeks,
we will solicit your opinions on matters related to the return of NHL
hockey.

We are very pleased to announce the release of a 30 second public service
announcement (PSA) that is being circulated to the media today. Hopefully,
television stations will broadcast the spot and more fans will join our
ranks. The PSA was created (gratis to the NHLFA) by a group of hockey fans
from Toronto, led by David Daga. Spy Films of Toronto also donated
production time. We encourage you to view the commercial by visiting
www.nhlfa.com/psa and to consider sending the link to as many of your
friends and colleagues as possible. The commercial depicts a lone man in a
hockey arena walking on the ice. When he gets to centre ice, he bends to
one knee and begins chipping at the blue circle with an ice pick. We watch
as he uncovers what he came for. He steels the loonie buried beneath ice -
a tradition Canadians began at the Salt Lake Winter Olympics. The title
card asks the viewer: "When did hockey come to this?"

We are in the process of building a better back-end structure for our Web
site. The new site will allow us to more easily and economically distribute
news and polls to our Members. It will have an improved bulletin board and
secure, self-management tool for each Member's profile. Stay tuned...

We continue to solicit sponsors to support the Association. Please
encourage business owners to support the fans of the game. We have
sponsorship opportunities starting at $2000. Interested prospective
sponsors should contact Jim Boone at boone@nhlfa.com

We are less than 100 people shy of the 27,000 mark. Please encourage your
friends to join the NHLFA today (www.nhlfa.com/send.asp)

Finally, we encourage you to make a small donation to the NHLFA. If you are
able to contribute some money, please use our PayPal account at
www.nhlfa.com/2don8.asp or mail a cheque to NHLFA, 56 Glendenning Drive,
Ottawa, ON, CAN, K2H 7Y9.


Sincerely,
Jim Boone
boone@nhlfa.com
&
Jim Spendlove
spendlove@nhlfa.com


P.S. The following letter was sent to NHL season ticket holders this week by
Commissioner Bettman:


Dear Fans:

On behalf of the 30 NHL teams, I want to say how sorry we all are that,
given the very practical reality that there are not enough days available to
play a representative regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs, we have been
left with no choice but to cancel the remainder of the games scheduled for
the 2004-05 campaign.

The NHL is very fortunate to enjoy the support of the most loyal and
passionate fans in all of professional sports, and we want you to know how
very much we appreciate the patience and understanding you have shown the
NHL during this very difficult time in our history. We understand the
impact this dispute has had on you, our loyal fans, and I want you to know
we worked very hard, starting as far back as 1999, to prevent this from
happening.

Our intention throughout the collective bargaining process has been, and
continues to be, the creation of an enduring partnership with our players
that will allow you to enjoy a world-class product, at affordable prices,
and enter each season confident that your favorite team can compete for the
most cherished trophy in pro sports, the Stanley Cup. Our resolve to
deliver on that promise will not change.

While the various economic systems we have proposed to the players' Union
would have permitted the maintenance of an average player salary in the
neighborhood of $1.3 million (U.S.), and would have allocated as much as 55%
of every dollar of revenue that the League and Clubs can generate to the
players, Union leadership has not shown, to date, any interest in sharing
our vision of the future.

Accordingly, we remain resolute, for the good of the League and our fans, to
postpone our return to the ice until we can assure you that the current
business issues have been resolved in a way that assures the long-term
viability of all our Clubs. I can promise you, though, that when NHL hockey
does return, it will be in a way that allows our great game to prosper for
years to come, both on and off the ice.

Sincerely,
Gary B. Bettman


Funny, as a season ticket holder, I never got the Bettman letter.

Anyway, if I remember correctly, the NHLFA also made a proposal to the NHLPA in the last days before the season was officially canned. I think they are a far cry from doing nothing. Maybe no one is listening but I haven't seen that anyone is listening to any of the fan organizations. IMO, the NHLFA is doing a lot.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I too am a member of the NHLFA and just yesterday I recieved a notice from the NHLFA that the season was cancelled. (um..yeah..we know) I don't want to start throwing stones at the NHLFA, but they aren't doing anything as far as we can see.

Hmm, that's not been my experience at all. Here's the letter I recieved from them on 3/2:

The 2004-05 NHL hockey season has been lost, but our advocacy efforts on
behalf of NHLFA Members are in full swing.

In the past few weeks, we have conducted numerous media interviews to voice
our collective displeasure with the CBA negotiations. In the coming weeks,
we will solicit your opinions on matters related to the return of NHL
hockey.

We are very pleased to announce the release of a 30 second public service
announcement (PSA) that is being circulated to the media today. Hopefully,
television stations will broadcast the spot and more fans will join our
ranks. The PSA was created (gratis to the NHLFA) by a group of hockey fans
from Toronto, led by David Daga. Spy Films of Toronto also donated
production time. We encourage you to view the commercial by visiting
www.nhlfa.com/psa and to consider sending the link to as many of your
friends and colleagues as possible. The commercial depicts a lone man in a
hockey arena walking on the ice. When he gets to centre ice, he bends to
one knee and begins chipping at the blue circle with an ice pick. We watch
as he uncovers what he came for. He steels the loonie buried beneath ice -
a tradition Canadians began at the Salt Lake Winter Olympics. The title
card asks the viewer: "When did hockey come to this?"

We are in the process of building a better back-end structure for our Web
site. The new site will allow us to more easily and economically distribute
news and polls to our Members. It will have an improved bulletin board and
secure, self-management tool for each Member's profile. Stay tuned...

We continue to solicit sponsors to support the Association. Please
encourage business owners to support the fans of the game. We have
sponsorship opportunities starting at $2000. Interested prospective
sponsors should contact Jim Boone at boone@nhlfa.com

We are less than 100 people shy of the 27,000 mark. Please encourage your
friends to join the NHLFA today (www.nhlfa.com/send.asp)

Finally, we encourage you to make a small donation to the NHLFA. If you are
able to contribute some money, please use our PayPal account at
www.nhlfa.com/2don8.asp or mail a cheque to NHLFA, 56 Glendenning Drive,
Ottawa, ON, CAN, K2H 7Y9.


Sincerely,
Jim Boone
boone@nhlfa.com
&
Jim Spendlove
spendlove@nhlfa.com


P.S. The following letter was sent to NHL season ticket holders this week by
Commissioner Bettman:


Dear Fans:

On behalf of the 30 NHL teams, I want to say how sorry we all are that,
given the very practical reality that there are not enough days available to
play a representative regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs, we have been
left with no choice but to cancel the remainder of the games scheduled for
the 2004-05 campaign.

The NHL is very fortunate to enjoy the support of the most loyal and
passionate fans in all of professional sports, and we want you to know how
very much we appreciate the patience and understanding you have shown the
NHL during this very difficult time in our history. We understand the
impact this dispute has had on you, our loyal fans, and I want you to know
we worked very hard, starting as far back as 1999, to prevent this from
happening.

Our intention throughout the collective bargaining process has been, and
continues to be, the creation of an enduring partnership with our players
that will allow you to enjoy a world-class product, at affordable prices,
and enter each season confident that your favorite team can compete for the
most cherished trophy in pro sports, the Stanley Cup. Our resolve to
deliver on that promise will not change.

While the various economic systems we have proposed to the players' Union
would have permitted the maintenance of an average player salary in the
neighborhood of $1.3 million (U.S.), and would have allocated as much as 55%
of every dollar of revenue that the League and Clubs can generate to the
players, Union leadership has not shown, to date, any interest in sharing
our vision of the future.

Accordingly, we remain resolute, for the good of the League and our fans, to
postpone our return to the ice until we can assure you that the current
business issues have been resolved in a way that assures the long-term
viability of all our Clubs. I can promise you, though, that when NHL hockey
does return, it will be in a way that allows our great game to prosper for
years to come, both on and off the ice.

Sincerely,
Gary B. Bettman


Funny, as a season ticket holder, I never got the Bettman letter.

Anyway, if I remember correctly, the NHLFA also made a proposal to the NHLPA in the last days before the season was officially canned. I think they are a far cry from doing nothing. Maybe no one is listening but I haven't seen that anyone is listening to any of the fan organizations. IMO, the NHLFA is doing a lot.

[puck_it]

the bettman letter was released as a pdf on the nhl.com and nhlcbanews.com

[puck_it]

the bettman letter was released as a pdf on the nhl.com and nhlcbanews.com

[puck_it]

the bettman letter was released as a pdf on the nhl.com and nhlcbanews.com

[SouthernHockeyChick]

the bettman letter was released as a pdf on the nhl.com and nhlcbanews.com

Maybe that's what they meant by "was sent?" I was thinking they'd get access to the STH's e-mails or (at least snail mails) through each organization. Expecting a but much, wasn't I? :beatup:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

the bettman letter was released as a pdf on the nhl.com and nhlcbanews.com

Maybe that's what they meant by "was sent?" I was thinking they'd get access to the STH's e-mails or (at least snail mails) through each organization. Expecting a but much, wasn't I? :beatup:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

the bettman letter was released as a pdf on the nhl.com and nhlcbanews.com

Maybe that's what they meant by "was sent?" I was thinking they'd get access to the STH's e-mails or (at least snail mails) through each organization. Expecting a but much, wasn't I? :beatup:

[puck_it]

yeah i mean it would have been a proper courtesy of the club to email it as a link so they didnt have to suck up their bandwidth emailing a file and all. regular mail forget it, that costs money.

[puck_it]

yeah i mean it would have been a proper courtesy of the club to email it as a link so they didnt have to suck up their bandwidth emailing a file and all. regular mail forget it, that costs money.

[puck_it]

yeah i mean it would have been a proper courtesy of the club to email it as a link so they didnt have to suck up their bandwidth emailing a file and all. regular mail forget it, that costs money.

[SoCalcaniac]

the bettman letter was released as a pdf on the nhl.com and nhlcbanews.com

Maybe that's what they meant by "was sent?" I was thinking they'd get access to the STH's e-mails or (at least snail mails) through each organization. Expecting a but much, wasn't I? :beatup:

I guess I'm a dope in expecting that much too eh SHC?? :beatup: Another slight to us fans/STH's and people who care.....

How legend-in-his-own-mind like is Bettman to think that fans are just rolling through the NHL website on a daily basis to see his 'letter'. :roll: :roll: :roll:

[SoCalcaniac]

the bettman letter was released as a pdf on the nhl.com and nhlcbanews.com

Maybe that's what they meant by "was sent?" I was thinking they'd get access to the STH's e-mails or (at least snail mails) through each organization. Expecting a but much, wasn't I? :beatup:

I guess I'm a dope in expecting that much too eh SHC?? :beatup: Another slight to us fans/STH's and people who care.....

How legend-in-his-own-mind like is Bettman to think that fans are just rolling through the NHL website on a daily basis to see his 'letter'. :roll: :roll: :roll:

[SoCalcaniac]

the bettman letter was released as a pdf on the nhl.com and nhlcbanews.com

Maybe that's what they meant by "was sent?" I was thinking they'd get access to the STH's e-mails or (at least snail mails) through each organization. Expecting a but much, wasn't I? :beatup:

I guess I'm a dope in expecting that much too eh SHC?? :beatup: Another slight to us fans/STH's and people who care.....

How legend-in-his-own-mind like is Bettman to think that fans are just rolling through the NHL website on a daily basis to see his 'letter'. :roll: :roll: :roll:

[puck_it]

How legend-in-his-own-mind like is Bettman to think that fans are just rolling through the NHL website on a daily basis to see his 'letter'. :roll: :roll: :roll:

well socal, it was the top story of the day... NHL cancels season, link to transcript, link to letter. Personally, I checked NHL.com, nhlcbanews.com (link to letter was on here also), tsn.ca, espn.com (didnt expect much there :beatup: ), sportsnet.ca, the list goes on. IMO, i would think most people who cared about the game would include NHL.com for info. Of course i also feel they should have emailed the links, id feel slighted about that, but not thinking Gary was expecting everyone to flock to see just his letter. Plus i see it as a team issue, the NHL wouldnt have the STH emails for every team.

heres the link if you wanted to see it:
Bettman (http://nhl.speedera.net/images/cba/bettman_letter021605.pdf)
Hotchkiss (http://nhl.speedera.net/nhlcba/news/hotchkiss_letter021605.pdf)

[puck_it]

How legend-in-his-own-mind like is Bettman to think that fans are just rolling through the NHL website on a daily basis to see his 'letter'. :roll: :roll: :roll:

well socal, it was the top story of the day... NHL cancels season, link to transcript, link to letter. Personally, I checked NHL.com, nhlcbanews.com (link to letter was on here also), tsn.ca, espn.com (didnt expect much there :beatup: ), sportsnet.ca, the list goes on. IMO, i would think most people who cared about the game would include NHL.com for info. Of course i also feel they should have emailed the links, id feel slighted about that, but not thinking Gary was expecting everyone to flock to see just his letter. Plus i see it as a team issue, the NHL wouldnt have the STH emails for every team.

heres the link if you wanted to see it:
Bettman (http://nhl.speedera.net/images/cba/bettman_letter021605.pdf)
Hotchkiss (http://nhl.speedera.net/nhlcba/news/hotchkiss_letter021605.pdf)

[puck_it]

How legend-in-his-own-mind like is Bettman to think that fans are just rolling through the NHL website on a daily basis to see his 'letter'. :roll: :roll: :roll:

well socal, it was the top story of the day... NHL cancels season, link to transcript, link to letter. Personally, I checked NHL.com, nhlcbanews.com (link to letter was on here also), tsn.ca, espn.com (didnt expect much there :beatup: ), sportsnet.ca, the list goes on. IMO, i would think most people who cared about the game would include NHL.com for info. Of course i also feel they should have emailed the links, id feel slighted about that, but not thinking Gary was expecting everyone to flock to see just his letter. Plus i see it as a team issue, the NHL wouldnt have the STH emails for every team.

heres the link if you wanted to see it:
Bettman (http://nhl.speedera.net/images/cba/bettman_letter021605.pdf)
Hotchkiss (http://nhl.speedera.net/nhlcba/news/hotchkiss_letter021605.pdf)

[Soulja]

That's the same letter I recieved too. (the NHLFA letter) and maybe you and I are just reading it differently. My point of view:

-a group of fans did the PSA->not the NHLFA: yes, the NHLFA is who they did it for, but with all this sponsorship money, why didn't the NHLFA do it on their own?

-building a new website structure: ok, yes it is an easier interface for the fans, but its an internal change, no actual efforts are being made toward the game of hockey

-continue to solicit sponsors to support the association: that's great, but so far they've held no events, organized no rallies, the've done nothing to get the fans involved other than compose a bunch of polls and a few newsletters each month. Where does this $2000/month from each sponsor go? Are they secretly building a league of their own?

Like I said, the NHLFA may be doing things, but really all I can see is that they are raising money to support a site that does nothing more than send out untimely updates and promotes itself in the process. But hey, I'm a member so I'm not going to sit here and take shots at their efforts, I'm just saying that for my tastes, they aren't doing enough, hence my involvement in this site. And one thing that does bother me, is that they aren't just soliciting sponsors, but they are asking the fans to send money as well. With my site, we are concentrating on organizing the fans, and getting them involved in a process to put real pressure on the NHL. We aren't asking for their money and we aren't asking for sponsors. We just want the fans to get out and show their support for the NHL in a way that no one else is asking. Next week, once the sight navigation is cleaned up (hopefully) I will be releasing the goals and objectives in a short, sweet format for you to view. I'll make sure to post it here, and let you guys decided for yourselves whether you want to take part in our efforts.

At any rate, thanks for the support.

[Soulja]

That's the same letter I recieved too. (the NHLFA letter) and maybe you and I are just reading it differently. My point of view:

-a group of fans did the PSA->not the NHLFA: yes, the NHLFA is who they did it for, but with all this sponsorship money, why didn't the NHLFA do it on their own?

-building a new website structure: ok, yes it is an easier interface for the fans, but its an internal change, no actual efforts are being made toward the game of hockey

-continue to solicit sponsors to support the association: that's great, but so far they've held no events, organized no rallies, the've done nothing to get the fans involved other than compose a bunch of polls and a few newsletters each month. Where does this $2000/month from each sponsor go? Are they secretly building a league of their own?

Like I said, the NHLFA may be doing things, but really all I can see is that they are raising money to support a site that does nothing more than send out untimely updates and promotes itself in the process. But hey, I'm a member so I'm not going to sit here and take shots at their efforts, I'm just saying that for my tastes, they aren't doing enough, hence my involvement in this site. And one thing that does bother me, is that they aren't just soliciting sponsors, but they are asking the fans to send money as well. With my site, we are concentrating on organizing the fans, and getting them involved in a process to put real pressure on the NHL. We aren't asking for their money and we aren't asking for sponsors. We just want the fans to get out and show their support for the NHL in a way that no one else is asking. Next week, once the sight navigation is cleaned up (hopefully) I will be releasing the goals and objectives in a short, sweet format for you to view. I'll make sure to post it here, and let you guys decided for yourselves whether you want to take part in our efforts.

At any rate, thanks for the support.

[Soulja]

That's the same letter I recieved too. (the NHLFA letter) and maybe you and I are just reading it differently. My point of view:

-a group of fans did the PSA->not the NHLFA: yes, the NHLFA is who they did it for, but with all this sponsorship money, why didn't the NHLFA do it on their own?

-building a new website structure: ok, yes it is an easier interface for the fans, but its an internal change, no actual efforts are being made toward the game of hockey

-continue to solicit sponsors to support the association: that's great, but so far they've held no events, organized no rallies, the've done nothing to get the fans involved other than compose a bunch of polls and a few newsletters each month. Where does this $2000/month from each sponsor go? Are they secretly building a league of their own?

Like I said, the NHLFA may be doing things, but really all I can see is that they are raising money to support a site that does nothing more than send out untimely updates and promotes itself in the process. But hey, I'm a member so I'm not going to sit here and take shots at their efforts, I'm just saying that for my tastes, they aren't doing enough, hence my involvement in this site. And one thing that does bother me, is that they aren't just soliciting sponsors, but they are asking the fans to send money as well. With my site, we are concentrating on organizing the fans, and getting them involved in a process to put real pressure on the NHL. We aren't asking for their money and we aren't asking for sponsors. We just want the fans to get out and show their support for the NHL in a way that no one else is asking. Next week, once the sight navigation is cleaned up (hopefully) I will be releasing the goals and objectives in a short, sweet format for you to view. I'll make sure to post it here, and let you guys decided for yourselves whether you want to take part in our efforts.

At any rate, thanks for the support.