Do you support NHL players on playing overseas?

[Focker Singh]

Over 300 NHL players have travelled overseas to join various hockey leagues around Europe to keep in game shape and to make some money. Having done this, they have taken the roster spots of the players that were on those respective teams and have forced them out of a job. The team owners do this cause it draws fans to the rinks (NHL stars) so they don't care. Do you support the NHL players in doing this?

[Focker Singh]

I dont' support the NHL players cause first of all, they don't need the money, second, they dont' need to play in Europe to keep in shape...I've read that some NHL players have gone back to their home town and helped coach the minor teams and some, thirdly and most importantly, they are taking other people's jobs who need the money. There are lots of players right now in Europe who are despising the NHL players for taking their jobs. To me, its so selfish.:nono:

[Ego Woods]

I'm sorta on the fence......I believe they have every right to play.....while I certainly do feel for the players who are losing their jobs due to the influx of players, there are those NHL players who are not as rich as their associates, and they need to keep in shape when the season does return...

As for the rich players....I believe they should not be playing...most of them are the ones who caused this lockout mess

On the other side of the coin, I'd like to see NHL owners use replacement players (recruit all those players who lost their jobs overseas..heh heh)..this definitely would make those greedy NHL players think twice....:rofl:

[Mok]

no, i don't suppor this, and i thought they are under contract and can't play for other clubs???

[Focker Singh]

I'm sorta on the fence......I believe they have every right to play.....while I certainly do feel for the players who are losing their jobs due to the influx of players, there are those NHL players who are not as rich as their associates, and they need to keep in shape when the season does return...


The average NHL salary is about over $1 million per season, the minimum salary is something like $400,000.00 per season. I don't see how one can be financially strapped for 1 year or 2. As for keeping in shape, there are other ways of doing so besides playing in Europe.

[Focker Singh]

no, i don't suppor this, and i thought they are under contract and can't play for other clubs???
They are under contract but right now, they're being locked out. So the contracts mean FARK. Players are NOT being paid right now. (unless you're injured)

[Gentle Ben]

Hey Ego I like your thinking.

[mikejb]

There is nothing wrong with the players going over to Europe. The players who have lost their spots on the rosters are ones that were probably barely hanging on anyway. Both the NHL and the NHLPA have created this situation.

I would move companies if I was locked out and someone offered me a new job, weather I made a million dollars or 50,000 I would take it. 300 Players is also about a third of all players, and I would like to know how many of those players are European and went home anyway. Does it change the situation if a Swede goes back to play in his home town while the NHL is looked out, as a person from that town I doubt you would be really upset as a fan over seas.

[Bogeybog]

I am totally and completely against it! Here are 300 so called union "brothers" some of them pretty militaristic, who talk about solidarity against those evil owners and then turn around and displace other "brothers" out of their jobs. They were locked out of their "jobs" because they are being intransigent about cost certainty. They could start playing next week and earning their millions of dollars if they agreed to a salary cap. The NHL players make more money then NFL players, who generate hundreds of millions dollars more revenue for their owners! The NHL makes by the far the least revenue of any of the so called major sports in NA (whether you believe the numbers presented by the owners or not, the fact remains that they are the only league without a US network broadcast contract and they have more teams losing money then any other league). The NFL and the NBA, both of which generate a lot more money for their owners, have salary caps, and the players seem to do quite nicely financially!

I really do bristle that these "millionaire unionists" have taken a stance and then turned around and displaced other players from thier jobs, whether it's at home in their own country or not. The other point about making some money while out of work is pretty sickening as well, as all the players are now also collecting "strike" pay from the union's "war chest" which is far more then the average joe makes in a year.

I am not a big fan of the owners, as I believe they got themselves into this mess, but I have lost all respect for the players, and will probably never follow the NHL as I have in the past. One word, Pathetic! :thumbs_do

[Focker Singh]

Its also funny how the Players Assoc. is against replacement players while about 300 NHL'ers are "replacement" players in Europe right now. They're taking away 300 jobs away from lower skilled hockey players in Europe. So whenever this is over and the NHL comes back, these 300 or so players will get their jobs back with their old team but will there be any interest to watch them anymore in Europe?
I dont care how they settle this, I just want to see hockey back!!

[SW20 MR2]

I support the owners 100% in this lockout. Making as much money as the players do, you figure that they'd be financially stable. However, they tend to need the money because once they've signed their big contract, they go out and buy a nice big house, Ferrari, etc., and they have to make enough money to cover the monthly payments. It's just stupid financial planning.

I could care less about hockey. I used to watch it a lot in the early and mid-90's, but today's NHL is just pure boredom. The only thing I miss is the chance to defend my hockey pool championship. :D I'm just sick of hearing them talk about the lockout on the radio and on TV. I just wish that they would call the season off so that they could talk about it less. There are many other interesting things to talk about.