Basically since the NHL and NHLPA cannot seem to want to share tons of money and the 2012-13 season looks pretty much dead, I think that Canada needs to step up. Americans have the NFL and we have the CFL. The CFL is a great league for Canada and the players do not make a lot of money but watch a CFL game and those guys are playing their hearts out. So why not ignore the NHL and create a professional hockey league for Canada only and open professional hockey up to new markets? I think it would be awesome. Keep the NHL cities:
VANCOUVER
EDMONTON
CALGARY
WINNIPEG
TORONTO
OTTAWA
MONTREAL
and you could add places like:
HAMILTON
possibly another TORONTO team
SASKATOON
HALIFAX
REGINA
or any Canadian city able to put up a decent rink and fit the market.....
It would be awesome to have a Canadian league and if the USA wanted to start their own they could. Make it a North American league but have the regular season be played in our own countries. No regular season play vs the other country. Have a champion from each country and then each champion team could play for the league Championship. So every year there would be a Canadian team play a USA team for the big trophy. :)
I would make it so that each player no matter what their skill enters the league making a base salary. It could be like $200,000 per player (cheap by todays NHL) this would include guys like Crosby and Ovechkin. Now I realize in the real world they'd never take less....but who needs them? Take who ever wants to play for that money and start a new league. The league would have achievements similar to xbox where you unlock achievements and get a higher gamer score. Each player could then select an achievment to try and unlock each season based on their personal playing style. Sample idea:
- score over 50 goals
- penalty minutes etc..... for enforcers
- assists
- total points
The details about what the achievement would be and how much of a bonus payout would need to be worked out. But the idea would be each player makes a GOOD salary and has potential to make more $$$ based on their performance. It's just a silly idea but one that I wish would happen. I am sick of where the NHL is at, it's nothing like the hockey I watched as a kid and the players are just all overpaid to the point I care nothing for them. I used to LOVE Wayne Gretzky as an amazing player, the money he made never even was something I knew about. When I think Crosby, Ovechkin and other elite players all I think about first is how rich they are. Good hockey players? YES they are, but do they deserve that much money? I don't think so. Just my thoughts about hockey. :)
- sad fan, Randy
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