Empty Netter Assists - 10-19-12
Penguins
-To put it mildly, the latest round of NHL negotiations did not go well.
-"In a nutshell, it doesn't look good right now. This wasn't a step in the right direction." - Sidney Crosby. (PG+)
-Crosby says he'll start to give more consideration to playing in Europe.
-“Today is not a good day. It should have been, but it wasn’t.” - NHL executive director Donald Fehr.
-"It's clear we're not speaking the same language." - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
-A breakdown of the three proposals the NHLPA offered the NHL.
-“It is not a 50-50 deal. It is, most likely a 56- to 57-percent deal in Year One and never gets to 50 percent during the proposed five-year term of the agreement. The proposal contemplates paying the Players approximately $650 million outside of the Players’ Share (of hockey-related revenue).” - NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly on the NHLPA's offers.
-Derek Engelland made his debut for Rosenburg Elite of Norway's Get-Ligaen yesterday. In a 3-0 loss to Lørenskog IK, Engelland did not score a point, had three shots, two penalty minutes and was a minus-1.
-Happy 62nd birthday to former Penguins defenseman Dale Tallon. Acquired early in the 1978-79 season in a deal which sent a draft pick to the Blackhawks, Tallon the final two seasons of his 10-year NHL career in Pittsburgh. In 1978-79, Tallon appeared in 63 games and scored 29 points. Finally, in 1979-80, Tallon was limited to 32 games and 14 points in the regular season and eventually saw action in four postseason games failing to record a point. He was released in the 1980 offseason. In 95 regular season games for the Penguins, Tallon 43 points. He is currently the general manager of the Panthers.
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Atlantic Division
-“I don’t see it being a wall. Obviously, I don’t think that the league was thinking we were going to jump on their proposal and say yes to it, the same way I wasn’t thinking the league would jump on our proposal and that be end of the end of it. There’s still some distance between both sides as to how this proposal was put together and how it can be beneficial to everybody. That’s just part of the process again. That’s just the way it goes. There’s going to be great days and not so good days that make this bargaining continue." - Rangers goaltender Martin Biron on negotiations with the NHL.
-“We’re disappointed in how they treat us in these meetings. They come out and all the sudden they’re telling the whole world how great their proposal is and the next day they’re telling the world how bad we are and that there’s nothing in it for them. So far, there hasn’t been anything in it for the players whatsoever. It’s just take and take and take and nothing has been going the other way." - Devils goaltender and former Penguin Johan Hedberg on negotiations with the NHL.
Northeast Division
-“It took them 10 minutes to reject them. I was a little optimistic, but it’s obvious that the only deal they want is their deal.” - Canadiens captain/forward Brian Gionta (right) on negotiaions with the NHL.
-Senators forward Peter Regin has joined Langenthal of Switzerland's NLA for the duration of the lockout.
Southeast Division
-Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom has joined Dynamo Moscow of the KHL for the duration of the lockout.
-The Capitals drafted defenseman Scott Stevens 30 years ago and that choice is still reaping benefits.
Central Division
-“All we’re asking is for them to honour the current contracts we’re under and they’re still trying to find ways not to do that.” - Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews on negotiations with the NHL.
-The Winter Classic could be biting the dust soon due to the lockout.
Northwest Division
-Wild captain/forward Mikko Koivu has joined TPS of Finland's SM-liiga for the duration of the lockout.
-"All these owners, maybe this was their plan the whole time, to sign all these guys to these big contracts knowing full well they’re not going to pay the value of them. To me, that doesn’t sound like good-faith negotiating, yet they keep preaching it.” - Wild forward Zach Parise.
Pacific Division
-"Players took two days to review NHL proposal and Bettman/owners take 10 minutes to review 3 of our legit proposals today." - Sharks forward Ryane Clowe, via Twitter, on negotiations with the NHL.
-Whenever the lockout is resolved, the Stars need to find a way to re-sign restricted free agent forward Jamie Benn (right).
Adams Division
-If Bauer has any say, we might be free of the Reebok Edge-Super-Duper-Mega-Ultra-Awesome-Humungo-Women-Will-Want-You Uniform System by 2016.
(Photos: Crosby-Chris Young/Canadian Press; Gionta-Jeff Gross/Getty Images; Benn-Christian Petersen/Getty Images)