NHLFA Press Conference TranscriptFollow

Good Afternoon.

Ten years ago, the NHL almost came to an end with Gary Bettman locking out the players until Jan. 10, 1994. Fortunately, an agreement was reached which saved the NHL from becoming the first pro-sports league in history to cancel an entire season. Unfortunately, the agreement caused player salaries to skyrocket and ticket prices to explode.

Now, 10 years and 1 month later, Gary Bettman has finally made history. The cancellation of the 2004/2005 NHL season will go down in pro-sports history as perhaps the worst travesty for fans ever. Neither the owners nor the players have shown any interest in the fans throughout their negotiations by including ticket prices.

It is time for the fans to stand up and be heard. Therefore, as President of the NHLFA, I am officially announcing a lifetime boycott by the fans of all NHL activities effective immediately and continuing until a formal announcement of the dissolvement of the league. The NHLFA will now completely and unilaterally support the AHL until a new pro-hockey league is formed.

In order for the boycott to succeed, it is imperative that fans resist all temptations to read, listen, watch, purchase, discuss, or act in any other means to support the NHL. As a lifetime boycott, it may become extremely difficult for existing fans to remain disconnected from the NHL, especially if it were to come back to the state that it was in before Gary Bettman became commissioner. However, the easiest way to boycott is to ignore and to know that if you intentionally support the NHL in the future, you will be considered a scab by fans and personally by myself.

Hopefully businesses that currently support the NHL through broadcasting, merchandise, etc... will support the AHL instead and respect the boycott. They should not try to hinder the boycott through marketing the NHL as a league returning to glory or similar methods. The NHL is a lost cause and the fans of pro-sports need to move on and support the AHL and other sports.

I will now open up the floor to questions.

Wow. Someone touched a nerve.

Ah.


GFY, then.

If thats in regards to me, not really, just tired of hearing about the NHL labor duel, tiring.

Im all about the little man (AHL) I'm assuming the American Hockey League, kind of like the CFL good people just dont get a chance to go to "The Show".

And someone as influential as a Prez of a committe or group would just have much better results on a larger fan base touch within their own confines rather than a gaming website imo. /shrug

1. This ain't the place for your delusional rantings as the president of an organization that doesn't exist...
2. Professional sports players, owners and rabid fans should all be launched into space without the benefit of protective equipment.
3. By bringing up the subject, you've already broken the terms of your own boycott. The only way for you to hold true to the spirit of the boycott is to STFU.

Bunch of rich people fighting over who gets to be uberer is what it sounds like to me. I for one will join your boycott, since I have no interest in professional sports I will be more than happy to continue not taking an interest in it. I feel that after you succeed disolving the NHL you should move onto the other major sports franchises. You have my support to form a professional sports free world. Good luck.

I had very little interest in the NHL to begin with, so I wont have to do much to support your boycott. And to add to that, without a full season, it only taints the playoffs even more (the only part of hockey worth watching).

Hopefully the Union rejects this last offer and the NHL (and Lord Stanley) go away forever.

Us hockey-lovin' Americans are sad too. I want my hockey!

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