News Article Hartnell upset that bosses back out of charity event

[hf101]

by Randy Miller, (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post

VOORHEES, N.J. -- Temporarily unemployed as of midnight Saturday, 10 Philadelphia Flyers players did their best to retain a bit of normalcy Monday by showing up to Skate Zone for an early morning skate.

Due to NHL owners enforcing a lockout until a new collective bargaining agreement is in place, there will be no preferential treatment for a while.

Players parked in the front parking lot, entered through the front door carrying equipment bags and changed in a public dressing room. They also had to reach into their own pockets to purchase 90 minutes of ice time.

Scott Hartnell had no issues there.

Later in the morning, the All-Star left wing was agitated by a lockout ramification:

Under orders coming from the NHL league office that supposedly came with threats of a fine, members of Flyers management had to break commitments of participating in a charity golf outing hosted Monday by Hartnell at Woodcrest Country Club.

"I'm disappointed," Hartnell said before teeing off. "You'd think you'd be able to put your differences aside and help one of your players' charities."

Told about Hartnell's frustration, Flyers center Danny Briere said, "I agree. There are things sometimes that are more important than the sport itself ... like when you're able to help people that need it."

As of Sunday night, Hartnell was led to believe Hall of Fame vice president Bob Clarke, head coach Peter Laviolette, assistants Joe Mullen and Craig Berube, goaltender coach Jeff Reese and director of player development Ian Laperriere would take part in a five-man scramble that raised money for Claddagh Fund, an organization founded in 2009 by Ken Casey, lead singer for Boston-based, punk rock band Dropkick Murphys.

"They were all coming," Hartnell said. "I think they got a call either from (NHL Commissioner) Gary Bettman or (deputy commissioner) Bill Daly, which was sad."

Just a week ago, Hartnell returned from a family vacation in Western Canada to join a bunch of teammates in a golf outing that raised money for Flyers founder/chairman Ed Snider's youth hockey program.

"We played knowing there was probably going to be a lockout," Hartnell said. "For them not to come out and support me ... I know this came from the head offices that they can't do it, so I'm really disappointed about that."

The Flyers were well represented with six current players -- Matt Read, Zac Rinaldo, Jody Shelley, Kimmo Timonen, Briere and Hartnell -- plus Broad Street Bullies legends Bernie Parent, Bob Kelly, Orest Kindrachuk, Don Saleski and Joe Watson.

The old-timers had different takes on the lockout with some being careful with their words because they still draw paychecks from the Flyers for alumni events.

"Think about this," said Parent, a Hall of Fame goalie. "Seven years ago, the league grossed $300 million. Last year the league grossed $3.4 billion. Of course, when things change drastically like this, what was good six or seven years ago for some people is not as good now, so you have to restructure things to make sure everybody wins.

"Having said that, one thing you never want to forget is the people, the fans. That's very, very important, because without the fans you don't have a game."

Kindrachuk, a Flyers tough guy during their Cup years, believes a fair settlement is a 50-50 split in revenue that has been divided 57-43 in the players' favor since 2005-06, the year the league returned (and flourished) after missing an entire season due to a lockout.

"Should employees get 57 percent of revenue?," he asked. "If I owed a company, I don't want to give my employees 57 percent. Why not just say, 'Hey, guys, let's go 50-50 and let's see how this works for the next five years?'

"But then again, you have these owners handing out these ludicrous contracts. They're their own worst enemy at times, too."

Kindrachuk predicted there'd be no hockey at least until Christmas.

"Let's just get it resolved and get back to playing hockey," said Joe Fisher, president of the Flyers fan club for the last 12 years. "I'm not weighing myself either way as far as who's right and who's wrong. Just get it done. The fans who love the game and sent in their season-ticket money already, they're the ones who are taking the hit. ... along with the people who work at the facility."

Fisher took a vacation day Monday from his sales job with Nabisco to be a volunteer for Hartnell's tournament.

The Deptford, N.J., resident was happy to do his part, and like Hartnell, he wishes Flyers management had been allowed to do theirs.

"Maybe both sides could have looked the other way to do what they have to do for the charity," Fisher said.

[flyerrod]

Bettman and boys strike again. This is one of the things that will sour any type of relationship between management and players from here on out. Bettman just elevated the hostility to the next level that will carry on well after things are eventually resolved. I guess you are going to have to pay your players to participate the next time you want help with your own charity Ed....Glad you stuck by your man.....

[jammer2]

@flyerrod Straight up sickening. How about a rich guy like Snider goes anyways and Mr.Deep pockets just pays the fine? If he really wanted to go, he would have....a fine is nothing to a guy like that....making a stand on principal...I would have respected that. This is as weasley as Betteman himself!!

[flyercanuck]

How low can you get?

[mojo1917]

pretty disheartening for sure, the league is fing this up big time.

dicks.

[TedZep]

""Should employees get 57 percent of revenue?," he asked. "If I owed a company, I don't want to give my employees 57 percent. Why not just say, 'Hey, guys, let's go 50-50 and let's see how this works for the next five years?'"

The owners are 1% away from this number (and they came up to that.) The players haven't budged.

Alex Ovechkin: "If they're going to cut a percentage of the contracts and years, I don't think lots of guys who sign American deals are going to come back and play here. It's not reasonable to be here. You have to think of your future. You have to think of your family."

Yes, because MY family cannot survive on a mere $5 million a year.

[edit]: Let me re-itereate that I do not agree with the owners rolling back existing contracts. They made the offers, they signed the bottom line, they need to honor them. All except Shea Weber's contract, the Predators can back out of that one.

Edited September 18, 2012 by TedZep

[radoran]

Bettman and boys strike again. This is one of the things that will sour any type of relationship between management and players from here on out. Bettman just elevated the hostility to the next level that will carry on well after things are eventually resolved. I guess you are going to have to pay your players to participate the next time you want help with your own charity Ed....Glad you stuck by your man.....

Didn't they do the same thing to Cote during the first lockout?

[radoran]

[edit]: Let me re-itereate that I do not agree with the owners rolling back existing contracts. They made the offers, they signed the bottom line, they need to honor them.

The NHL rightly points out that the contracts were, from the moment they were negotiated, not necessarily worth the number written upon them through the escrow system.

I, personally, find their concurrent position that a de facto rollback of salaries using the escrow system isn't a "rollback" to be ludicros.

Most owners don't want to put any money into an actual fund to grow the game into the markets they shoved it into and yet want the players to pay into a fund to give money back to the guys who gave them the contracts.

The owners' heads are collectively lodged up their rectums.

[idahophilly]

How low can you get?

This is a slippery slope isn't it. Bettman is actually driving a wedge between the fans and the owners and it's starting to be NOT just about no hockey. It's spilling over into respect, charity events, fans (and the little type workers at the stadiums) not be respected. The fact that they helped Snider out but they won't help Hartnell's charity is disgusting. And is there anything more childish than the NHL un-friending the NHLPA on Twitter? What is this? 8th grade? Oh why we are at it, lets take the players practice Jerseys away from them and delete all there pictures on the teams web sites and NHL.Com. OOps, thats right. They did....

[DinahMoeHumm]

How about a rich guy like Snider goes anyways and Mr.Deep pockets just pays the fine?

That's exactly what I was thinking. Is it because there's already a little tension among owners and such as it is, and he wouldn't want to rock the boat further? I don't know, I'm just guessing here. Either way, add charities to the list of those negatively affected by the lockout. Sickening!

[jammer2]

@DinahMoeHumm It's almost as if the NHL is so egocentric, they don't at all care about public opinion at all, just the bottom line and owner solidarity.

[DinahMoeHumm]

@DinahMoeHumm It's almost as if the NHL is so egocentric, they don't at all care about public opinion at all, just the bottom line and owner solidarity.

They should be careful with that. Like @idahophilly said, it's a slippery slope. And social media and the like is *way* more prominent today than it was during the last lockout. This lack of respect for the fans and the "little guys" could end up biting them in the you-know-what if they carry on this way for too long. And that "bottom line" can absolutely be affected with any type of lengthy stoppage in the form of fringe fans (and, perhaps, beyond) not returning. I've said it in other threads, and I'll say it again, in this economy, especially, people can and *will* spend their money elsewhere and not look back. That affects the gates, TV ratings, merchandise sales, vendor sales, et al. They should be wise to not go on too long biting -- or at the very least, disrespecting -- the very hand that feeds them.

[idahophilly]

Well put Dinah. Had not even thought how social media as it is today could affect (effect?) the sentiments of the fans. As far the economy goes, people can spend their limited money elsewhere rather than deal with this BS...

[jammer2]

@idahophilly I've already cancelled a jersey order I had pending. Just a little drop in the proverbial bucket, but I got my 50 dollar down payment back and will spend my hard earned money elsewhere. Just the idea of giving this league money right now makes me ill.

[DinahMoeHumm]

@idahophilly: Thanks. I think social media has already started to play a role. In fact, I think that's one of the reasons the players are getting more of the backing than they did the last time around. Whether that's right or wrong, good or bad, becomes irrelevant. The bottom line is that's where we're at, and there are plenty of players who interact with fans via Twitter, Facebook, etc. The fans feel more connected to the players - the owners, then, are elitist, greedy pigs who only have their best interests (i.e. their wallets) in mind. Whether that's right or wrong, I've seen a lot of Tweets and postings in comments sections of different websites that support that way of thinking.

@jammer2: As for any merchandise, I'm with you jammer. Normally this time of year I'd be gearing up for the season, putting in a sizable order or two. Not gonna happen now. They won't be seeing any of my money for awhile.

[Spinorama]

delete all there pictures on the teams web sites and NHL.Com. OOps, thats right. They did....

I couldn't believe it so I had to check. I don't know what nhl.com or team sites you go to but all of the players that I tried to find on both NHL.com AND http://flyers.nhl.com/club/roster.htm were still intact.

doesn't change the point though to which I agree.

[idahophilly]

I couldn't believe it so I had to check. I don't know what nhl.com or team sites you go to but all of the players that I tried to find on both NHL.com AND http://flyers.nhl.com/club/roster.htm were still intact.

doesn't change the point though to which I agree.

Oh, that's my bad for relying on a article without checking on it myself. I meant to but never got around to it. Thanks for letting me know though. As you said though, it doesn't change how childish the whole thing is becoming....