NHL owners needed the lockout in 2005 because teams were losing money and player salaries were out of control, so it was easy to sympathize with the league in its PR battle with the NHLPA.
However, the PR battle in the current lockout is being dominated by the players, and it's easy to understand why.
The NHLPA has tried to convince fans that owners are to blame for the lockout because it was the owners' decision to go down this road. This is a common strategy by players in lockouts, but in this case, with a league that's stronger than ever, it's an effective one.
NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr mentioned this on the NHLPA's Facebook page last week:
The decision to cancel the first two weeks of the NHL season is the unilateral choice of the NHL owners. If the owners truly cared about the game and the fans, they would lift the lockout and allow the season to begin on time while negotiations continue. A lockout should be the last resort in bargaining, not the strategy of first resort. For nearly 20 years, the owners have elected to lock-out the players in an effort to secure massive concessions. Nevertheless, the players rema ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Nicholas Goss
NHL Lockout: Why the Players Are Winning the PR Battle This Time
October 9th, 2012 by Nicholas Goss Leave a reply »
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