NHL Financial System & Media Broken

The expression you get what you pay for applies on all fronts for this day, it's almost gotten to the point if it's worth being a fan of the NHL any longer.

I now understand why John Pickett felt the way he did when it was no longer fun for him to own the New York Islanders.

If the New York Islanders did this with Shea Weber (who should sign for every dollar he can make) I would be just as disgusted. Weber belongs with his home grown team.

The teams that draft, develop properly are punished because other franchises are simply not as good so a corporation makes an offer to break another corporation? 

This is not free agency or how it was designed to work.  We saw this joke long ago when Cablevision pulled this with Joe Sakic, but now it's new/improved.

Is the NHL becoming that permanently broken system known as MLB?

The usual owners needing to be saved from themselves, with more joining the club. Ed Snider of Comcast/NBC/ Smg tells Paul Holmgren he wants another new toy, he does what he's told or Bob Clarke is returning as gm.

How long before Illitch, Pegula, Dolan, Leipold, do this to the next top restricted free agent?

What's next an NHL owner must have a corporation with more than ten billion in assets willing to write off  massive red ink on several front-loaded contracts or that market is not sustainable? Do we have five or ten franchises like the Pittsburgh Pirates, who make a profit by spending as little as possible in a new facility? 
 
I'm glad  the Islanders now protected themselves by signing Tavares, Okposo, Grabner last summer, but the day is coming where they cannot keep these players or anyone who becomes a franchise player here.

For all my criticism of Brian Burke, I respect his stance on front-loading which at some point likely will cost him his job with a corporate ownership in Toronto.  Montreal will not front-load at this time, but the pressure is on for Molson running the Canadians.

The pressure is on all the teams not front-loading. 

Pittsburgh got their slots-based facility, welcome to the front-loaded club. 

This blog has been writing about these front-loaded contracts for years, the system's broken, the usual suspects are forcing more owners to follow suit.
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On the other end of the spectrum, obviously the NHL media industry is financially broken, so you get what you pay for there also which is the bottom of the barrel.

No, that has nothing to do with teams that own professional media outlets, that's another club where writers are an extension of the teams p.r department like Snider's salseman, Tim Panaccio at Csn. 

This would explain why when I post articles here, it takes a much longer time to pick through fan sites on Google (including New York Islander Fan Central) or outlets that pay to advertise there looking for that one professional media outlet that has a direct quote from a player.

NHL.com media relations are run so poorly by unqualified disasters like former Daily News Ranger  salesman, John Dellapina/Frank Brown, the articles read like tabloid journalism from a p.r department so badly managed NHL teams cannot have local viewing parties because it would hurt television ratings, with more unqualified writers coming off like they are an extension of the teams p.r wing.

Then of course, the Pens media can call up the NHL and demand an Islander viewing party be cancelled even though it's a game Dolan's Msg scheduled long before the party was announced, then Bill Daly comes out on cue, and makes it an Islanders issue? 

Did Dellapina or Brown get these jobs only because the NHL office is in New York, and no one else  wanted to relocate here? Anyone remember during the last lockout the only professional media covering negotiations in New York City were from Canada?

Hasn't anyone learned NHL media relations coordinators are not NHL writers, or newspaper writers do not qualify them to be media relations coordinators for an entire league?

This is why things are done so poorly. 

In the five years of writing New York Islander Fan Central, the NHL professional media has fallen off  the cliff forever, some of it is self-inflicted by not hiring professionals to do what they do best. 

Goaltender Ken Reiter Signing With Bridgeport AHL

Tribune Review reports Islander camp invitee Goaltender, Ken Reiter will sign an AHL contract with his comments.

Reiter played one game with Bridgeport in 2011-12.  This twenty five year old goaltender played the last three years at Minnesota-Duluth.

After attending a prospect camp with the New York Islanders in late June, Reiter’s contract to play for Bridgeport, the Islanders’ AHL affiliate, was in the mail early this week.

“Once I sign my name on that paper, it’s going to sink in a little bit,” Reiter said. “I left home at 15, so it’s been pretty much a decade of ups and downs in my junior career, and with college – that’s probably the brightest point of my career so far. Just a lot of hard work, man, a lot of hard work and sacrifice from both myself and my family.”

“I’ve always been the guy that’s kind of had to scratch and claw for everything I’ve earned. So, I’m prepared to do that again if I have to,” Reiter said. “But for me, I feel it’s a great situation with a good organization, and I feel that the opportunity was there. So that was the biggest aspect for me, especially coming out of college.”

Reiter’s contract is with the AHL and the East Coast Hockey League, meaning he’s not signed with the Islanders, at least not now.

NYIFC Comments: 

The Islanders do not have an ECHL affiliate at this time, if Kevin Poulin, Anders Nilsson are in Bridgeport that means they need a place for Reiter to play because the three goalie system did not help Mikko Koskinen, who's rights the Isles retained. 

Also let's be clear that an AHL contract is not an NHL contract.

I wrote a lot more about this signing on Sulia because on paper it's an AHL signing, but is very interesting.  

New York Resigns D Ty Wishart

Islanders website reports they have resigned defenseman,Ty Wishart to a one year/two way contract for the 2012-13 season.

NYIFC Comments:
Color me a little shocked at this. Not because he signed the standard one year/two way contract, but that either the Isles gave a player Garth Snow does not mention in terms of making the team as he does deHaan, Donovan, Ness, a raise beyond his qualifying offer that Wishart turned down by Sunday's deadline.

Either that or Wishart after rejecting a guaranteed raise by Sunday's deadline, had a change of heart which in that case means the Isles could have signed him for a lot less.

Bottom line the Isles controlled his rights here, once he turned down his automatic raise (qualifying offer) they could have let him stay home. 

This would again represent a move that would not be going through the motions because he is likely to play for Bridgeport, but will have to clear waivers again if the Isles have an NHL training camp, and is sent down. 

Bridgeport Expected To Name Scott Pellerin Head Coach

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio reports Scott Pellerin is expected to be named Bridgeport Sound Tigers next head coach.

Since 2006, Pellerin has been an assistant coach with the Manchester Monarchs, the affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings here.

Updated:
Union Leader: Has Scott Pellerin's comments confirming he will be the Sound Tigers next coach which will be announced on Wednesday. 

Pellerin said everything happened quickly. He met with Snow last Thursday, again over dinner Friday and was offered the job over the weekend.

“This is an exciting moment for me and my family,” said Pellerin. “I’m leaving a great organization to coach at another great organization.”


 “It’s a perfect fit for me,” said Pellerin. “I mean I’m familiar with many people on the staff at Bridgeport. My coaching style is in line with what Garth was looking for to fill the post. My role is going to develop players on the minor league level, win as many games as we can and, to help our players reach their goals.”

2010 Draft Pick Jason Clark Leaving UW Signs With New York

 Updated 4pm:
 Islanders Website Reports Jason Clark has signed an ELC with the club.

Madisonsports.com: Reports Islander 2010 3rd Draft Pick Jason Clark is leaving Wisconsin, and could turn professional or play in Canada after participating in the teams recent mini-camp per coach Mike Eaves.

NYIFC Comments: Clark is accepting congratulations/thanking folks on his twitter account for signing with Islanders.

A Time Of Going Through The Motions For New York

Until there is a signed CBA, going through the motions hangs over everything this franchise does beyond an agreement for a new arena like all other teams.

It's not impossible Bettman/Fehr could agree to keep playing this season under their summer terms, anything is possible, however not likely based on history given many owners have to be be saved from themselves once again in current market. 

No interest in sourced based rumors regarding the CBA. When Bettman, Fehr, Daly tell us specific agreed to terms, we can discuss it here, not before.

Do not expect a signed CBA by 9/15 or a full season so forget NHL preseason games anywhere. 

Going Through the Motions Of Preparing 2012-13 Season:
Some things the Isles do or fail to do will have later consequences, many depend on what their roster players decide to do.  Historically the New York Islanders came out of two lockouts painfully unprepared, and iced poor teams in shortened seasons. Bridgeport will have to hire a coach unless they promote from within because the AHL will not have a lockout, this means some potential Islanders in Cizikas, Ullstrom, deHaan, Donovan, Ness,  or others will have to report/play.

Will Joensuu take an AHL contract with Bridgeport or stay in Europe during a lockout with his one way deal? 

For now Lubomir Visnovsky is deciding what to do with his KHL offer, he may wait until September 15th or simply decide to report to a KHL camp in August. Visnovsky can owe the Islanders a year for the rest of his professional career if he decides to play overseas.

Or this year may count, and he becomes an UFA with Mark Streit. 

Many NHL fringe players well elect a guaranteed income now, some players under contract to NHL teams will eventually go. For Rick DiPietro a lockout gives him a chance to go play somewhere, work off the rust, and see if he can be durable.

Looking ahead given the current roster/available player market it seems best to have open spots for the right player.

In short, unless Garth Snow finds a trade/signing that makes sense which improves his roster for several years he should be in no rush.

History says players like Boyes, Carkner, Boulton play to their recent career trends which usually means a mixed bag at best. Boyes talked about how much the Islanders players like working for Jack Capuano, which is going through the motions because if he does not produce, it means nothing. 

If he puts up Parenteau's numbers, the team losses, and he wants a contract like Parenteau why are the Isles going to offer that to him?

Going Through The Motions On Arena Plan:
Unless Charles Wang has a real deadline in mind regarding construction of a new arena, as Howie Rose of all people said on Friday, a deal could happen in June 2014, and the Isles will remain at the Coliseum during construction past the terms of it's lease.

That's how it played out in Pittsburgh, who had no arena agreement months before their lease expired, it may well play out that way under a different county executive, different legislature, or even a different Islander owner by that time.

NYIFC:
Moving forward most of the commentary will be on Sulia, it's a quiet time for longer blog entries which is more going through the motions.
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Updated:
In real business Matt Martin/Ty Wishart did not accept their qualifying offers. I asked the Isles twitter feed about Koskinen/Backman also before they posted this. This would also extend to Tomas Marcinko who has indicated he wishes to sign in Europe, but unlike qualified players like Katic, Rakhshani ect had not signed with a team yet.

Updated:
Backman accepted his qualifying offer so he is officially signed.
Koskinen is remaining with his Nov 2011 team for 2012-13 in Kalpa per website release.
Marcinko rejected his QO per Michael Fornabaio.

Islanders retain NHL rights to all players.