245 NHL Players Sign on in Europe

[Syren Wyssholt]

245 NHL Players Sign on in Europe

1 hour, 44 minutes ago


TORONTO - Ottawa defenseman Chris Phillips, Buffalo goalie Mika Noronen, Florida defenseman Eric Cairns and Toronto center Aaron Gavey signed this week to play in Europe during the NHL lockout.



There are now 245 NHL players who have gone to Europe during the labor dispute, the International Ice Hockey Federation said. The Czech league leads the way with 52 of the NHL's 750 players. Sweden is next with 48 players, followed by Russia with 45.

After Tuesday's union meeting in Toronto, a couple of players defended the right of NHL players to take jobs away from Europeans.

Read More ... (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20041103/ap_on_sp_ho_ne/hkn_nhl_lockout_europe)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

:cry Why can't they play here! damn labor union lockout thingy.

[darth_mcbain]

I know - that totally sucks, I was looking forward to the hockey season this year... :( Hopefully they can come to a resolution and not lost next year also.

[JMK]

What we're seeing is the NHL owners keeping the players out until next season when they will introduce replacement players. At that point, dozens of current NHL players will cross the picket line and the players association will be broken - just what the owners want.

You gotta feel bad for anyone in the NHL who isn't a star. The average salary is 1.8 million dollars, but 80% of NHLers make below the league average. They are the ones who have to worry, but the association is trying to protect the big boys; the ones who make 5 million and more.

Bottom line: no hockey this year, and possibly a sub standard product next year.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Thank God for the WHL.