Bill Daly Quotes (44 Quotes)

But I don't believe the doomsayers who say it's depriving the league of talent. You're not losing NHL players. But to the extent that there are players who choose not to develop here, that's something we'll evaluate long-term over the course of the contract.

The league went to the table Saturday aiming to hammer out key issues in an effort to get a new CBA in place, but was stonewalled by the union's unwillingness to negotiate. I fear the union may have had a different agenda with their press release and the leaks (of a deal) Friday night, ... They wanted us back at the table and didn't even bring a new proposal.

Obviously injuries are an issue and a concern of our clubs. Location of the Olympics plays into that, the significant time difference we had in Nagano (for the '98 Games) was a challenge and it led into a longer break than we would have otherwise liked. There are a number of issues that you deal with as you make these decisions each time around, and probably the most significant is our experience here and whether players are getting hurt.

While betting on football or other sports may be the pervasive issue, it in no way justifies poor judgment or otherwise alleged inappropriate conduct. We will take this issue very seriously and will monitor the proceedings closely.

The union seemed amenable to giving the matter serious consideration, but indicated that there still existed fairly significant resistance from their membership. They wanted the opportunity to use this season to further vet the issue with their players before they would agree to take the step of implementing a mandatory visor rule.

It's important that we distinguish between legalized gambling and illegal gambling. I want to emphasize that we don't condone any form of illegal gambling. But when it comes to legalized gambling, the question is where do you draw the line You are talking about limiting the rights of a hockey player to participate in a legal activity.

The union's proposal was intended merely to preserve a status quo that promises escalating ticket prices, competitive imbalance, bankrupt franchises, hundreds of millions in team losses and 20 teams losing money - all of which imperil the future of our game,

We don't at all agree that the program we have negotiated and implemented is weak. To the contrary, we believe we have a very strong program in a sport that has no experience or history of problems with performance-enhancing drugs,

We know Wayne very well. We have no reason to doubt what he says.

The bottom line is that Bryan didn't test positive in our program. Our program testing began last Sunday and Bryan is subject to testing like every other NHL player is subject to testing pursuing to that program and if he tests positive he'll be subject t

We've been able to deliver, to make fans feel closer. I can't even estimate how important the fan-friendly measures have been to our re-launch.

In a lot of respects, the litigation was the sole remaining vestige of a year-long labor dispute that was difficult for us and for our fans. It was time to turn the page and move on.

The way it appears, union leadership now will make a last-minute proposal, possibly as late as September 14 or 15, and characterize it as its 'magnanimous last and best effort to save the season,' ... I am doubtful that the proposal will be a meaningful, bona fide effort to address our problems, which threaten to deprive our fans of a prompt start to the season. If the proposal consists of a repackaged 'status quo' system, it will not work - and will not be acceptable - and union leadership knows it.

Obviously, we think the process could be accelerated and the long-term future of the Penguins in Pittsburgh would be far more certain if the local leaders would get behind the existing arena funding plan.

Our partnership with NASN represents a significant step by the league to re-establish its relationship with its existing European-based fans, as well as begin the process of developing new ones.

We would have enormous concern about any betting on NHL games, but I can safely say there is no evidence brought to our attention in conversations with the prosecutors and the New Jersey police. There is no evidence the integrity of any NHL games was at stake.

Not that a luxury tax would work, but we're not going to walk away from the table just because there's one in the offer. What we're looking for is a legitimate effort by the union that we feel addresses our issues.

Forbes is once again pulling numbers out of thin air. I would suggest that they would have been far better advised to read the NHL-sponsored Levitt Report, as its author had complete and unfettered access to all 30 of our clubs' financial information.

We are very frustrated and concerned over where we are in this process. The union is engaged in a charade. It is clear to us that union leadership has no interest in negotiating or making a deal to save the start of the season. Union leadership is stalling, doing everything in its power to ensure this collective bargaining negotiation is not resolved in a timely manner.

There are a number of factors - how long of a break, and whether that break is beneficial to the season we're trying to have in North America. Injuries are also an issue and a concern of our clubs and our players.

It's certainly a decision that will benefit NHL players and participating officials. But most importantly, it's great for the game and for our fans. I think Rene realizes that what we're experiencing in the NHL right now is the game the way it was meant to be played. We're very pleased.

Any suggestion that Bryan's positive test means that we have some widespread problem in the National Hockey League, I would suggest, is a faulty assumption.

The time window for the Penguins to get financing on a new arena is short. I believe the city of Pittsburgh deserves to have the Penguins, but the Penguins also need a new building and they've needed a new one for years.

Labor talks resume Tuesday followed by a board of governors meeting Wednesday. I really don't know what to expect, ... Hopefully what we talked about in the last hour of the last meeting will lead to further negotiation and possibly a framework down the road.

We take this seriously. The pro gambling culture is something we educate our players about extensively.

Obviously, Canada cares so much about hockey. That will be totally different in Vancouver. Hockey will be front and center, on center stage, and it should be a good opportunity to showcase the game.

We rescheduled this game because so many fans and Panthers employees have left the area, and because we want to ensure safe travels into and out of Florida for the teams and the officials, ... We thank the Senators and Panthers for their cooperation.

Our position on enhanced revenue-sharing has been consistent since the beginning of this negotiation. I don't anticipate that it will change.

We are three days into a comprehensive investigation. We're certainly not in a position nor will we seek to preclude anyone's participation in the Olympics at this point in time.

In addition to the rule changes, we went out of our way with the players association to make the attitude and environment around the NHL different than in the past.

We are very committed to an objective, and we think that objective is necessary for the long-term future and viability and health of this sport.

This retention wasn't about making a 'politically correct' or 'politically acceptable' choice. It was about getting the right person for the job. Firm affiliation is irrelevant to finding the right person.

The NHL maintains its willingness to discuss anything the Players' Association brings to the table, but a luxury tax is still not a starting point. We have said repeatedly that a proposal centered around a luxury tax will not work for us, ... A tax-based system is too unpredictable and the league's problems too severe for us to take chances on the future of the game. At the same time, we believe that a meaningful proposal from the union, as opposed to the regressive proposal they gave us on Sept. 9, would be a positive development in the process, and we remain prepared to discuss and negotiate over anything and everything the union proposes.

The fact that only one of the six proposals actually contemplated a salary cap exposes the union for its true motivation - to do everything necessary to precipitate a fight in an attempt to preserve the status quo.

While the immediate 'rollback' of 24 percent offered by the union would materially improve league economics for the 2004-05 season, there is virtually nothing in the union's proposal that would prevent the dollars 'saved' from being redirected right back into the player compensation system, such that the league's overall financial losses would approach current levels in only a matter of a couple of years.

At some point, I think it's important to take a stand and indicate a willingness to do whatever is necessary to protect your contractual and legal rights. The league certainly supports Washington's decision to do that here.

While there are no future meetings scheduled, we have agreed to keep the lines of communication open. We have no intention of making any further announcement relating to collective bargaining or the status of the season at this time.

Contraction is a plan to buy back franchises and essentially put them out of business. We have no interest in contraction as a strategic matter or a bargaining strategy, ... We believe 30 franchises can be healthy given the economic right system. The bottom line is if we don't get the right system, we are at risk of losing franchises.

I believe we're a lot closer to the same philosophies than they are portraying now. Were there points in those meetings when both sides were clearly frustrated and Trevor was clearly frustrated Absolutely, and I understand that. I can only take that back and try to process that and try to find a way to satisfy the concerns he was raising. We're trying to craft something that will work for both sides. And I can tell you that I think we're a lot closer than they're suggesting we are.

The situation turned out to be harmless. But hopefully it will serve as a reminder to all of us of the importance and need for ensuring adequate security to safeguard the health and safety of our players.

Any of these new systems would continue to pay star players multi-million dollar salaries, would see the maintenance of an average player salary of 1.3 million and would pay the players more than 50 percent of league revenues,

We still believe that the framework we have had in place for the last 10 years now has served the sport of hockey well.

Now that we are into late August, union leadership recognizes that it no longer can get away with avoiding a more aggressive meeting schedule, ... So it has found a different way to stall, talking about individual team situations that have already been discussed in detail over the course of the last five years and matters, quite frankly, that should have been discussed months ago if the union truly was interested in them.

Our league has never qualified individual records over our 90-year history, despite many significant changes in the rules and the way the game was played. (That's) including varying lengths of schedule and different rules for regular-season overtime.