NHL lockout Day 22

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Dan Boyle (CP)

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Boyle-ing Over, Again

EVER-opinionated Dan Boyle of the San Jose Sharks is at it again. Not long after a justification of lucrative salaries for NHLers having something to do with movie stars, he fretted to CSN Bay Area this week that only a few owners might be holding up the NHL season. "It doesn't make any sense to me that eight teams can control the fate of 22 other ones," Boyle said. "I think when players make comments, sometimes it's directed towards 30 owners, but I think a lot of us feel that it's not across the board. It's a certain group of teams that are controlling 30 others." Boyle also said the players will be willing to give -- wondering how Donald Fehr feels about that -- in this negotiation. "I think we have to give back," he said. "There are a lot of things that we need to fix, and we want to give back."

But Burmi ...

SOME background to the suggestion from Russia this week that Alexander Burmistrov of the Jets, currently with the team's AHL affiliate in St. John's, will bolt for the KHL in his hometown; Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff insisted this week that the young forward had a good grasp why the AHL was the best decision. Said Cheveldayoff: "From our perspective, we have his best interest at heart and our best interest at heart. It's something we've had long conversations internally about. We've also had conversations with both him and his representatives when the time was upon us. He's developing his game at a pro level, a pro level in North America."

Cash Blues

THE St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Friday that it's official, Blues team president John Davidson has parted ways with the team, taking a buyout on his $8-million contract that had three years remaining. Davidson said there was no animosity in the parting. New Blues owner Tom Stillman said it was simply about money. "Well, he has done a great job here, so it's certainly nothing about his work," Stillman told the paper. "But, as you know, we are working to get our business, our financial house in order. We feel the organization was bloated and our expenses were way out of line." Forbes says the Blues lost nearly $3 million in 2009-10, the year before Stillman's group bought the club.

It's HRR, Folks

WHEN NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said earlier this week that the league had suffered a loss of nearly $100 million in business with the cancelation of the pre-season, much scorn was heaped on the league for its lockout, including from players. It's an easy reaction, but it would be wise to keep in mind that it's mostly hockey-related revenue, and so, depending on which percentage you use (old or potential new), the loss Daly cited just cost an NHL player at the average salary between $70,000 and $80,000.

On the Move

LOCKED-OUT player transactions, reported and rumoured:

• San Jose goalie Antti Niemi, to Pelicans in Finnish elite league.
• Los Angeles defenceman Alec Martinez, to TPS in Finnish elite league.

--Ed Tait

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 6, 2012 C2