Dale Arnold Gives Us all the Necessary Info Regarding the End of the NHL Lockout

I am a candlelight he had a really much care about all right -- this day why they got off to a rousing started about 4:45. This morning. And I -- care and -- it is the best the ball possible days welcomed NFL Sunday. Sports Radio WEEI our normal crew has -- gathered once again that means Chris price from WEEI dot com. Former patriots linebacker Matt Chatham former patriots running back Kevin fall it's great it's the same thing -- dancing Greg you've been -- have that they -- and I. Listen I I know what we are gathered here to do and we will -- but for those of you who work. Maybe just get up early on a Sunday morning or late on a Sunday morning depending on what -- -- like that by news let me just tell you what what happened here at in the wee hours of the morning at 4:45 this morning approximately. The National Hockey League in the NHL players' association reached a tentative agreement. On a and it Iran and its new CBA that ends the 113 day NHL lockout. What it means is that pending again get all the stuff put to paper it's got to be ratified by the board of governors there are expected to meet New York on Tuesday. And vote to ratify the NHL players' association. As a conference call this afternoon to explain the details of the tentative agreement. Our ratification will be quick he will be practically unanimous on both parties parts. And and the NHL will be back not only here in Boston but across the National Hockey -- A couple of very quick details here it is 810 year agreement. Which is great news for hockey fans there is an an eight year opt out for the players association. But we know that there will be labor peace in the NHL for at least the next eight years. No more of these you know fifteen year contracts anymore. The longest contract you can sign a player to under the new agreement will be seven years it will be eight years if you're resigning one of your own free agents. -- there is a much improved pension plan for the players this is the thing they're gonna hang their hats on. And much improved pension plan on a model based on the Major League Baseball model and and that's the one thing that the players one huge on. The -- split of hockey reality related revenue goes from 57%. For the players last year. And ultimately 50% for the players that will be a gradual process you can't just go from 57 to 51 year. But -- will gradually reduce sit there will be a 48 a fifty game schedule. Technically they were looking to start on January 19. Because they got this deal done sooner than they expected or sooner than some people expected. -- they are looking at possibility of beginning the season perhaps as early as January 15. And playing fifty games obviously the more games you can play the more hockey related revenue the areas. The more money for the owners the more money for the players the more money for the people who work around the game it's a win win the more games they can get him. Playoffs will be a full playoff schedule. They will play all games within your own conference for this year you will not -- east against west until the Stanley Cup finals. I can give you a rough idea of what I think the schedule is going to be if they play. Fifty games it'll be seven games against each of the teams in your division. Four games against the rest of the teams in your conference. And all of this obviously would begin. Now somewhere between January 15 and January 19. Many players have already begun the process of returning many had begun already. Comcast sports net reported earlier today that Zdeno Chara. Was pulled from his KHL hockey game. And is already in the process of trying to get a flight to get back here. All of this stuff is now done or will be here within the next 48 to 72 hours. And hockey is back in Boston and those -- the details without getting into the minutia without getting into the the nuts and bolts and and all of the other things there's a bunch of other things. I will tell you this almost positively NHL players will continue to -- participate in the Olympics. That's not part of the new CBA but it is eight. Kind of a mutually agreed upon thing on both sides want it to continue and it will continue. And -- get that part done there will also be realignment in the National Hockey League but not for this year. They will come to some sort of an agreement on realignment it will begin next year in the NHL so there you go there's all the details. That's our hockey broadcast for the morning. But trust me when I tell you forget about the players forget about the owners for a moment. There are a whole lot of people in the city of Boston whose incomes have been significantly. Negatively impacted. Ticket takers ushers. Concession -- People who work in the bars and restaurants especially in the vicinity of the TD garden. There are a lot of folks who have band really negatively impacted no -- colliding broadcasters as well. You know we get paid per game we've -- lost a lot of money in the last year. A lot of people will get the opportunity now auto at least get some money back in their pockets and get their. Their lives back in order and I just couldn't be happier for everybody and I understand that there's a portion of the of the listening audience out there who doesn't care about the NHL I know that. And for you people I'm not trying to -- and anything continue to not care about the national hockey. In this city the NHL matters. In this city there is a huge portion of the sports population that really cares about the NHL on the Boston Bruins I'm really happy for those. Other --