Players lose it all after union chief hedges bet

If Bob Goodenow thought dealing with the league was tough, wait until he starts facing his own constituents.

Bob Goodenow's posturing was in the best interest of some 40 or 50 players in the league. (AP)

They by now must realize the mistake of following the NHL players association boss blindly down a thorny garden path. They have lost a year's worth of wages and possibly their careers. They were told they'd never have to accept a salary cap and then found themselves doing just that.

Maybe by then, Goodenow will at least admit to them that the times have really changed.

Forever.

And as far as his membership is concerned, for the worse.

"Usually, the best deal is the one that's on the table, so you don't help yourself by not finding a way to make it work," said Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne, who spent several years as a players rep during his 18-season NHL career. "Shutting down the league for a season or more isn't going to put more money in the owners pockets and certainly not in the players'. You have to see that reality."

Goodenow didn't. Or he didn't want to. Certainly not in time to minimize the damages for those he represents. He has proved to be a brilliant negotiating strategist in the past, enriching his members dramatically in the dozen years he has led them, but this time he simply and arrogantly overplayed his hand.

"That won't bother him at all," sniffed one league governor. "I'm sure he won't have any trouble sleeping tonight."

He should. Goodenow has spent the past few years preparing his troops for a potentially destructive battle by assuring them they'd emerge victorious just like they did 10 years ago, when his brinksmanship prompted enough owners to give in and make a deal they couldn't sustain. All the players had to do was stand firm and behind him.

They did, but in the end, Goodenow failed to deliver a promised victory. And he ended up abandoning them and his own philosophical principles in the process. For what? To fight against a system that works in successful leagues like the NFL and NBA and really has any significance to only about 40 or 50 of the NHL's 700 players? Goodenow's efforts were always aimed at protecting the highest-paid players' standard of living, but it's clear now that they've backfired and will end up costing the elites piles of money and many lesser lights their jobs.

There was a deal to be made here, as Goodenow obviously realized when he caved on his fundamental opposition to a salary cap Monday, but it was just too late. Had he accepted that arrival of a new landscape when the lockout started, he would have gotten his best possible deal, and the NHL wouldn't be where it is today.

Now it's too late, and the players know it, which is why so many of them are grumbling now about the way things have played out.

"We probably could've gotten this thing done in the summertime," said Chicago Blackhawks forward Matthew Barnaby. "Am I mad? No. I want to get back to work. But at the same time, I'm just a little disappointed that it went this far to play poker and have someone call your bluff."