Ontario Premier Mike Harris said that he "doesn't
support" the Canadian Federal Government's plan for a
financial aid package for Canada's NHL teams, according to
Antonella Artuso of the OTTAWA SUN. Harris: "We don't have
a nickel for the NHL owners or the players" (OTTAWA SUN,
1/20). Harris adds, "We're not in this game of subsidizing
the NHL" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 1/20). Harris also tells
the OTTAWA CITIZEN's Blackwell & Cobb, "The NHL is not a
charity and they will not have charitable status within the
province of Ontario. I don't know how much clearer I have
to make it" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 1/20).
LONG-TERM SOLUTION? In Toronto, Stephen Brunt writes
that Federal Industry Minister John Manley said that the
"scheme to bail out" the Senators is "merely a temporary
measure" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 1/20). Ottawa District
Hockey Association President Richard Sennott said that the
package was "great" news. Sennott: "It's going to benefit
everybody. The fact that the NHL is here is more of a
spotlight for the kids to look up to." But Hockey
Northwestern Ontario Dir Joe Ward said, "The thing that
really ticks me off about this is that the owners act
irresponsibly by the salaries they pay players, then they
cry poverty. Why should we bail them out for that?" (OTTAWA
SUN, 1/20). An EDMONTON JOURNAL editorial, noting the CBA
expires in 2004, stated, "If [the] package keeps the wolf
from the door until that issue can be addressed -- well, it
won't be the worst implementation of bad policy Canadians
have ever seen" (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 1/19). The NATIONAL
POST's Cam Cole, on the package: "Remember this in 2004.
Never. Again" (NATIONAL POST, 1/20).
PUTTING A LID, ER, CAP ON THE PROBLEM: In Toronto, Mark
Zwolinski writes, "Hockey, and baseball for that matter,
have failed when it comes to scaling back player salaries."
One NHL exec, on a salary cap: "The danger inherent with
high salaries in hockey and baseball is that it turns the
league into the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the Washington
Generals. ... it becomes a display of high priced talent
coming in and beating the crap out of teams that can't
afford it" (TORONTO STAR, 1/20). Canucks President & GM
Brian Burke, on why a salary cap would "present big
problems": "The price tag for a hard cap in other sports has
been much more liberal free agency. A hard cap may solve
our problems, but it virtually guarantees our star players
will leave Canada at a younger age" (GLOBE & MAIL, 1/20).
