The legacy of Bob Goodenow

[Big Phil]

Just what the title says. What sort of legacy does Bob Goodenow leave behind? He was NHLPA director from 1991 to 2005. Had some horrible things said about him during the 2004-'05 full season lockout and he was replaced after that. What sort of lasting impact does he have in the hockey world? Good or bad?

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[Staniowski]

Was Goodenow the lead person advocating for salary disclosure?

 

[jigglysquishy]

The Globe and Mail has a great article about the end of his career. I assume the link will work for non-Canadians

Goodenow plunges from power in 2005

Some excerpts:

"But Goodenow plunged from being rated 1-2 with Bettman on the 2004 list of powerbrokers affecting Canadian sport. A year ago, they were almost equals in holding the reins on Canada's national sport -- or withholding it from Canadians. Since then, Goodenow lost the battle to resist a salary cap, lost the confidence of the players -- most notably their elected president, Trevor Linden -- and lost his job."

"He'd warned the players from the outset to be prepared for a two-year lockout to get what they wanted, and for the first six months, the support was fairly solid. But then there were cracks; and the cracks grew into chasms."

"When Goodenow took over the NHLPA in 1992, the average player salary was $271,000. At the end of the most recently completed season, 2003-04, it was $1.81-million."

 

[buffalowing88]

The Globe and Mail has a great article about the end of his career. I assume the link will work for non-Canadians

Goodenow plunges from power in 2005

Some excerpts:

"But Goodenow plunged from being rated 1-2 with Bettman on the 2004 list of powerbrokers affecting Canadian sport. A year ago, they were almost equals in holding the reins on Canada's national sport -- or withholding it from Canadians. Since then, Goodenow lost the battle to resist a salary cap, lost the confidence of the players -- most notably their elected president, Trevor Linden -- and lost his job."

"He'd warned the players from the outset to be prepared for a two-year lockout to get what they wanted, and for the first six months, the support was fairly solid. But then there were cracks; and the cracks grew into chasms."

"When Goodenow took over the NHLPA in 1992, the average player salary was $271,000. At the end of the most recently completed season, 2003-04, it was $1.81-million."

History is written by the victors so it's no wonder thsat Goodenow is a footnote now but those are some interesting quotes. If he was seriously telling platers to anticipate a two-year lockout, though, then he shouldn't have expected to make it out of that fight standing. That's absurd.

 

[Big Phil]

History is written by the victors so it's no wonder thsat Goodenow is a footnote now but those are some interesting quotes. If he was seriously telling platers to anticipate a two-year lockout, though, then he shouldn't have expected to make it out of that fight standing. That's absurd.

It was a frustrating time as an NHL fan. All you saw were Goodenow and Bettman's mugs plastered all over the place and saying nothing of substance in interviews. I can remember always liking Trevor Linden, but I resented him a lot during that lockout because he was the union rep for the players at the time. I've gotten over it of course, and I am willing to bet if Linden was the one doing the negotiating that he would have done a heck of a lot better of a job than Goodenow, but that just goes to show you how much I detested Goodenow.

He was partly responsible for some players losing a year of their NHL careers. Some of them never played again, some lost a potentially good prime year. I can remember Pat Quinn making a comment once around the 2002-'03 season saying something along the lines of "there won't be hockey after 2004 anyway.............." or something to that effect. The league was cross with him about that, I don't know if he got a fine, but I remember at the time thinking, "Well, prove him wrong, idiots!" They should have been more worried about making sure a deal was hammered out.

I also remember Crosby at the WJC in 2005 being asked a question about whether he would play in the NHL if there were "scab" players next year. He basically said it was his dream to play in the NHL regardless. Then a day later he came back and retracted that and said that he would only want to play if there were NHLers playing. I am not saying Goodenow made a personal call to him to order him to change his story, but you've got the best prospect in 15 years about to embark on the NHL and he makes a statement that makes the NHLPA look bad. Someone obviously told Sid what to say, but either way, it all starts at the top and Goodenow handled the entire lockout horribly.

 

[Hobnobs]

Pretty one sided here blaming the union and Goodenow for the lock out lol

 

[DeysArena]

Goodenow didn't care about his effect on hockey. He only cared about his effect on union members. In that regard, he was a success. Even with the NHLPA's defeat in the 2004-05 strike, player salaries rose dramatically under his watch.

 

[MS]

Goodenow did a lot of great things for the players to give them back some power after the disgrace of the Eagleson years but then lost the plot in the 2004 lockout, and took a poor stance that damaged the sport.

The players ended up making out like bandits out of the new cap structure that Goodenow tried so hard to avoid.

 

[JackSlater]

Fairly good union leader, very unlikable guy from everything I've seen. The 2004 lockout was a colossal failure on his part in that he picked a fight that he could never win, so of course that will always be the biggest talking point whenever he is discussed. I do not think that he recognized that sometimes what was good for hockey would be good for the NHLPA even if the union didn't gain anything, or even lost something, in the short term.

 

[Big Phil]

Pretty one sided here blaming the union and Goodenow for the lock out lol

Believe me, it angers me just as much that the "Elf-in-chief" is still Commissioner of the NHL.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

Believe me, it angers me just as much that the "Elf-in-chief" is still Commissioner of the NHL.

I will never understand anyones hatred of Bettman.

 

[Big Phil]

I will never understand anyones hatred of Bettman.

No?

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

"He'd warned the players from the outset to be prepared for a two-year lockout to get what they wanted, and for the first six months, the support was fairly solid. But then there were cracks; and the cracks grew into chasms."

this is just bonkers. how could he think that asking pro athletes, who generally have a 5-12 year window to make a living playing the sport, to give up two years was a possibility?

 

[The Panther]

I will never understand anyones hatred of Bettman.

I don't hate Bettman, but I've never understood why any hockey fan would "like" the guy. THREE work stoppages / Lockouts on his watch, and you think he's good?

 

[Hobnobs]

this is just bonkers. how could he think that asking pro athletes, who generally have a 5-12 year window to make a living playing the sport, to give up two years was a possibility?

He warned the players. He didn't say they should do it. What people here don't seem to understand is that Goodenow is representing the players wishes.

Doesn't anyone here know how a union works?

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

I don't hate Bettman, but I've never understood why any hockey fan would "like" the guy. THREE work stoppages / Lockouts on his watch, and you think he's good?

I believe the most common misconception of Bettman is how people think he just does things on a whim. I’m in the mindset where it’s the majority of the owners to do the thinking in the talking behind the scenes, while he’s just a mouthpiece.

Do you really think he wanted to lock out the players on purpose?

 

[sr edler]

He warned the players. He didn't say they should do it. What people here don't seem to understand is that Goodenow is representing the players wishes.

Doesn't anyone here know how a union works?

I believe the most common misconception of Bettman is how people think he just does things on a whim. I’m in the mindset where it’s the majority of the owners to do the thinking in the talking behind the scenes, while he’s just a mouthpiece.

Do you really think he wanted to lock out the players on purpose?

Yeah, Bettman's basically the lawyer/mouthpiece of the owners, whereas the director of the NHLPA is the lawyer/mouthpiece of the players. Even I understand that, and I'm not even that into bureaucracy/law.

 

[K1984]

No?

He saved my team as well as others in Canada from relocation when it would have been easy to look the other way.

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

I believe the most common misconception of Bettman is how people think he just does things on a whim. I’m in the mindset where it’s the majority of the owners to do the thinking in the talking behind the scenes, while he’s just a mouthpiece.

Do you really think he wanted to lock out the players on purpose?

If youre not familiar with the actual relationship Bettman has with the owners, he is way more than a mouthpiece. His ability to fine owners for stepping out of line is more like a party whip. Check out the book on him by Gatehouse if you want to learn more.

and yes, he is absolutely an embarrassment to the sport

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

If youre not familiar with the actual relationship Bettman has with the owners, he is way more than a mouthpiece. His ability to fine owners for stepping out of line is more like a party whip. Check out the book on him by Gatehouse if you want to learn more.

and yes, he is absolutely an embarrassment to the sport

He is the the best out of the four commissioners, but whatever helps you sleep at night

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

He is the the best out of the four commissioners, but whatever helps you sleep at night

i don’t know anything about the ppl who run football or baseball but i literally can’t imagine a reasonable argument that puts him close to either david stern or adam silver.

i’m willing to listen if anyone has one though.

 

[Big Phil]

I don't hate Bettman, but I've never understood why any hockey fan would "like" the guy. THREE work stoppages / Lockouts on his watch, and you think he's good?

One of the biggest issues to me is that he isn't a hockey guy. You have a guy who has no history in the sport. Gary Bettman didn't watch Hockey Night In Canada growing up, heck, he probably was getting his lunch money stolen from the American kids that may have been paying attention to Peter Puck. I can say one thing, it definitely shows when there is a leader who is not in love with the sport he runs. Hockey doesn't have any sentimentality to him, and come to think of it Goodenow didn't seem to have a love for the game either. That is why neither of them have/had ever done anything that was actually in the best interests of hockey. You don't lock out the best league in the NHL if you love the game, you just don't.

He warned the players. He didn't say they should do it. What people here don't seem to understand is that Goodenow is representing the players wishes.

Doesn't anyone here know how a union works?

Here is the thing, I have never been part of the NHLPA, but I have been part of a union. In a perfect world everyone gets a voice in a union at their workplace. But it doesn't work that way. Think of even something such as the Teacher's Unions. The union bosses run the show, not all of the opinions of the teachers. Ditto with the players. Unions can and will get corrupt. Yes, you look out for the players/workers you are representing, but you still need for them to have a job. If you run the business they are working into the ground or help contribute to it shutting down you aren't helping them.

He saved my team as well as others in Canada from relocation when it would have been easy to look the other way.

I get it, you are from Edmonton I assume? However, Quebec and Winnipeg left on his watch.

 

[K1984]

One of the biggest issues to me is that he isn't a hockey guy. You have a guy who has no history in the sport. Gary Bettman didn't watch Hockey Night In Canada growing up, heck, he probably was getting his lunch money stolen from the American kids that may have been paying attention to Peter Puck. I can say one thing, it definitely shows when there is a leader who is not in love with the sport he runs. Hockey doesn't have any sentimentality to him, and come to think of it Goodenow didn't seem to have a love for the game either. That is why neither of them have/had ever done anything that was actually in the best interests of hockey. You don't lock out the best league in the NHL if you love the game, you just don't.



Here is the thing, I have never been part of the NHLPA, but I have been part of a union. In a perfect world everyone gets a voice in a union at their workplace. But it doesn't work that way. Think of even something such as the Teacher's Unions. The union bosses run the show, not all of the opinions of the teachers. Ditto with the players. Unions can and will get corrupt. Yes, you look out for the players/workers you are representing, but you still need for them to have a job. If you run the business they are working into the ground or help contribute to it shutting down you aren't helping them.



I get it, you are from Edmonton I assume? However, Quebec and Winnipeg left on his watch.

Correct, although those teams left they were difficult markets for big 4 sports to begin with, especially at that time economically.

Bettman flat out saved the Oilers and Flames, however. Also brought the Jets back when it was economically viable to do so, conditions of which he assisted in creating by taking a hardline stance on salary cap.

 

[Big Phil]

Correct, although those teams left they were difficult markets for big 4 sports to begin with, especially at that time economically.

Bettman flat out saved the Oilers and Flames, however. Also brought the Jets back when it was economically viable to do so, conditions of which he assisted in creating by taking a hardline stance on salary cap.

Two full NHL seasons combined have been cancelled under his watch, and the owners still spend like they are drunken sailors. Imagine having an employee as bad as the Arizona Coyotes though, but he still gets to keep his job because he is the boss' son. That's pretty much what Bettman is doing with the Coyotes. They belong elsewhere.

 

[Hobnobs]

Here is the thing, I have never been part of the NHLPA, but I have been part of a union. In a perfect world everyone gets a voice in a union at their workplace. But it doesn't work that way. Think of even something such as the Teacher's Unions. The union bosses run the show, not all of the opinions of the teachers. Ditto with the players. Unions can and will get corrupt. Yes, you look out for the players/workers you are representing, but you still need for them to have a job. If you run the business they are working into the ground or help contribute to it shutting down you aren't helping them.

If you don't know how unions work then just say so instead of wild speculations and doomsday prophecies.