During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, players essentially gave into owners' demands after a lengthy battle to get the sport going again. As the next round of negotiations continue, players demand more of a give-and-take process and aren't afraid to speak up about it.
This time around, a huge tool will play a big part in the negotiations that didn't exist back in 2004: Twitter.
Twitter's been used as a form of protest since its creation back in 2006. In fact, many Olympians even took to Twitter to boycott social media restrictions before the start of the London Games. It's something the website's been used for in the past and will continue to be used for throughout its existence.
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Obviously a quick online post is no guarantee for change, but it eliminates the whole "he said she said" nonsense and allows for a clearer path of communication in terms of what both the NHL and NHLPA are asking of one another.
In fact, a few players have already made a comment or two on the situation, and as the Sept. 15 deadline approaches, emotional tweets are guaranteed to continue popping up on your timeline.
embedly_twitter_11621820background:url(http:a0.twimg.comimagesthemestheme1bg.png) C0DEED; padding:20px; embedly_twitter_11621820 pbackground:fff;padding:10px 12px 0px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:000;font-size:18px;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px embedly_twitter_11621820 .embedly_tweet_contentbackground:fff;padding:10px 12px 10px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:000;font-size:18px !important;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px embedly_twitter_11621820 p span.metadatadisplay:block;width:100;clear:both;margin-top:0px;height:40px; padding-bottom: 12px; embedly_twitter_11621820 p span.metadata span.authorline-height:15px;color:999;font-size:14px embedly_twitter_11621820 p span.metadata span.author aline-height:15px;font-size:20px;vertical-align:middle embedly_twitter_11621820 p span.metadata span.author imgfloat:left;margin:0 10px 0 0px;width:48px;height:48px embedly_twitter_11621820 p a color: 0084B4; text-decoration:none; embedly_twitter_11621820 p a:hovertext-decoration:underline embedly_twitter_11621820 .embedly_timestampfont-size:13px;display:inline-block;margin-top: 5px; embedly_twitter_11621820 .components-above span.embedly_timestampfont-size:10px;margin-top: 1px;line-height:12px embedly_twitter_11621820 a color: 0084B4; text-decoration:none; embedly_twitter_11621820 a:hovertext-decoration:underline embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-screen-name font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-full-name padding-left: 4px; color: 999; font-size: 12px; embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-actionsmargin-left: 10px;font-size:13px;display:inline-block;width:250px embedly_twitter_11621820 .components-above span.tweet-actionsfont-size:10px embedly_twitter_11621820 .controlsline-height:12px!important embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-actions a margin-left:5px embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-actions a bfont-weight:normal embedly_twitter_11621820 .components-above span.tweet-actions a bvertical-align:baseline;line-height:12px embedly_twitter_11621820 .components-above .tweet-textfont-size:13px;vertical-align:baseline embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-image float: left; width: 40px; embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-user-block-image float: left; width: 48px; height: 48px embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-row margin-left: 40px; margin-top: 3px;line-height: 17px; embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-user-block margin-left: -40px; embedly_twitter_11621820 .stream-item padding-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 12px; embedly_twitter_11621820 .simple-tweet-image img margin-top: 4px; embedly_twitter_11621820 .simple-tweet-content margin: 0 0 13px 0px; font-size: 14px; min-height:48px; embedly_twitter_11621820 .in-reply-to-border border-color: EBEBEB; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0 0; embedly_twitter_11621820 .in-reply-to-text margin-left: 4px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 10px; color: 999; font-size: 12px; embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-actions i background: transparent url(http:a2.twimg.coma1306889658phoeniximgsprite-icons.png) no-repeat;width:15px;height:15px;margin:0 4px -3px 3px;outline: none; text-indent:-99999px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block;position:relative; embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-actions a.retweet-action i background-position:-192px 0; embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-actions a.reply-action i background-position:0 0; embedly_twitter_11621820 .tweet-actions a.favorite-action i background-position:-32px 0;@HLundqvist30
Henrik LundqvistThe @NHL says they wont play past Sept 15th under current deal. Apparently they dont like the deal they designed. CBA nhlpa2012
Aug 10 via Twitter for iPhoneFavoriteRetweetReplyembedly_twitter_60524695background:url(http:a0.twimg.comimagesthemestheme1bg.png) 130CEB; padding:20px; embedly_twitter_60524695 pbackground:fff;padding:10px 12px 0px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:000;font-size:18px;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px embedly_twitter_60524695 .embedly_tweet_contentbackground:fff;padding:10px 12px 10px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:000;font-size:18px !important;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px embedly_twitter_60524695 p span.metadatadisplay:block;width:100;clear:both;margin-top:0px;height:40px; padding-bottom: 12px; embedly_twitter_60524695 p span.metadata span.authorline-height:15px;color:999;font-size:14px embedly_twitter_60524695 p span.metadata span.author aline-height:15px;font-size:20px;vertical-align:middle embedly_twitter_60524695 p span.metadata span.author imgfloat:left;margin:0 10px 0 0px;width:48px;height:48px embedly_twitter_60524695 p a color: F20E2D; text-decoration:none; embedly_twitter_60524695 p a:hovertext-decoration:underline embedly_twitter_60524695 .embedly_timestampfont-size:13px;display:inline-block;margin-top: 5px; embedly_twitter_60524695 .components-above span.embedly_timestampfont-size:10px;margin-top: 1px;line-height:12px embedly_twitter_60524695 a color: F20E2D; text-decoration:none; embedly_twitter_60524695 a:hovertext-decoration:underline embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-screen-name font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-full-name padding-left: 4px; color: 999; font-size: 12px; embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-actionsmargin-left: 10px;font-size:13px;display:inline-block;width:250px embedly_twitter_60524695 .components-above span.tweet-actionsfont-size:10px embedly_twitter_60524695 .controlsline-height:12px!important embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-actions a margin-left:5px embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-actions a bfont-weight:normal embedly_twitter_60524695 .components-above span.tweet-actions a bvertical-align:baseline;line-height:12px embedly_twitter_60524695 .components-above .tweet-textfont-size:13px;vertical-align:baseline embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-image float: left; width: 40px; embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-user-block-image float: left; width: 48px; height: 48px embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-row margin-left: 40px; margin-top: 3px;line-height: 17px; embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-user-block margin-left: -40px; embedly_twitter_60524695 .stream-item padding-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 12px; embedly_twitter_60524695 .simple-tweet-image img margin-top: 4px; embedly_twitter_60524695 .simple-tweet-content margin: 0 0 13px 0px; font-size: 14px; min-height:48px; embedly_twitter_60524695 .in-reply-to-border border-color: EBEBEB; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0 0; embedly_twitter_60524695 .in-reply-to-text margin-left: 4px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 10px; color: 999; font-size: 12px; embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-actions i background: transparent url(http:a2.twimg.coma1306889658phoeniximgsprite-icons.png) no-repeat;width:15px;height:15px;margin:0 4px -3px 3px;outline: none; text-indent:-99999px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block;position:relative; embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-actions a.retweet-action i background-position:-192px 0; embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-actions a.reply-action i background-position:0 0; embedly_twitter_60524695 .tweet-actions a.favorite-action i background-position:-32px 0;@BrandonPrust8
Brandon PrustDisappointed the League is talking about a lockout before we even give our @NHLPA counterproposal. theplayers
Aug 10 via Twitter for iPhoneFavoriteRetweetReplyembedly_twitter_5164863background:url(http:a0.twimg.comprofile_background_images2028698008470713.jpg) C0DEED; padding:20px; embedly_twitter_5164863 pbackground:fff;padding:10px 12px 0px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:000;font-size:18px;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px embedly_twitter_5164863 .embedly_tweet_contentbackground:fff;padding:10px 12px 10px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:000;font-size:18px !important;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px embedly_twitter_5164863 p span.metadatadisplay:block;width:100;clear:both;margin-top:0px;height:40px; padding-bottom: 12px; embedly_twitter_5164863 p span.metadata span.authorline-height:15px;color:999;font-size:14px embedly_twitter_5164863 p span.metadata span.author aline-height:15px;font-size:20px;vertical-align:middle embedly_twitter_5164863 p span.metadata span.author imgfloat:left;margin:0 10px 0 0px;width:48px;height:48px embedly_twitter_5164863 p a color: 0084B4; text-decoration:none; embedly_twitter_5164863 p a:hovertext-decoration:underline embedly_twitter_5164863 .embedly_timestampfont-size:13px;display:inline-block;margin-top: 5px; embedly_twitter_5164863 .components-above span.embedly_timestampfont-size:10px;margin-top: 1px;line-height:12px embedly_twitter_5164863 a color: 0084B4; text-decoration:none; embedly_twitter_5164863 a:hovertext-decoration:underline embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-screen-name font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-full-name padding-left: 4px; color: 999; font-size: 12px; embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-actionsmargin-left: 10px;font-size:13px;display:inline-block;width:250px embedly_twitter_5164863 .components-above span.tweet-actionsfont-size:10px embedly_twitter_5164863 .controlsline-height:12px!important embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-actions a margin-left:5px embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-actions a bfont-weight:normal embedly_twitter_5164863 .components-above span.tweet-actions a bvertical-align:baseline;line-height:12px embedly_twitter_5164863 .components-above .tweet-textfont-size:13px;vertical-align:baseline embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-image float: left; width: 40px; embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-user-block-image float: left; width: 48px; height: 48px embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-row margin-left: 40px; margin-top: 3px;line-height: 17px; embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-user-block margin-left: -40px; embedly_twitter_5164863 .stream-item padding-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 12px; embedly_twitter_5164863 .simple-tweet-image img margin-top: 4px; embedly_twitter_5164863 .simple-tweet-content margin: 0 0 13px 0px; font-size: 14px; min-height:48px; embedly_twitter_5164863 .in-reply-to-border border-color: EBEBEB; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0 0; embedly_twitter_5164863 .in-reply-to-text margin-left: 4px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 10px; color: 999; font-size: 12px; embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-actions i background: transparent url(http:a2.twimg.coma1306889658phoeniximgsprite-icons.png) no-repeat;width:15px;height:15px;margin:0 4px -3px 3px;outline: none; text-indent:-99999px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block;position:relative; embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-actions a.retweet-action i background-position:-192px 0; embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-actions a.reply-action i background-position:0 0; embedly_twitter_5164863 .tweet-actions a.favorite-action i background-position:-32px 0;@BizNasty2point0
Paul BissonnetteOwners want 25 roll back on salaries but are handing out 100 million dollar deals like it's going out of style. Figure that one out. NHL
Jul 19 via Twitter for iPhoneFavoriteRetweetReply
Living in this "now" generation, we're used to getting information the second (if not before) it comes out. As CBA meetings have continued, we learned the owners' proposals the second they were leaked, when that information was meant to be kept quiet throughout the negotiating process. With those bulletpoints circulating through Twitter and the rest of the Internet, everyone from fans, to players or reporters were able to take that information and create ideas about what's to come for the NHL as we approach the start of the 2012-13 season.
Bettman doesnt feel revenue sharing is a key piece. Fehr very much does. Uh oh. Jesse Spector (@jessespector) August 9, 2012
The owners have made it clear that there won't be a season until a new agreement is reached. Hockey took a big hit in popularity when the 2004 season was lost, but now with social media, the hype can help be continued and emotions can raise as we see discussions on the matter circulating around us.