 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
Esche optimistic about contract talks
WESTMORELAND - Robert Esche will welcome his National Hockey League buddies to Utica this week for a charity softball game and a round of golf at Turning Stone. But what Esche really wants is to return to the ice - and put the ninth-month old NHL lockout behind him. "It's been an extremely frustrating year - something I wouldn't wish on anyone," said Esche, a six-year NHL veteran who was the Philadelphia Flyers' starting goalie for the 2003-04 season. "Now that the season's over, having the time I spent with people in Utica and making a lot of new friends; that's been fun. I even got a chance to meet the governor. "But I would never want to (go through a lockout) again." Esche hosts his annual Save of the Day Softball Classic Thursday at Murnane Field. Admission to the 7 p.m. game between the NHL stars and the New York State Troopers is free, and a fireworks show will follow the game. NHL players Sean Burke, Eric Weinrich, Daniel Briere, Todd Fedoruk, Tim Connolly, Jesse Boulerice and Craig Conroy are among those scheduled to play, and autographs will be available after the game. All proceeds benefit Esche's Save of the Day charity, which benefits area children with life-threatening illnesses. To date, the foundation has given away about $110,000. Meanwhile, Esche - the Flyers' player representative - has been keeping his teammates abreast of contract talks, which are scheduled to resume today in Toronto. "I think the new collective bargaining agreement will be signed by July 1," Esche said. "They've made a lot of progress, and they're working on a lot of the Xs and Os with the lawyers. "Qualifying offers, arbitration and free agency. Those are the issues at hand now, and that's good because that means they've got the other issues settled." The main issue - the one that caused the lockout - was a salary cap, something which the players initially said they would never accept. But after more than a year of fruitless negotiations, the players now appear ready to accept a cap of about $36 million per team. The 27-year-old Esche was scheduled to make $775,000 this past season, but is not under contract for 2005-06. Esche, however, cannot become a free agent under the old system - meaning he will probably receive a qualifying offer of a little less than $1 million from the Flyers. Esche, though, is more concerned with the future of the league and new proposed rule changes than his annual salary. "What people don't realize is that the game we used to watch we will never see again," said Esche, who expects the rule changes to include smaller goalie pads, no-touch icing and the elimination of the center-ice red line. "The NHL sees the urgency that we need a whole summer for damage control, because we can't just start Sept. 15 and say we're going to start hockey again. We don't know what the damage to the fan base will be." But anticipating at least moderate and perhaps serious fan anger, Esche and the players are promising to go out of their way to promote the game. "It's a great sport and it always will be, but we let some people run the sport the maybe shouldn't be," Esche said. "We have great players and great owners, and we have to find a way to mesh together. "I never thought we'd lose the whole season. And I'm embarrassed we had to go through this."
|
