If You Open, They Will Come
Rich Chere of the Star-Ledger confirms what many in hockey are assuming. If the NHL turns to replacement players, many minor leaguers will have no problem showing up.
“I’m under contract to Philadelphia. If the Flyers tell me to play, I’d play,” said Josh Gratton, a center for the ECHL Trenton Titans and the cousin of NHLer Chris Gratton. “If it’s as a replacement player, no problem. My goal is to play in the NHL.”
Doesn’t get any more clear-cut than that. Gratton, who’s picked up 189 PIMs in 35 games this year for the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms, expects to fight one way or another when he gets to the league.
“I think I would be a replacement. A lot of guys would do it if the opportunity presented itself,” said Scott Bertoli, a left winger with the ECHL Titans. “Nothing against the NHL players, but a lot of guys have played in this league a long time and are never going to get a chance to play in those (NHL) buildings.
“And not just minor-leaguers. I’m sure a lot of third and fourth-line guys in the NHL would cross a picket line right now if given a chance.”
The end of Bertoli’s quote is still where the real mystery is. The NHL would most likely not have too hard a time finding players to fill rosters for teams, but will any of those players be NHL players?
It seems more and more the consensus is - yes, they would be, and that simply opening up the doors again could be the union-breaker. Imagine that, just saying “come back” and a handful show up, then more, then some more and so on. Or if the NHL were to say something along the lines of “first five back get their old contracts honored”? I’m sure the NHL has some not-so-blatantly-obvious incentives they’ll offer as well, and I’m sure that if a deal isn’t done by September we’re going to see a few of them.
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