Sorry jtkratzer, you are wrong. I'm with Arturo7 on this one. The NHL does not need unions to have the best players. The best players are going to go the league that gets them the most money. Union or not. When the Swedish elite league can afford to pay the Sedin twins their $6.1 million/year each, Crosby and Malkin their $8.7 mil/year, Ovie his $9.5 mil/year then maybe more "elite" players would play in the league. The players are going to go where the most money is period. If the league decides to take a sh!t on the players and treat them like property then it's the players choice to change to a different league or suck it up. It's hockey not push puck.
What does it take to get you all to understand the reason the best players are in the NHL is because of the union and what the union has negotiated for the players? If the union didn't exist, and the players didn't get the deals they have in the NHL, they'd go to Russia and other leagues to play. Based on the exodus during the lockout, it's obvious the players go where the money is. That high pay in the NHL is because of the union.