[quote name="Tater"]If the don't settle beforehand, does Niemi actually sit in during the hearing or is it all handled by his agent? Who does the negotiating on the Hawks end, Bowman?
I ask because any team will try to make the player look as bad as possible (within reason) and I wonder how often a player comes out feeling bitter towards the team.[/quote]
Pretty sure the player sits in. I'm also pretty sure management lets that player know before hand that its just a business, that they like the player quite a bit, but for the purposes of arbitration, they have to highlight the players shortcomings and weaknesses if they want to improve their case. Its just the way things are done.
I have heard numerous reports of players who walked out of an arbitration hearing totally pissed off. You have to have a thick skin for these kind of things. I guess it depends on the player as to how they take it.
I would guess, given Niemi's demeanor, that it wouldn't phase him in the least.
