NHLPA, NHL wrap up important meeting
Canadian Press
12/9/2004
TORONTO (CP) - The NHL Players' Association delivered a strong offer as promised Thursday, enough for the NHL to agree to meet again next Tuesday or Wednesday.
Sources indicate the union's offer was significant and addressed some of the league's concerns but still didn't include a link between player costs and league revenues - a salary cap, in other words.
While there was cautious optimism because the offer was enough to warrant another meeting, that could be wiped out in a hurry next week if the NHL comes back with a counter-proposal that includes the link between player costs and league revenues.
Thursday's meeting, which came three months to the day of the last negotiating session Sept. 9, began at 11:23 a.m. and ended around 3:20 p.m., with both sides squeezing in a lunch break at 1:45.
Once the union left the NHL's Toronto office, commissioner Gary Bettman and the rest of the NHL negotiating team returned to the boardroom to meet, delaying their news conference with the media.
There was also no immediate word from the NHLPA, which conducted a conference call with player reps after the talks.
It was the first official meeting between the sides since Sept. 9. The lockout, which reached its 85th day Thursday, has forced cancellation of 382 regular-season games plus the 2005 all-star game.
The NHL says it lost $1.8 billion US over the 10-year run of the last collective bargaining agreement, including $273 million for the 2002-03 season and $224 million last season. The players dispute those figures.
The new NHLPA proposal is touted to save owners well over $200 million next season.
Cheers,
Aquaman
Canadian Press
12/9/2004
TORONTO (CP) - The NHL Players' Association delivered a strong offer as promised Thursday, enough for the NHL to agree to meet again next Tuesday or Wednesday.
Sources indicate the union's offer was significant and addressed some of the league's concerns but still didn't include a link between player costs and league revenues - a salary cap, in other words.
While there was cautious optimism because the offer was enough to warrant another meeting, that could be wiped out in a hurry next week if the NHL comes back with a counter-proposal that includes the link between player costs and league revenues.
Thursday's meeting, which came three months to the day of the last negotiating session Sept. 9, began at 11:23 a.m. and ended around 3:20 p.m., with both sides squeezing in a lunch break at 1:45.
Once the union left the NHL's Toronto office, commissioner Gary Bettman and the rest of the NHL negotiating team returned to the boardroom to meet, delaying their news conference with the media.
There was also no immediate word from the NHLPA, which conducted a conference call with player reps after the talks.
It was the first official meeting between the sides since Sept. 9. The lockout, which reached its 85th day Thursday, has forced cancellation of 382 regular-season games plus the 2005 all-star game.
The NHL says it lost $1.8 billion US over the 10-year run of the last collective bargaining agreement, including $273 million for the 2002-03 season and $224 million last season. The players dispute those figures.
The new NHLPA proposal is touted to save owners well over $200 million next season.
Cheers,
Aquaman