There is so much coming in the National Hockey League’s near future that some sense of balance was restored on Monday. 
This week the NHL Players Association declined to reopen talks on the current collective bargaining agreement.
Good thing, the league is set to welcome the 32nd franchise in Seattle and welcoming them into a landscape of acrimony would not be ideal.
The NHLPA had until the 15th or the next work day to make their decision public. The league announced on 30 August they would decline to reopen talks.
“While players have concerns with the current CBA, we agree with the League that working together to address those concerns is the preferred course of action instead of terminating the agreement following this season,” NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said. “We have been having discussions with the League about an extension of the CBA and expect that those talks will continue.”
There are a host of issues the union, players and league need to deal with, but the parties have some added time and less pressure.
“We are pleased with the NHL Players’ Association’s decision not to reopen the Collective Bargaining Agreement,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We look forward to continuing to work with the NHLPA for the benefit of all stakeholders, especially our fans.”
The league nor the players and union can afford another work stoppage. At some point, fans will turn their backs on the game, no matter how much their affection for the teams and sport.
“We’re happy with this decision because we think it’s great for the game, for our fans, and it gives us an opportunity to focus on the future without distractions,” Bettman said.
Three major stoppages have taken place.
The first, 1994-95, left the season 48 games in length, the second ended with the loss of the entire 2004-05 season. The most recent was the 2012-13 season that also had just 48 games.
“Based on the current state of the game and the business of the game, the NHL believes it is essential to continue building upon the momentum we have created with our players and, therefore, will not exercise its option to reopen the CBA,” Bettman said in August.
Under the current CBA, player salaries are increasing, maybe not at a fast enough rate, but still.
One issue that the players were looking to address was the league’s decision on Olympic participation.
Another money issue is the escrow process. Money is held back from players to cover salary expanses in the event that salaries go beyond 50% of team revenue.The 50-50 setup means everyone shares equally(?).
The Olympics are not worth fighting over is the presumption.
The escrow is currently not on the fight list. It’s hard to imagine escrow not a burr in the saddle for the parties. For now, it is not enough to square off, but you can see the lines being drawn.
You must be logged in to post a comment.