Offers exchanged as owners, players continue CBA discussion

Share

The NHL and NHLPA might not get a CBA done on Wednesday, but theres no denying that cautious optimism abounds.
Phrases like cautiously optimistic and wait and see attitude best described NHL players contacted by CSNNE.com as they wait on the sidelines with close to 20 NHL players and a group of six owners hammering out a possible deal at the Westin Hotel in New York City.
All of this has taken place with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr removed from the negotiating process, but Bettman did issue a few quick words of enthusiasm about the current process.
Bettman said he was pleased with the process that is ongoing, and that out of respect for the process he had no further comment on negotiations between owners and players.
In other words, silence is golden while the owners and players hash out the concepts, and let the lawyers draw up the fine details.
According to multiple reports out of NYC, the players submitted a written offer of sorts to the group of owners that has continued discussion between the two parties in meetings that lasted into the evening on Wednesday. Its expected that the league is seeking a long term CBA somewhere in the range of a 10-year deal, but certainly wants more than the five that the NHLPA had most recently proposed.
Its expected the two sides are working to find common ground on the make whole provision and player contract rights, but a source indicated to CSNNE.com that both sides are still haggling over term limits on player contracts. The NHL wants to cap all contracts at five years, and the NHLPA has stood firmly against limitations for long term deals currently enjoyed by franchise players like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
So as the two sides haggle over the small details and fine print, lets think about the potential finished product.
Its widely believed the NHL wants to produce a finished CBA on Friday with training camps set to start a few days later. That would allow the NHL to produce a 56-60 game schedule starting onaround Dec. 20 with a full round of Stanley Cup playoffs sure to soothe the savage, bitter hockey fan. Some NHL coaches and GMs were even overzealously contacting players in Europe and telling them to come home, according to Nick Kypreos, but that would seem to be a little premature at this point in time.
The two sides continue to exchange ideas, speak in separate groups and then return for more discussions as it appears, finally, that everybody involved isnt going to stop until they have a completed CBA.

Contact Us