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Players union rejects two NHL proposals
The 2004-2005 NHL lockout and subsequent cancellation of the season is only the beginning to what many think will be a long road toward mediation. Monday, the players union rejected two proposals from the league. The NHL is considering starting a season with "replacement players."
The Associated Press
TORONTO, April 4 - The players' association rejected two NHL proposals and the two sides met for 7 hours Monday, trying to make progress toward ending the 6 1/2-month-old lockout.
Slovakian Zdeno Chara of Faerjestad tackles Swedish Daniel Alfredsson of Froelunda during the best of seven final matches in the Swedish elite league in Karlstad, Sweden Sunday April 3 2005. Chara and Alfredsson both play for Ottawa Senators in the NHL. (AP photo/Pressens Bild/Jimmy Wixtroem)
The session at an undisclosed location in Toronto began around 1 p.m. EDT and wrapped up around 8 p.m. As expected, the NHLPA did not come armed with a proposal.
"The players' association began today's meeting by rejecting the two proposals made by the NHL on March 17," NHL executive vice president Bill Daly said in a statement. "Thereafter, we discussed the status of our current situation and, in general terms, possible concepts for moving the process forward. The meeting concluded with both sides agreeing to explore these concepts further internally, and to talk again later this week."
A bigger group got together this time around, with NHLPA president Trevor Linden and the players' executive committee joining the negotiations. The ownership group was led by chairman of the board Harley Hotchkiss of the Calgary Flames, as well as New Jersey Devils president Lou Lamoriello.
They joined NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow, senior director Ted Saskin, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Daly.
"We discussed some concepts aimed at addressing the challenges faced by all of us as a result of the NHL's lockout and subsequent cancellation of the season," Saskin said in a statement. "Although no meetings were scheduled today, I expect Bob and Gary will be speaking soon to set up future discussions. "
Also Monday, the NHL filed a second charge against the NHLPA with the National Labor Relations Board, this time challenging the union's threat of decertification for agents representing replacement players.
The NHLPA has warned agents, although not in writing, they faced possible decertification if they represented any player crossing the line to be a replacement player.
The NHL hinted at the use of replacement players at a March 1 board of governors meeting, and planned to revisit the issue at an April 20 board of governors meeting in New York.
The league first filed a charge against the NHLPA with the NLRB on March 25 over a union policy that appears to financially penalize members who become replacement players.
The NHL became the first major American sports league to cancel an entire season in February because of the lockout.
The two sides had not met since March 17 in New York, when the NHLPA was presented two proposals by the NHL, the first a team-by-team $37.5-million salary cap deal that did not have a fixed link between player costs and league revenues .
The second offer was based on linkage, with player costs to take up no more than 54 per cent of league revenues.
The league had given the union until this Friday to work off the "de-linked" offer, but instead the union arrived Monday in Toronto without a counterproposal.
Story Produced by: Dan Jimmerson
