1957 & Waiting
04-13-2005, 02:11 PM
Another good article by Bob McKenzie....
McKenzie: How serious was last week's 'progress?'
TSN.ca Staff
4/12/2005
Some of the NHL's owners are wondering if they're being played by NHLPA boss Bob Goodenow, who a week ago Monday talked about a concept that looked an awful lot like "linkage."
You may also recall the surprising sense of optimism coming out of that get together.
But there hasn't been a meeting since, and there won't be until next week at the earliest, a delay which has some on the NHL side wondering if Goodenow is playing games.
Was the "linked" concept put forward last week a serious first step to get a negotiated settlement? Or was it a move designed to make it more difficult for the NHL to declare an impasse?
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Logic suggests it was a strange time for the NHLPA to seemingly embrace the idea of a floating floor and ceiling tied to league revenues. And even though the two sides may have been on the same page conceptually, the numbers weren't even close.
The NHLPA is looking at a salary range of $20 million - say $30 million at the low end to $50 million on the high end - on revenues of about $2 billion. The NHL would like that range cut in half to a $10 million spread.
But if they never bridge that gap, in theory, it may be more difficult for the NHL to say they're at an impasse.
One assumes we'll find out soon enough if there's any negotiating traction, but the NHL executive committee - the big hitters of ownership - are meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman Wednesday in New York, presumably to chart a course for the Apr. 20 board meeting.
So will it be replacements or no replacements? Don't be surprised if it's the latter, but the most pressing issue right now is to find out what the NHLPA's intentions are on the concept they put forward last week.
Moving into the international arena, Canada has one roster spot left for the world championship team and there's a flurry of activity behind the scenes to see if it can go to the suspended Todd Bertuzzi (http://www.tsn.ca/NHL/player_bio.asp?player_id=943).
Efforts are being made to expedite Bertuzzi's reinstatement hearing for later this week or next week, which might allow him to be Canada's 23rd man.
But it may be that it's just too late and Canada will opt instead for Shawn Horcoff (http://www.tsn.ca/NHL/player_bio.asp?player_id=1874) (if his baby arrives in time), or go with American League young guns who could get knocked out of the AHL playoffs in time to join the team (Patrice Bergeron (http://www.tsn.ca/NHL/player_bio.asp?player_id=3490), Jason Spezza (http://www.tsn.ca/NHL/player_bio.asp?player_id=2299), Mike Camalleri or Eric Staal (http://www.tsn.ca/NHL/player_bio.asp?player_id=3543).
On the subject of NHL Olympic participation in 2006, USA Hockey's Walter Bush predicts the NHL won't be going to Turin. That's a fair assumption since the 30 NHL owners have no real appetite for an Olympic break next season, assuming there is a season.
But if the NHLPA should make Olympic participation a central issue in CBA negotiations, NHL players in Turin can't be ruled out just yet.
For TSN.ca, I'm Bob McKenzie.
http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie.asp
McKenzie: How serious was last week's 'progress?'
TSN.ca Staff
4/12/2005
Some of the NHL's owners are wondering if they're being played by NHLPA boss Bob Goodenow, who a week ago Monday talked about a concept that looked an awful lot like "linkage."
You may also recall the surprising sense of optimism coming out of that get together.
But there hasn't been a meeting since, and there won't be until next week at the earliest, a delay which has some on the NHL side wondering if Goodenow is playing games.
Was the "linked" concept put forward last week a serious first step to get a negotiated settlement? Or was it a move designed to make it more difficult for the NHL to declare an impasse?
http://adfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/bn/2018-27450-4894-0?mpt=3145147 (http://ad.ca.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh=v3|3259|3|0|%2a|f%3B14726324%3B0-0%3B0%3B7450098%3B4307-300|250%3B9378230|9396126|1%3B%3B%7Esscs%3D%3fhttp://adfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/2018-27450-4894-0?mpt=3145147)http://ad.ca.doubleclick.net/ad/tsn/columnists;mode=;loc=;adpg=columnists;sect=;arena=tv;arena=sports;unit=dhtml;kw=;pos=;sz=300x250;tile=n;ord=2005413159460? (http://ad.ca.doubleclick.net/jump/tsn/columnists;mode=;loc=;adpg=columnists;sect=;arena=tv;arena=sports;unit=dhtml;kw=;pos=;sz=300x250;tile=n;ord=2005413159460?)
Logic suggests it was a strange time for the NHLPA to seemingly embrace the idea of a floating floor and ceiling tied to league revenues. And even though the two sides may have been on the same page conceptually, the numbers weren't even close.
The NHLPA is looking at a salary range of $20 million - say $30 million at the low end to $50 million on the high end - on revenues of about $2 billion. The NHL would like that range cut in half to a $10 million spread.
But if they never bridge that gap, in theory, it may be more difficult for the NHL to say they're at an impasse.
One assumes we'll find out soon enough if there's any negotiating traction, but the NHL executive committee - the big hitters of ownership - are meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman Wednesday in New York, presumably to chart a course for the Apr. 20 board meeting.
So will it be replacements or no replacements? Don't be surprised if it's the latter, but the most pressing issue right now is to find out what the NHLPA's intentions are on the concept they put forward last week.
Moving into the international arena, Canada has one roster spot left for the world championship team and there's a flurry of activity behind the scenes to see if it can go to the suspended Todd Bertuzzi (http://www.tsn.ca/NHL/player_bio.asp?player_id=943).
Efforts are being made to expedite Bertuzzi's reinstatement hearing for later this week or next week, which might allow him to be Canada's 23rd man.
But it may be that it's just too late and Canada will opt instead for Shawn Horcoff (http://www.tsn.ca/NHL/player_bio.asp?player_id=1874) (if his baby arrives in time), or go with American League young guns who could get knocked out of the AHL playoffs in time to join the team (Patrice Bergeron (http://www.tsn.ca/NHL/player_bio.asp?player_id=3490), Jason Spezza (http://www.tsn.ca/NHL/player_bio.asp?player_id=2299), Mike Camalleri or Eric Staal (http://www.tsn.ca/NHL/player_bio.asp?player_id=3543).
On the subject of NHL Olympic participation in 2006, USA Hockey's Walter Bush predicts the NHL won't be going to Turin. That's a fair assumption since the 30 NHL owners have no real appetite for an Olympic break next season, assuming there is a season.
But if the NHLPA should make Olympic participation a central issue in CBA negotiations, NHL players in Turin can't be ruled out just yet.
For TSN.ca, I'm Bob McKenzie.
http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie.asp