Official NHL and NHLPA CBA Negotiations Thread

[abc789987]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=643558

TORONTO -- The NHL made a proposal for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement on Tuesday, one designed to allow an 82-game schedule for 2012-13 NHL season to take place.

"We very much want to preserve a full 82-game season and in that light we made a proposal, an offer really," Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "It is our best shot at preserving an 82-game regular season and [Stanley Cup] Playoffs."

Commissioner Bettman announced the proposal after he and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly held an hour-long meeting with the National Hockey League Players' Association Executive Director Don Fehr and Special Counsel Steve Fehr at the Union office.

Bettman said that the offer, which splits hockey-related revenue at 50-50, is contingent upon a full season being played and suggested that the season could begin Nov. 2. He also said the League is not asking for salary rollbacks from the players.

"We're focused on getting the season started on Nov. 2. That's what this offer was about."

The NHLPA is expected to address the proposal soon.

[sseagle]

I'm reading tweets Owners made new offer to NHL PA. 50/50 HRR split... Season could start in November....

you goddamn knob... how did you beat me... oh well, I have wall'o'text

edit - i still beat you!

[abc789987]

I'm reading tweets Owners made new offer to NHL PA. 50/50 HRR split... Season could start in November....

you goddamn knob... how did you beat me... oh well, I have wall'o'text

edit - i still beat you!

Ha, well my wall is on top of new page!

come on guys. Let's just sign the damn paper and play some hockey....

[sseagle]

I'm reading tweets Owners made new offer to NHL PA. 50/50 HRR split... Season could start in November....

you goddamn knob... how did you beat me... oh well, I have wall'o'text

edit - i still beat you!

Ha, well my wall is on top of new page!

come on guys. Let's just sign the damn paper and play some hockey....

TO THE FLASHCHAT!!!

[STLADOGG]

NHL OFFERS 50/50 SPLIT ON HRR IN PROPOSAL FOR NHLPA
TSN.CA STAFF
10/16/2012 12:58:06 PM

The NHL put a new offer on the bargaining table for the NHL Players' Association on Tuesday morning, which includes a 50/50 split of hockey-related revenue across the board and contingent on an 82-game season beginning Nov. 2.

"We hope we've given our best shot," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

Bettman added that the offer calls for no salary rollback and the revised schedule - if implemented - would see every team play an extra game every five weeks.

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr said the offer - which is at least six years in length - is an "excellent start" and he would go over it with his membership in a 5pm et conference call.

Negotiations resumed Tuesday in Toronto in the NHL's labour dispute with the NHL Players Association - the first in five days following two days of meetings in New York last week. Key negotiators Bettman, Bill Daly and Donald and Steve Fehr were in attendance as both sides looked to start bridging the gap on core economic issues.

Both sides have communicated regularly since the lockout began on Sept. 15, but with little to no progress so far as the meetings have focused on non-core economic discussions.

Neither side had formally tabled an offer since Sept. 12.

Click on to TSN.ca for more details as they follow.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=407490

Boys, we all knew this is where it would end up... lets hope they got some sense and agree.. stat!

"Excellent start" how about excellent end.

[abc789987]

I'm still curious what constitutes as HRR... Didn't they try and re-define how it was added up?

*Edit*

The other big piece of news: the league's proposal would make no changes to the definition of HRR, something that had been a big topic of discussion in previous meetings.

Yay!

[sseagle]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/1 ... t-proposal

Bettman on NHL's latest CBA proposal
October, 16, 2012 Oct 161:59PM ETBy Courtesy of NHL | ESPN.com
Commissioner Gary Bettman media availability transcript:

Good afternoon, everyone. Bill Daly and I just spent the last hour with Don and Steve Fehr, and I would like to briefly report to you on what was discussed. As I think all of you know we have been extremely disappointed, and that's an understatement, that we've been unable to get these negotiations on the essential elements moving forward. So, today, we began by discussing with Don and Steve that if we were to drop the puck on November 2nd for the start of the regular season, we could preserve an 82-game schedule for the regular season and play full playoffs as we normally do and be done before the end of June.

We very much want to preserve a full 82-game season, and in that light, we made a proposal, an offer, really that is our best shot at preserving an 82-game regular season and playoffs, and this offer that we made obviously was contingent upon having an 82-game regular season.

A lot of you know we don't negotiate publicly, and I'm not going to break that habit because I don't think it's constructive. The fact of the matter is, we offered a 50-50 share of HRR, hockey related revenues, and we believe we addressed the concern that players have about what happens to their salaries as a result in this year of reducing the percentage from 57 to 50 percent.

Beyond that, I don't want to get into the substance other than to say we believe that this was a fair offer for a long-term deal, and it's one that we hope gets a positive reaction so that we can drop the puck on November 2nd -- which backing up, entails at least a one-week training camp. So we have about nine or ten days to get this all put to bed, signed, sealed and delivered, in order for this offer to be effective and for us to move forward.

We hope that this effort that we've undertaken today would be successful because we know how difficult this all has been for everybody associated with the game, particularly our fans.

How confident are you that this is going to go forward?

Well, we certainly hope it will. We've given it our best shot.

What was the reaction?

The reaction was that they obviously need to study it, and so we told them that we're available to them. But they're going to need some time to review it, and I respect that portion of the process. Obviously, they've got to understand the offer and get comfortable with it.

Was it just the core economic issues in terms of the offer?

We had a number of significant elements that we believe can and should serve as the basis of a deal to get us playing hockey.

Why do this today?

Because if we want to have an 82-game regular season, if we want to preserve an 82-game regular season and you back up the timetable in terms of the schedule, we needed to do it.

By the way, in terms of the schedule, so everybody understands, the compression that would be involved is one additional game every five weeks.

Beyond that, we don't think it would be good for the players or for the game. But if you look at what our ability would be to schedule 82 games and you work back from November 2nd, if we didn't do it now, if we didn't put an effort on the table that we thought was fair and could get us playing hockey, if we didn't do it now, then it probably wasn't going to happen for a while. Because, again, it's done in the spirit of getting a full season in.

Is it 50-50 across the board?

It's 50-50 across board.

How long of a contract will this be?

I'm not going to get into the specifics. We proposed a long-term contract. We think that's in everybody's interest. We think that's what our fans want.

Can you explain how you address the roll back or the escrow?

There is no roll back, and I'm not going to get into the specifics. It would not be constructive at this point in time. The union has some work to do, and we respect the process. I probably have gone further than I usually have in terms of discussing what we've proposed than at any other time. But I'm not comfortable going any further. I'm more concerned about the process right now and getting us back on the ice.

How worried are you they might say no and more of the season will be lost?

I don't even want to go there.

Is the league amenable to playing an abbreviated schedule?

We're focused on getting the puck dropped on November 2nd and playing a full 82-game regular season and full playoffs. That's what this offer is all about.

Have you made plans to meet later in the week?

We're going to be on-call to them. They have some work to do internally. Obviously, we didn't put this proposal, this offer, together overnight, and they're going to need a little time to review it. I'm hoping that review will get us to a positive and constructive place.

I hope the players don't (Frank) this up..

[abc789987]

The puck is defiantly in the PA zone now... The owners gave a little, or so it seems... Who knows what is actually in the details of this thing though.

But if the PA refuse this, they are going to look like the bad guys now and maybe that's what the owners want to happen...

[glen a richter]

They'll reach an agreement to salvage whatever they can of this season and we'll be in the same shitboat in a few years. And to add insult to injury Tarasenko will be out for who knows how long with his concussion.

[STLADOGG]

Sounds good to me...in reality there will be no season...at least that's my mindset, so I don't get disappointed (too much).

[philco_3]

Sounds good to me...in reality there will be no season...at least that's my mindset, so I don't get disappointed (too much).

[ViPeRx007]

Somehow Sidney Crosby is going to screw this up.

[sseagle]

MCKENZIE: NHL PROPOSAL WASN'T MET WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASM
BOB MCKENZIE
10/17/2012 10:58:15 AM

The first official NHLPA reaction to the NHL offer is in -- NHLPA executive director Don Fehr sent a letter to all players and agents last night -- and not unexpectedly the league's proposal wasn't met with great enthusiasm.

In the letter, which breaks down a summary of the NHL offer, Fehr writes the following:

- "Simply put, the owners' new proposal, while not quite as Draconian as their previous proposals, still represents enormous reductions in player salaries and individual contracting rights. As you will see, at the 5 per cent industry growth rate the owners predict, the salary reduction over six years exceeds $1.6 billion. What do the owners offer in return?"

- "The proposal does represent movement from their last negotiating position, but still represents very large, immediate and continuing concessions by players to owners, in salary and benefits (the Players' Share) and in individual player contracting rules."

On some of the specific aspects of the NHL proposal:

- "They want to "clarify" HRR definition and rules. It is not immediately clear what this means, but so far all of their ideas in this regard have had the effect of reducing HRR, and thereby lowering salaries."

- "The Players' Share is reduced to 50 per cent from 57 per cent immediately -- this season. This is a reduction in the share of 12.3 per cent. On last year's revenue numbers, this would mean that players' salaries would be cut by about $231 million."

- "The proposal includes a "Make Whole" provision, to compensate players for the anticipated reduction in absolute dollars from last year (2011-12), to this year and next year. However, it would work like this. The Players Share in subsequent years would be reduced so that this "Make Whole" payment would be made. It is players paying players, not owners paying players. That is, players are "made whole" for reduced salaries in one year by reducing their salaries in later years."

- "Finally, they also proposed that the players could appeal supplemental or commissioner discipline to a neutral arbitration, on a "clearly erroneous" standard, which, as a practical manner, makes it very unlikely that any decision would be overturned."

The final two paragraphs of the letter sums up where Fehr believes the process is at and reinforces the players' position on all issues:

- "We do not yet know whether this proposal is a serious attempt to negotiate an agreement, or just another step down the road. The next several days will be, in large part, an effort to discover the answer to that question."

- "Bear in mind the approach that the Players have taken to these negotiations. It is:

- Given the enormous concessions players made in the last round, plus 7 years of record revenue reaching $3.3 billion last season, there is no reason for a reduction in the amount the players receive.

- Players are willing to take reduced share going forward so that the NHL can grow out of whatever problems some franchises face.

- The player contracting rights secured in the last negotiations should be, at minimum, maintained.

- Revenue sharing needs to be enhanced and structured so as to encourage revenue growth by the receiving teams.

- The overall agreement has to be fair and equitable for both parties. Bargaining is both give and take."

Fehr killed baseball off, now he's gunning for hockey? Last night I heard a player quoted as saying there was a 70% chance they would agree on Friday... I guess he meant Friday, July 19th, 2013

[cprice12]

The NHLPA will come back with another offer and then the NHL will accept it, in principle (and will work out the minor details shortly thereafter), saving the full season.

Mark it down.

[Jaykay]

...meanwhile in Switzerland:

While enjoying some real NHL-top-shots, like Thornton, Nash, Bergeron, Spezza and Seguin (playing with my hometown-team EHC Biel), I'm wondering about two points:

- How come that NHLers play here in europe almost for free, are making an issue (in the NHL) out of getting like only 5mil a year instead of 6? heck, they play for appartment, food and car only (no salary at all!) over here! Yeah I know, it's like season-preparation for them, but it sill might be that the lock-out is for the whole season...

- I read somewhere, that the new cba-proposal of the owner is for a duration of 6 years only?! why aren't they making a deal of 10 years at least? why not something like 20 years? If the deal is done for 6 years, I am sure that after those 6 years, there will be another lock-out again.

going to bed now, watching some cards playoff-game, nice HR btw :D

[sseagle]

They are meeting now...

[philco_3]

yawn...

[sseagle]

There will not be a season...

[sseagle]

NHL AND NHLPA BRAKE OFF TALKS; BETTMAN SAYS ITS A STEP BACK
TSN.CA STAFF
10/18/2012 3:57:26 PM

The National Hockey League and the NHLPA have broken off talks for the day following over an hour of closed door discussions.

The NHLPA presented and discussed three different offers to the league in hopes of bridging the gap.

Bettman said following the meeting that none of the offers "even began to approach 50-50" and said he's concerned that it's a step back.

"This is the best offer that we have to make," said Bettman. "The fact is, we're nowhere close to what we proposed."

The meeting, which began 90 minutes later than originally scheduled, was the Players' Association's response to the league's latest collective bargaining proposal.

Both sides met for several hours through the early afternoon on Tuesday, with a significant proposal from the league on the table contingent on an 82-game season beginning Nov. 2.

Today's meeting in Toronto had NHL owners Jeremy Jacobs (Boston), Craig Leipold (Minnesota), Murrya Edwards (Calgary) and Ted Leonsis (Washington) joining the league's braintrust. 18 players represented the PA, including Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews and Jarome Iginla.

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr spent Wednesday examining the document with staff and the league has indicated that if a deal is worked out after next week, there could only be an abbreviated season.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has offered the players a plan which would includes a 50-50 split in all hockey related revenues and no salary rollback.

Other highlights of the offer - as released by the NHL on Wednesday - included:

- an official salary cap of $59.9 million for the 2012-13 season, with the provision that teams can actually spend up to $70.2 million for one year to ease the transition.

- a new rule that would allow teams to retain a portion of a player's salary in trades.

- the reduction of entry-level contracts to two years.

- a term limit on any contract beyond that set at five years and a stipulation that the average annual value can only vary up to five per cent. This is a mechanism designed to eliminate the long-term, back-diving deals that became popular during the previous CBA.

- the elimination of re-entry waivers.

- an annual revenue-sharing pool of $200 million, half of which is raised from the 10 richest teams, and the creation of a committee to determine how the money is distributed. The NHLPA would be given representation on the committee.

- the introduction of a "neutral" third-party arbitrator to handle appeals on supplemental discipline with a "clearly erroneous" standard of review.

Click on to TSN.ca for details as they follow and get up-to-the-minute news from TSN's Hockey Insiders and reporters on Twitter.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=407649

[abc789987]

Awesome... Well maybe hockey next year or something. I knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up.