NHL Negotiations Going Nowhere Fast By Dan4th Nicholas from Cambridge, MA, USA (Sidney Crosby-1) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
NHL Lockout Possible Following Frigid Talks
The second NHL lockout in just 8 years may be right around the corner. Spokespersons for both the NHL Player’s Association and the NHL itself have come forward to present the deadlocking of negotiations.
A short meeting held between the two organizations this past Thursday led to little besides continued philosophical differences in pay scales.
The commissioner of the NHL, Gary Bettman, was reported as saying the issue is simple, “We believe we’re paying out more than we should be. It’s as simple as that.”
The NHL Player’s Association lacked this viewpoint, and instead sought to maintain or only slightly decrease revenue shares for players. Donald Fehr, the executive director of the NHL Player’s Association, brought forth a proposal last week offering reduced revenue for players.
Fehr, however, seeks to avoid what his organization believes was a mistake from the 2004-2005 talks. Players helped end that year’s deadlock by agreeing to less money.
As the September 11 deadline for the lockout approaches faster and faster, neither side seems to be lowering their demands anytime soon.
