More games in jeopardy as NHL talks break off
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says he’s “thoroughly disappointed” with the union’s response to the league’s latest collective agreement proposal.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — The NHL labour situation appears grim after an exchange of proposals between the league and the union accomplished little.
The NHL Players’ Association rejected an offer from the league that would see revenue split 50-50 between the league and the players.
The union countered with three different proposals, which league commissioner Gary Bettman called “thoroughly disappointing.”
Bettman says the league’s proposal is fair and would allow for an 82-game season to start Nov. 2.
But union executive director Donald Fehr says the players would sacrifice nearly $1.8 billion dollars in revenue under the league’s proposal.
Fehr says concessions made by the players in the last round of bargaining have cost them $3.3 billion over the term of the last agreement. The players currently get 57 per cent of revenues.
“This is not a good day,” Fehr said. “It should have been.”
Bettman says no new talks are immediately scheduled. He says he is still hopeful the league can have a full season, but time is running out to make that happen.
“I am concerned based on the proposal that was made today that things are not progressing,” he said. “To the contrary, I view the proposal made by the Players’ Association in many ways a step backward.”
The players have been locked out since Sept. 15.
Here’s a thought. Why don’t you both just take 43% and turn the remaining 16% back to the communities that support you. There should still be plenty to go around. Maybe give a break on ticket prices to families who have to shell out a car payment (or two) to take in a game, or invest in getting people back to work (starting with those who are out of work in your own offices because of your squabble over the equivalent of the GDP of a small nation). This is beyond ridiculous. Maybe both the NHL and the NHLPA should take Alfie’s advice.