Not much happening on the NHL front this morning except, of course, for the first volley being fired in the new CBA negotiations.
Not surprisingly, it was Gary Bettman and his team who sent the first proposal to the PA. And what a proposal it is!
They want to cut the players' portion of league revenues from 57 percent to 46 percent. They want to cap contracts at a maximum of five years. They want to extend the number of years a player has to play before becoming a free agent (from seven to ten).
What's not to like?
Umm, ya.
So when the PA rejects this deal, and they will in earnest, the question becomes whether this is harden their stance or not. However, knowing Donal Fehr, he was probably ready and waiting for the strong arm approach that Bettman is known for.
With the NHL at it's highest level of popularity basically ever, the league cannot afford to have any kind of prolonged lockout. And Fehr and the PA know it.
Things are sure to get interesting from here!
Hockey News
HabsAddict.com - Press Release - Canadiens Sign Defenseman Raphael Diaz to a Two-Year Contract
Hockey Inside/Out - An offer the PA can and will refuse
TSN - REPORT: NHL TABLES INITIAL CBA PROPOSAL TO NHLPA
ESPN - Thin Blue Line: Impact of Suter deal
THN - Top 10 all-time Europeans
Spector's Hockey - NHL Rumor Roundup – July 13, 2012
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images North America)
1 comments:
If the league locks the players out again for another year I think I'm done with NHL hockey. The owners wanted the salary cap and they got it. Now they want to restrict the duration of time a player can agree to play under that cap? BS. If that happens, I'd like to see all the players insist on one year contracts thereby turning every July 1st into a logistical nightmare. The owners are the ones extending these exorbitant contracts in the first place, now they want contractual language to limit their own actions? Hell no. I don't feel the least bit sorry for those greedy owners.
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