Distance Grows between League, Players' Association following Latest Talks -NHL Update
The National Hockey League (NHL) had request the labour union to submit, what it thinks a final collective bargaining agreement should look like, but unfortunately when the time came, both sides failed to reach any significant agreement, as usual and now
it seems like the legal course is the only one they can take.
Players and the union made a five-year agreement on Wednesday, but the league was not in the mood to consider their options at all, according to NHLPA executive director, Donald Fehr, who also believes the league is not open to their ideas.
"We made a proposal to save an 82-game season and, frankly, we're all mystified we're not playing in light of that offer and in light of the fact that the players are losing, as a group, between $8 [million] and $10 million a day," Commissioner Gary Bettman
said. "We could have been playing. We could have been continuing the momentum this game had on an offer and an agreement that was long-term and fair.”
For now, there are no future talks planned at all between the two stakeholders as there seems to be another deadlock in play. Both sides seem to have reached the final stage of negotiations and were unable to bring about a significant labour agreement. Sources
are now quoting labour union insiders as thinking about taking it to court and letting the law decided on what should happen next.
"One of you is going to ask me what happens next and the answer is I don't know," Fehr stated. "We'll consider it, talk to the players and then see."
What is now feared is that the entire 2012-2013 NHL regular season could be cancelled after the league recently announced cancelling all exhibition matchups scheduled through December 14th along with the highly anticipated 2013 NHL All-Star Game,
which was set to be played in Columbus, Ohio.
Fans are the most confused of all stakeholders involved as no one sees a clear patch both negotiators could be taking in the upcoming days. The next couple of days remain crucial as to what both sides plan on doing in order to bring the lockout to an end.
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