League, Players' Association looking forward to Mediation -NHL Lockout Update
With over two months passed by now and still nothing significant to show to fans and stakeholders, the National Hockey League (NHL) and Players’ Association are both looking forward to third party interference in their dialogue to bring the lockout to an
end once and for all.
"We look forward to their involvement as we continue working to reach an equitable agreement for both the players and the owners," NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said in a statement.
"While we have no particular level of expectation going into this process, we welcome a new approach in trying to reach a resolution of the ongoing labor dispute at the earliest possible date," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. "We have
no further comment on the upcoming meetings at the current time."
The main objective of all stakeholders involved is to get a new labour deal in force as soon as possible and that will only be possible with the current scenario, if a neutral mediator enters the scene and decides what would be best for the sport, its fans
and the business while keeping their interests in mind.
Federal mediators, who have worked with the National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) in the past will be the ones now dealing with the NHL and its issues. There is a lot of optimism from all sides, especially the fans who
are counting on getting to see a regular season to kick off the New Year, but some are still frustrated as to what will come out in the end.
An entire preseason was lost due to the lockout, followed by a major chunk of the regular season through December 14th, while the highly anticipated 2013 NHL Winter Classic and All-Star Game also had to face the axe.
Some veteran players of the league have already said that the damage done could take anywhere from two to more years to repair and get back to the previous level, while some are counting on getting back to normal once everything kicks off.
It will be interesting to see what comes about in the next few days.
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