NHL makes an offer. Will players accept the deal?

Question

TORONTO (AP) -- The NHL has made a new offer to the players' association that proposes a 50-50 split of hockey-related revenue and a full 82-game season starting Nov. 2.

As talks resumed Tuesday in Toronto between the league and the NHLPA, Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the offer, which is crafted for - if nothing else - a quick response from the head of the players' association, Donald Fehr.

''It was done,'' Bettman said, ''in the spirit of getting a deal done.''

Fehr told reporters that the proposal is for six years.

''Our hope,'' he said, ''after we review this is that there will be a feeling on the players' side that this will be a proposal from which we can negotiate and try and reach a conclusion.''

When asked if the new proposal was an improvement over previous offers made by the NHL, Fehr said: ''In some respects I think it is. In other respects I'm not sure. We have to look at it.''

The NHL locked out its players on Sept. 15, and the regular season was scheduled to begin on Oct. 11. A Nov. 2 start date would extend the season well into June, but would preserve some of the marquee events, such as the Jan. 1 Winter Classic in Michigan.

Bettman said the long-term deal takes steps to guarantee the players will get full value from their existing deals. And in order to pull off the logistics of the schedule, each team would have one additional game every five weeks in order to get a full season in.

It is clearly the best offer - or counteroffer, for that matter - that has been made in the months of negotiations since last season ended. And the proposal is now in the hands of Fehr and his team of executives. The union has requested time to look the proposal over.

''We're focused on getting the puck dropped on Nov. 2 and playing a full 82-game regular season and full playoffs,'' Bettman said. ''That's what this offer is all about.''

This is the third lockout under Bettman's watch, but unlike the previous two, dialogue has remained steady. The two sides last met last week in New York.
...

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Hopefully!!   We want a full-season!!!!!

tomjc43 · Answer

As I said elsewhere this has been a major PR move by the NHL. First to the inevitable 50/50. It doesn't matter about anything else, if the NHLPA doesn't move quickly to accept they will be seen as the bad guys. 
Some of the secondary issues are interesting. Redden and the like count against the cap (they are part of the 50). A new length of contract limit at 5 years, 4 year entry level contracts, free agency at 8 years or 28, and Revenue sharing increases to $200MM. 

But my guess is players will reject for at least a week. More games lost and pain will increase. NHL will not come any closer, before July.

Sharp Attack · Answer

I don't know. One of the things that I think about, when it comes to HRR, is that the owners want to change the definition of it. The players don't want the definition of HRR to change, that's the thing. The NHLPA will have to go over all of the numbers associated with this offer. The way I see it, this new offer from the league is a crucial stepping stone to getting a new deal done. The NHLPA's response will indicate what happens next.

I predict that the NHLPA will not flat-out turn this offer down, but they will not accept it in it's entirety either. I expect the NHLPA to build a counter-proposal off of this. For those that want a full 82-game season, keep in mind that they (league and player's association) still need to hammer out everything else.

blades · Answer

In its modern-day state no; what you'll in all risk see at the moment is the NHLPA filing a counter-furnish maximum in all risk with a steady scaling to a 50-50 chop up alongside with some different products (quite than the gamers getting an instantaneous haircut). sturdy information- they're speaking, and this idea isn't the insult that the NHL's professional furnish change into.

RAY B · Answer

Cant believe that as a long time hockey im saying this,,but right now I really dont care about hockey. This "lockout" and lack of motivation to resovle it has turned me off hockey. Its billionaires fighing millionaires for monies that at the end of the day wont have any real impact on their lives. Most of us are living week to week, check to check..so I sort of find this whole bickering ridiculous.

Furthermore..not much respect for the guys who went overseas to make come good money just to take away jobs from other North Americans who have been playing in Europe to make a living. They gave up on their NHL dreams and now get pushed to the side for some NHL start to come over on a temporary basis.  They get to go over and make money while their 4th line "brothers" stay home and make nothing..nice union.

2 · Answer

I think that the players need to take it. That's the best deal they've seen so far. If they don't, they will lose more money and more work. This entire thing has been stupid. They should have had this deal monthes ago.

eddy_tabone · Answer

The players need to take this deal while it is still there, or they are sunk.

Anonymous · Answer

If they don't take it, the NHL's stock (figuratively) will go down the toilet.

Trending News

NHL makes an offer. Will players accept the deal?

8 Answers