03-09-2005, 08:25 PM
NHL and players' association to meet Friday
By IRA PODELL, AP Sports Writer
March 9, 2005
AP - Mar 7, 2:36 pm EST
More Photos
NEW YORK (AP) -- Negotiators from the NHL and the players' association sat five seats apart at a table Wednesday, but weren't quite ready to start bargaining again.
Those talks would have to wait only a few more days. Labor negotiations will resume on Friday at an undisclosed location, a source with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
NHL chief legal officer Bill Daly and players' association senior director Ted Saskin took part in a labor-related panel at the World Congress of Sports on Wednesday, but they talked more at each other than to one another.
They will, however, be back at the bargaining table soon, along with their bosses -- commissioner Gary Bettman and union executive director Bob Goodenow.
Daly and Saskin answered questions separately, and stated and debated their respective positions. What they will talk about on Friday is still very much unknown. The sides haven't met since Feb. 19, three days after Bettman canceled the season.
``I'm not prepared to give you an agenda, but a lot of it will be determined once we get in the room,'' Daly said. ``I think in terms of re-engaging, I think there's a lot of uncertainty as to what the position of the union will be and whether they have an interest in doing a deal.''
The NHL invited the players' association back to the table last week and a meeting was set up shortly after. The league has taken more of an interest in restarting talks sooner rather than later because it would like to have a deal in place to hold the June draft on time and get its relaunch plan under way.
Players wanted to take more of a break before negotiating again. They have less of an incentive to get back to the table now since they are not due to be paid again until next season.
No proposals are expected to be exchanged Friday. All previous offers are off the table, including the league's decision to drop its demand for cost certainty and the union's willingness to accept a salary cap in return.
``At this point in time, when we're just coming off the cancellation of the season, it would not be appropriate to just get in and start firing proposals,'' Saskin said before flying home to Toronto. ``Certainly a lot has been learned over the last few years and I think people understand the hot buttons, they understand the issues that might lead to progress and might not.''
Bettman also took part in the World Congress of Sports, but in a one-on-one interview format.
He reiterated that the league is committed to starting next season on time and with a collective bargaining agreement with the players' association. But if that doesn't come to pass, he will consider using replacement players as a way to make sure there is hockey in the fall.
``We have lots of options, and obviously that is one of them,'' Bettman said.
The sale of all 30 teams to an investment firm and a sports advisory company, isn't a likely one. The group offered to buy the league for what Bettman called ``an opening bid'' of $3.3 billion. But every team would have to agree, and so far aren't willing to do so.
``The fact of the matter is I believe the offer would be more sizable if in fact the owners were seriously interested in pursuing it,'' Bettman said.
So now the pursuit is still in trying to find a way to make a deal to end the lockout. The NHL is already dealing with the stigma of being the first major sports league to lose a full season to a labor dispute.
Bettman tried to convey the message that the league is still quite viable, but he put the NHL ahead of only lesser leagues such as the Arena Football League.
``Before the work stoppage we were a $2.1 billion business. Other than basketball, football and baseball, among the team sports, there's nobody close to us,'' he said.
And that's how the sides want to keep things this week. Both are being tightlipped about the details of the meeting that will set the tone for talks that should continue into the summer.
``We've had secret meetings, we've had public meetings -- all of which hasn't worked to date,'' Saskin said. ``Maybe we have to reassess how we approach it. I think there is a well-deserved feeling among a lot of fans that they're kind of fed up with watching negotiations unfold in public. They'd rather hear us announce that we've made some progress and that we're on our way to getting a deal than just keep hearing that we haven't made any progress.
``So maybe it will serve the process better if we can keep things on a quieter scale.''
By IRA PODELL, AP Sports Writer
March 9, 2005
AP - Mar 7, 2:36 pm EST
More Photos
NEW YORK (AP) -- Negotiators from the NHL and the players' association sat five seats apart at a table Wednesday, but weren't quite ready to start bargaining again.
Those talks would have to wait only a few more days. Labor negotiations will resume on Friday at an undisclosed location, a source with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
NHL chief legal officer Bill Daly and players' association senior director Ted Saskin took part in a labor-related panel at the World Congress of Sports on Wednesday, but they talked more at each other than to one another.
They will, however, be back at the bargaining table soon, along with their bosses -- commissioner Gary Bettman and union executive director Bob Goodenow.
Daly and Saskin answered questions separately, and stated and debated their respective positions. What they will talk about on Friday is still very much unknown. The sides haven't met since Feb. 19, three days after Bettman canceled the season.
``I'm not prepared to give you an agenda, but a lot of it will be determined once we get in the room,'' Daly said. ``I think in terms of re-engaging, I think there's a lot of uncertainty as to what the position of the union will be and whether they have an interest in doing a deal.''
The NHL invited the players' association back to the table last week and a meeting was set up shortly after. The league has taken more of an interest in restarting talks sooner rather than later because it would like to have a deal in place to hold the June draft on time and get its relaunch plan under way.
Players wanted to take more of a break before negotiating again. They have less of an incentive to get back to the table now since they are not due to be paid again until next season.
No proposals are expected to be exchanged Friday. All previous offers are off the table, including the league's decision to drop its demand for cost certainty and the union's willingness to accept a salary cap in return.
``At this point in time, when we're just coming off the cancellation of the season, it would not be appropriate to just get in and start firing proposals,'' Saskin said before flying home to Toronto. ``Certainly a lot has been learned over the last few years and I think people understand the hot buttons, they understand the issues that might lead to progress and might not.''
Bettman also took part in the World Congress of Sports, but in a one-on-one interview format.
He reiterated that the league is committed to starting next season on time and with a collective bargaining agreement with the players' association. But if that doesn't come to pass, he will consider using replacement players as a way to make sure there is hockey in the fall.
``We have lots of options, and obviously that is one of them,'' Bettman said.
The sale of all 30 teams to an investment firm and a sports advisory company, isn't a likely one. The group offered to buy the league for what Bettman called ``an opening bid'' of $3.3 billion. But every team would have to agree, and so far aren't willing to do so.
``The fact of the matter is I believe the offer would be more sizable if in fact the owners were seriously interested in pursuing it,'' Bettman said.
So now the pursuit is still in trying to find a way to make a deal to end the lockout. The NHL is already dealing with the stigma of being the first major sports league to lose a full season to a labor dispute.
Bettman tried to convey the message that the league is still quite viable, but he put the NHL ahead of only lesser leagues such as the Arena Football League.
``Before the work stoppage we were a $2.1 billion business. Other than basketball, football and baseball, among the team sports, there's nobody close to us,'' he said.
And that's how the sides want to keep things this week. Both are being tightlipped about the details of the meeting that will set the tone for talks that should continue into the summer.
``We've had secret meetings, we've had public meetings -- all of which hasn't worked to date,'' Saskin said. ``Maybe we have to reassess how we approach it. I think there is a well-deserved feeling among a lot of fans that they're kind of fed up with watching negotiations unfold in public. They'd rather hear us announce that we've made some progress and that we're on our way to getting a deal than just keep hearing that we haven't made any progress.
``So maybe it will serve the process better if we can keep things on a quieter scale.''