02-10-2005, 07:57 PM
NHL getting closer to cancelled season as talks halted
February 11, 2005
TORONTO (AFP) - Contract talks between lock-out NHL players and the owners broke off after just three hours as the two sides appeared to be no closer to settling their economic dispute.
"The union brought nothing new to the table, no new meetings are scheduled and none are expected," league executive vice president Bill Daly said Thursday.
Those negative comments come one day after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told the Players Association that a framework for a new collective bargaining agreement must be in place by the weekend to prevent the 2004-05 regular season from being cancelled.
"Nothing transpired today (Thursday) to change that timetable," Daly said. "We're out of tricks. We've made three consecutive proposals with no counter proposals."
On Wednesday, the league made a new collective bargaining agreement proposal that immediately was rejected by the union.
No progress was made Thursday before talks broke off, perhaps for good.
Some players, like Jeremy Roenick of the Philadelphia Flyers , have been calling for acceptance of a salary cap but it is believed that the majority of the players are in agreement with their union brass.
"There is no further creativity on this side," Daly said. "If they want to meet with us, we'll meet, but we have no plans on our side to meet.
"We made proposals on December 14, February 2 and again yesterday (Wednesday) and we thought certain concepts were acknowledged and I hoped a common ground could be found. I can't say why it never happened, but it never did."
Bettman and Daly represented the league, while union executive director Bob Goodenow and senior director Ted Saskin were present for the union over the last two days.
Saskin was scheduled to make a comment later Thursday.
After three consecutive days of talks last week, the NHL introduced a plan in which it would implement the proposal made by the union on December 9 until it became obvious it did not work economically.
At that time, the league's February 2 design, which masked a salary cap as a "floating team payroll range," would go into effect.
The proposal made by the union in December contained rollbacks of player compensation by 24 percent, reduced qualifying offers, a payroll tax and a revenue distribution plan.
In order for the CBA to convert to the league's plan, one of four conditions must take place - league-wide player compensation exceeds 55 percent of revenues; the average of the three highest club payrolls becomes 33 percent higher than the average of the three lowest payrolls; three clubs exceed a 42 million dollar payroll; and average team compensation per club exceeds 36.5 million dollars.
The lockout is in its 148th day.
February 11, 2005
TORONTO (AFP) - Contract talks between lock-out NHL players and the owners broke off after just three hours as the two sides appeared to be no closer to settling their economic dispute.
"The union brought nothing new to the table, no new meetings are scheduled and none are expected," league executive vice president Bill Daly said Thursday.
Those negative comments come one day after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told the Players Association that a framework for a new collective bargaining agreement must be in place by the weekend to prevent the 2004-05 regular season from being cancelled.
"Nothing transpired today (Thursday) to change that timetable," Daly said. "We're out of tricks. We've made three consecutive proposals with no counter proposals."
On Wednesday, the league made a new collective bargaining agreement proposal that immediately was rejected by the union.
No progress was made Thursday before talks broke off, perhaps for good.
Some players, like Jeremy Roenick of the Philadelphia Flyers , have been calling for acceptance of a salary cap but it is believed that the majority of the players are in agreement with their union brass.
"There is no further creativity on this side," Daly said. "If they want to meet with us, we'll meet, but we have no plans on our side to meet.
"We made proposals on December 14, February 2 and again yesterday (Wednesday) and we thought certain concepts were acknowledged and I hoped a common ground could be found. I can't say why it never happened, but it never did."
Bettman and Daly represented the league, while union executive director Bob Goodenow and senior director Ted Saskin were present for the union over the last two days.
Saskin was scheduled to make a comment later Thursday.
After three consecutive days of talks last week, the NHL introduced a plan in which it would implement the proposal made by the union on December 9 until it became obvious it did not work economically.
At that time, the league's February 2 design, which masked a salary cap as a "floating team payroll range," would go into effect.
The proposal made by the union in December contained rollbacks of player compensation by 24 percent, reduced qualifying offers, a payroll tax and a revenue distribution plan.
In order for the CBA to convert to the league's plan, one of four conditions must take place - league-wide player compensation exceeds 55 percent of revenues; the average of the three highest club payrolls becomes 33 percent higher than the average of the three lowest payrolls; three clubs exceed a 42 million dollar payroll; and average team compensation per club exceeds 36.5 million dollars.
The lockout is in its 148th day.