NHL Puts “No” in November

  The talk of the NHL this season has regrettably been of its’ absence through failed agreements and discussions regarding the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the framework in which the National Hockey League will be run over the course of said term. The news spoken by word of Deputy Commissioner and Chief Legal Officer of the NHL, Bill Daly, broke last week to dejected hockey fans as an apparent giant step backward in attaining a season of hockey, when he announced the NHL’s cancelation of the entire month of November.

"The National Hockey League deeply regrets having to take this action," said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly in a statement.

  The NHL had made it very clear that an agreement must be made by Thursday between the NHL and the NHLPA if the league was going to have a full 82-game schedule played. If the collective agreement could be made, the season would begin November 2nd, allowing for a weeks’ training camp.

  After a long and intense battle between the NHL and NHLPA over revenue sharing, the NHL proposed a 50-50 split with a whole host of various stipulations regarding salary and contract structuring outlined in the new deal. The NHLPA returned three counter proposals that were all quickly stamped out by the league.

"By presenting a proposal to the NHLPA that contemplated a fair division of revenues and was responsive to Player concerns regarding the value of their contracts, we had hoped to be able to forge a long-term Collective Bargaining Agreement that would have preserved an 82-game regular season for our fans.  Unfortunately, that did not occur.

"We acknowledge and accept that there is joint responsibility in collective bargaining and, though we are profoundly disappointed that a new agreement has not been attained to this point, we remain committed to achieving an agreement that is fair for the Players and the Clubs - one that will be good for the game and our fans."

  The NHL’s fervency to reject the union’s proposals has equally matched the stance taken by NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr. Fehr, a man who is not easily persuaded, has been intent on obtaining a higher amount of revenue sharing for the expanding and flourishing National Hockey League.

"This is deeply disappointing for all hockey fans and everyone who makes their living from hockey, including the players," said NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr in a statement. "But it comes as no surprise." 

"Last week the owners gave us what amounts to a "take-it-or-leave-it" proposal. We responded with the framework for three proposals on the players' share, each of which moved significantly, towards their stated desire for a 50-50 split of HRR, with the only condition being that they honor contracts they have already signed. Honoring contracts signed between owners and players is a reasonable request. Unfortunately, after considering them for only 10 minutes they rejected all of our proposals"

  While Fehr does have a leg to stand on as a contract signed is a contract signed, Fehr’s reputation for a hard stand has titled him the only man of his position to have successfully locked out two different major sports. Fehr led the union for the 1994-95 MLB lock out of the entire season and World Series, with a track record of six work stoppages through no more than eight contract negotiations he has been involved with, highlighting his ability to demand. Five of the work stoppages, it should be noted, were consecutive disagreements while he led the MLBPA against the MLB.

“Since then,” Fehr continued, “we have repeatedly advised the owners that the players are prepared to sit down and negotiate on any day, with no pre-conditions.  The owners refused.  They apparently are only interested in meeting if we first agree to everything in their last offer, except for perhaps a few minor tweaks and discussion of their "make whole" provision. 

The message from the owners seems to be: if you don't give us exactly what we want, there is no point in talking.  They have shown they are very good at delivering deadlines and demands, but we need a willing partner to negotiate.  We hope they return to the table in order to get the players back on the ice soon."

  Though the NHL seems to be playing hard ball through staying their respective course, the decision has lost 326 games from October 11th through November 30th, which is a heart breaking 26.5 percent of the regular season.  Furthermore, an estimated  $720 million is set to be lost from the recent news of the cancelation.

  While a shortened season is still attainable, neither parties seem to be anywhere close to coming to terms, consistently cutting meetings short, if not canceling them altogether. The disruption in  this great sport has derailed the community of hockey, a sport that has taken great leaps of success since the most recent lock out of 2004-05, when the NHL lost an entire season.

  The verdict is out as to whether the two parties can reach an agreement, while players are continuously leaving North America to play overseas, and subsequently getting injured before the season has begun. Some of which, with the most notable inclusion of superstars Alexander Ovechkin and llya Kovalchuk stating that if their pay is cut, they won’t be returning at all. While these bold statements may come as a bit of a shock to some hockey fans, the reality and purpose behind their frustrations is somewhat minute as they truly have nothing to gain from such a move. The players have felt collectively that they are getting pushed around by the NHL, and the NHL has felt nothing different from the union, but the real truth is that the fans and the communities surrounding the arenas are suffering from the work stoppage, and that is something that both parties need to understand and fix in the very near future. The loss that could be felt by the NHL is at the core; it’s fans.

- Kendall Grubbs