“I re-confirmed something that the union has been told multiple times over the last nine to 12 months,” Bettman told reporters after a two-hour meeting. “Namely, that time is getting short and the owners are not prepared to operate under this collective bargaining agreement for another season, so we need to get to making a deal and doing it soon. And we believe there’s ample time for the parties to get together and make a deal and that’s what we’re going to be working towards.”
Lockout looming! Today is the first time I’ve felt that it is now possible that the 2012-13 NHL season may not start on time. David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail advises that, “No one should count on seeing any NHL games before the new year.”
In a nutshell, both sides are a bit full of themselves having enjoyed seven consecutive years of revenue growth since the last lockout.
The keys to understanding how the current CBA has worked is also explained by Shoalts in Escrow a nasty word to NHL players.
In the present negotiations the owners ask the players to take a 24% cut in their own share of revenue while simultaneously redefining Hockey Related Revenue down as it relates to the players. It’s a double cut.
From what I read of the owners position is that a short lockout works to their benefit, so long as they don’t miss the New Year’s Day games. Starting the season in January could work to our Ducks benefit as well, but I digress.
Even the threat of a lockout is of course a huge disappointment for us. To the owners, the reality of a lockout seems to be little more than a budget line item. Kind of sad, really.
First the NFL, then the NBA and now the NHL is in a labor mess! I truly hope the season starts on time, as it would be a travesty if it didn’t.