Post by RemyShanx on Mar 2, 2005 11:42:20 GMT -5
www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national/2005/03/01/Sports/nhlplayerss050301.html
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NHL owners and the NHL Players' Association held separate meetings Tuesday but emerged with the same message: 'We're united.'
INDEPTH: Faceoff 2004-05
Gary Bettman will soon initiate new talks. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Neither pronouncement came as a surprise since both were determined to display solidarity, if not unanimity, in the wake of the cancellation of the 2004-05 NHL season.
While NHL commissioner Gary Bettman summoned league governors to New York for their first board meeting since last September, NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow met with close to 150 players in Toronto.
FROM FEB. 28, 2005: Goodenow has ruined NHL: Clarke
"We're going to invite the union back to the table soon and I assume that they will discharge their legal obligation to bargain in good faith," Bettman said. "The more the damage, the less money we're going to have to ultimately pay in players' salaries.
"So I think it's in everybody's interest to move forward as expeditiously as possible."
FROM FEB. 17, 2005: Where does hockey go from here?
Both Bettman and Goodenow were expected to discuss plans for the future and why they failed to reach agreement two weeks ago.
Whatever was said, their respective memberships stand behind them.
FROM FEB. 22, 2005: Gretzky says there was little cap talk Saturday
"Anyone that thinks there is division within the owners is wrong," Los Angeles Kings president Tim Lieweke said. "We are very united."
"You had 30 ownerships that are in absolute unanimity as to where we're going to go from here," Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said. "Everyone voted on the resupport of Gary and it was unanimous.
FROM FEB. 27, 2005: Lemieux speaks out on failed labour meeting
"I think there's a plan in place to try to move forward. And I think we're going to have hockey next season."
Whether or not that plan includes replacement players remains to be seen.
"I think that we can move forward and plan to play a season, however it happens, this coming year," Edmonton Oilers chair Cal Nichols said. "I think that in itself is what our fans want to see, so we'll just see how it works out in the summer.
"I think everybody still has a preference to work with the union and try to negotiate something. And hopefully, that is where it takes us."
Similar sentiments were expressed following the NHLPA gathering.
"I thought the meeting really reaffirmed the solidarity of our union," added Michael Peca, captain of the New York Islanders.
"Coming out of the meeting, I can unequivocally say everyone is on board and understands the issues better," stated St. Louis Blues defenceman Chris Pronger.
About 110 NHL owners, executives and general managers made the trip to the Westin Times-Square in Manhattan, with one notable exception.
Wayne Gretzky, managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes, was in Brantford, Ont., Tuesday to be with his mother Phyllis, who is battling lung cancer.
Last month, Bettman cancelled the season after the union rejected the league's final offer, which included a $42.5-million US salary cap. The players were willing to play under a $49-million US cap.
In the days that followed, speculation was rampant that behind-the-scenes bargaining had produced a new, season-saving labour agreement. Several news agencies reported that the owners and players had settled on a $45-million US cap.
Even Gretzky and Mario Lemieux joined the last-ditch talks believing the players were prepared to table a new proposal, but a deal never materialized.
Lemieux claimed in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he was misled by the union.
"The only way that Wayne and I would have gotten involved is because we believed there was a new proposal coming from the Players' Association," Lemieux said. "We were told by some of the players we were talking to that there would be a new proposal on the table at the $45-(million US) level."
But the NHLPA stated a new proposal was never in the cards.
"We tried to address the league's issues, and we felt we did that," NHLPA president Trevor Linden explained. "But we're going to try to work and get something that is fair and works for both sides, hopefully sooner than later."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL owners and the NHL Players' Association held separate meetings Tuesday but emerged with the same message: 'We're united.'
INDEPTH: Faceoff 2004-05
Gary Bettman will soon initiate new talks. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Neither pronouncement came as a surprise since both were determined to display solidarity, if not unanimity, in the wake of the cancellation of the 2004-05 NHL season.
While NHL commissioner Gary Bettman summoned league governors to New York for their first board meeting since last September, NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow met with close to 150 players in Toronto.
FROM FEB. 28, 2005: Goodenow has ruined NHL: Clarke
"We're going to invite the union back to the table soon and I assume that they will discharge their legal obligation to bargain in good faith," Bettman said. "The more the damage, the less money we're going to have to ultimately pay in players' salaries.
"So I think it's in everybody's interest to move forward as expeditiously as possible."
FROM FEB. 17, 2005: Where does hockey go from here?
Both Bettman and Goodenow were expected to discuss plans for the future and why they failed to reach agreement two weeks ago.
Whatever was said, their respective memberships stand behind them.
FROM FEB. 22, 2005: Gretzky says there was little cap talk Saturday
"Anyone that thinks there is division within the owners is wrong," Los Angeles Kings president Tim Lieweke said. "We are very united."
"You had 30 ownerships that are in absolute unanimity as to where we're going to go from here," Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said. "Everyone voted on the resupport of Gary and it was unanimous.
FROM FEB. 27, 2005: Lemieux speaks out on failed labour meeting
"I think there's a plan in place to try to move forward. And I think we're going to have hockey next season."
Whether or not that plan includes replacement players remains to be seen.
"I think that we can move forward and plan to play a season, however it happens, this coming year," Edmonton Oilers chair Cal Nichols said. "I think that in itself is what our fans want to see, so we'll just see how it works out in the summer.
"I think everybody still has a preference to work with the union and try to negotiate something. And hopefully, that is where it takes us."
Similar sentiments were expressed following the NHLPA gathering.
"I thought the meeting really reaffirmed the solidarity of our union," added Michael Peca, captain of the New York Islanders.
"Coming out of the meeting, I can unequivocally say everyone is on board and understands the issues better," stated St. Louis Blues defenceman Chris Pronger.
About 110 NHL owners, executives and general managers made the trip to the Westin Times-Square in Manhattan, with one notable exception.
Wayne Gretzky, managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes, was in Brantford, Ont., Tuesday to be with his mother Phyllis, who is battling lung cancer.
Last month, Bettman cancelled the season after the union rejected the league's final offer, which included a $42.5-million US salary cap. The players were willing to play under a $49-million US cap.
In the days that followed, speculation was rampant that behind-the-scenes bargaining had produced a new, season-saving labour agreement. Several news agencies reported that the owners and players had settled on a $45-million US cap.
Even Gretzky and Mario Lemieux joined the last-ditch talks believing the players were prepared to table a new proposal, but a deal never materialized.
Lemieux claimed in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he was misled by the union.
"The only way that Wayne and I would have gotten involved is because we believed there was a new proposal coming from the Players' Association," Lemieux said. "We were told by some of the players we were talking to that there would be a new proposal on the table at the $45-(million US) level."
But the NHLPA stated a new proposal was never in the cards.
"We tried to address the league's issues, and we felt we did that," NHLPA president Trevor Linden explained. "But we're going to try to work and get something that is fair and works for both sides, hopefully sooner than later."