‘A Step Backward’ As NHL/NHLPA Talks Go Nowhere

After the NHL proposed a 50/50 split of revenue to the NHLPA this past Tuesday, the two sides met this afternoon with the hope that an 82 game season could begin on November 2nd, but the outcome was not good.  The NHLPA shot down the NHL’s proposed 50/50 split and made counteroffers of their own, offers that the NHL were shocked by.

“We’re not speaking the same language,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to the press after the meeting.  Apparently the NHLPA’s counteroffers never reached anywhere near 50/50, and the league decided they couldn’t negotiate with such outstanding numbers.

While Bettman and the league have had their shortcomings, a 50/50 split of revenue is actually a really good deal, especailly with how long this lock out has gone on.  The fact that the NHLPA is being greedy now points more and more to the inevitable cancellation of the entire NHL season.  An 82 game regular season starting on the 2nd would not have been a bad thing, but now that that seems unlikely to happen, the best fans can hope for is a 60 something game season in December like the NBA had last year, but even that seems far fetched now.

Sources: Victoria O’Reilly, www.philly.com