From the Los Angeles Times:

Enough time remains for the NHL and the players' association to avert a lockout, Commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday, brushing aside suggestions their differences can't be bridged before the September 15 espiration of the current collective bargaining agreement.

"I think people shouldn't get too wrapped up in the process," said Bettman, who took a break from league marketing meetings in Huntington Beach to attend the Mighty Ducks' game against Edmonton at the Arrowhead Pond.

"Collective bargaining is a process and there's more than ample time to do what has to be done. I'm not focused on a work stoppage. I'm focused on making a deal. I'm hoping at the right time the union will be prepared to address the issues and a deal will be done."

The league and the NHLPA haven't had formal talks sonce October 1, when players rejected a league proposal they contend would have imposed a hard salary cap. Since then, Bettman said he has had perhaps two face-to-face meetings with Bob Goodenow, the union's executive director, but said the lines of communication remain open.

Bettman also said he had not received a response from the NHLPA to the release of a league-commissioned report that supported his claims teams lost nearly $300 million last season. The yearlong financial analysis, spearheaded by former Securities and Exchange chairman Arthur Levitt, found that teams were spending more than three-quarters of their revenues on player costs, too high a portion to operate profitably. "The best thing about the Levitt report is...there's no dispute over what our economic situatio is," said Bettman.

He said the marketing meetings, which conclude today, were proceeding with the idea that all was business as usual and added that potential advertisers, licensees, sponsers, and fans have confidence "they know [the economic imbalance] is going to get fixed."


Am I the only one amazed he says he isn't focused on a work stoppage???

~Adam

Adam, that is pretty shocking, but perhaps Bettman knows that sides aren't that far apart? Wishful thinking on my part, I'm sure.

With union negotiations there has to be a huge amount of back-channel negotiation going on between the lawyers. During the Vancouver/Islanders game they interviewed Trevor Linden (NHLPA President) about the possibility of the work stoppage. As I recall, Linden seemed optomisitic about reaching an agreement once the season is over [sic] but also said that both sides had not met.

Let's hope that this is the case and we don't have to endure any work stoppage.

Various players and officials have said that they very much disupte the report. They continue to maintain that teams that actually make money are using various accounting tricks to show losses.



[ February 26, 2004, 11:57 AM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

The LA Times reports that Gary Bettman has sent a letter (ooooh!!) to Bob Goodenow requesting a resumption of talks which stopped last October. It's expected that the two will speak in the next few days & set up a meeting. Bill Daly, the NHL's executive VP and chief legal officer (and possibly janitor at the Pond wink ) is quoted: "You want to keep the lines of dialogue as open as possible so you can discuss things and see if you can make any kind of progress toward a better understanding." He further said that the NHL was willing to be creative to achieve a healthier balance between revenues and player costs.

First meeting since October? Weird. In other labor news, Joe Sakic (swoon) who rarely says anything quotable, has said he thinks there will not be a work stoppage, but that nothing will be accomplished until "the final possible moment." He cites the fact that all parties know that a work stoppage will pretty much kill the NHL in the US and that no one wants that.

~Adam

Thank you for the updated information Adam. It sounds like, at least according to our friend Joe, that there is some reason for optimism..let us hope.

Adam, you'd know this: remember when a Kings season ticket holder was given free reign to go over the Kings books? Do you remember what he found? I seem to recall that he was clear that Anschutz Entertainment Group were involved in some shell-game type deals where they hid various revenue streams etc.

Jim Allen, if I remember correctly, the guy who looked into the books found that the Kings were in fact accurate in their claims of losing money hand over fist. The accountant was somewhat surprised about learning the Anschutz Group was on the up-and-up about the Kings.

~Adam

Bettman speaks, again. From the Associated Press:

With talk of a possible lockout that could substantially curtail or even cancel next season, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman believes a work stoppage can be avoided. Bettman, speaking with reporters before the NY Rangers played the Washington Capitals on Thursday, said the expiration of the collective-bargaining agreement on September 15 gives the league and union an oppotunity to fix the sport's problems.

"I view September of 2004 as an opportunity to go forward. I'm optimistic. At the right time, the union will want to reason together with us." He said the league has already scheduled meetings with the NHLPA in April and May in an attempt to head off a possible lockout. He wants a "rational and fair relationship between revenues and expenses." While repeatedly saying he wanted a deal with the union that reduced costs for teams, Bettman refused to be more specific. He also ruled out any possible contraction. "The word contraction does not exist in my or the NHL's vocabulary," he said. "Any suggestion that the Capitals or any franchise is either moving or contracting is nothing more than unsubstantiated and irresponsible rumor mongering."

In other topics:

On the Bertuzzi attack of Moore: "This wasn't a fight. This was an incident that crossed the line and it was dealt with appropriately. Let's not overgeneralize. It was dealt with in a very strict and harsh way."

He thinks the league will be able to replace its expiring television contract with ABC/ESPN with a favorable deal.

He may be looking at things through rose-colored glasses (or rose-coloured, for our Canadian friends) but the fact they have meetings scheduled is a step in the right direction. On a side note, I'm partial to to "unsubstantiated and irresponsible rumor mongering;" what other kind of rumor mongering is there, anyway?

~Adam

Rumors that turn out to be true?
Trevor, any truth to that or do you have something unsubstaniated and irresponsible to add? I'm very pro-contraction in all the major US sports, so I'll disagree with Bettman there.

I think Bettman's on serious drugs if he thinks that a new TV deal is going to be anywhere near the expiring one.

If I were a TV network, I wouldn't even make an offer until they settled the labor dispute, let alone a GOOD offer. I think Bettman is posturing.