As we discussed yesterday, the NHL has presented the NHLPA with a new CBA proposal to end the lockout. In their continuing PR effort to win back the hearts and minds of the fan base (which has largely sided with the players to this point), the NHL has released the full text of the proposal it sent to the Players’ Association. You can head on over to NHL.com now to read the full text, or for a version which is readable by normal humans, you can check out Puck Daddy’s interpretation here (stick tap to Anaheim Calling for bringing the Puck Daddy post to my attention).
September 12, 2012; New York, NY, USA; NHLPA executive director Don Fehr speaks during a press conference at the 2012 NHLPA summer player meetings at the Marriott Marquis. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-US PRESSWIRE
Optimism was high yesterday when a brief overview of the plan was leaked, but as always, the devil is in the details. And the NHLPA isn’t too big on the details of the offer. TSN’s Bob McKenzie posted excerpts from a note sent to the NHLPA by their director Don Fehr, painting a not-so-rosy picture of the proposal. You should read the full excerpts in McKenzie’s post, but to give you an idea:
"“Simply put, the owners’ new proposal, while not quite as Draconian as their previous proposals, still represents enormous reductions in player salaries and individual contracting rights. As you will see, at the 5 per cent industry growth rate the owners predict, the salary reduction over six years exceeds $1.6 billion. What do the owners offer in return?”"
Hopefully a reasonable NHLPA counter-proposal comes soon, and the NHL is actually willing to continue these negotiations. After yesterday, I’m back to being optimistic that we’ll see a season this year, but both sides need to act fast and continue to compromise.
Jer is praying for the miracle that will save the rest of this season. Follow him on Twitter @JerMeansWell.