Today, the NHL and NHL Players Association will meet in New York for the fourth straight day, a sign that some progress is being made. After all, as NHLPA head Don Fehr put it: ‘‘It’s better to be meeting and talking than not.” The players union has given the owners a specific proposal and the owners are carefully considering it. According to the New York Times:
[U]nion officials confirmed that their proposal involved revenue sharing among clubs and a make-whole provision, a mechanism that would allow existing contracts to be honored under a lower salary cap. The union has said it will accept a 50-50 split of the league’s overall revenue, down from a 57-43 split under the collective bargaining agreement that expired Sept. 15.
The make-whole issue is seen as the biggest obstacle to a settlement. The union wants existing contracts honored in full, while in past proposals the league has sought to defer payments on such contracts.
Just get it done, fellas. Get. It. Done.
