NHLPA Counter Offers To Bettman " A Step Backwards "

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/18/2012 05:49:00 PM |
NHL.com Negotiations broke off quickly on Thursday after Gary Bettman rejected the NHLPA's three counter-offers. 

"The Players' Association came back and basically made three alternate proposals on the players' share, all variations, to some degree, of the one proposal that they made over the summer and really haven't deviated from since," Commissioner Bettman said. "And none of the three variations of players' share that they gave us even began to approach 50-50 (revenue split) either at all or for some long period of time and it's clear that we're not speaking the same language in terms of what they came back to us with.

"It is still my hope that we can accomplish my goal, the League's goal of getting an 82-game season, but I am concerned based on the proposal that was made today that things are not progressing. To the contrary, I think the proposal that was made by the Players' Association was in many ways a step backward."

NHLPA/Donald Fehr: Has not relased a counterproposal for public viewing or a statement at this time. 

To be fair I have to write Mr Fehr has hundreds of players, agents world-wide to communicate with in this process. The NHL has only thirty owners as it's board of governors. 

Updated: NHLPA Donald Fehr 25 minute video statement.

NYIFC Comments: 
Sorry folks, I do not wish to only provide the NHL's side, however the NHLPA site does not document or release information as the league does.

I wish for my readers to have all details equally from both sides.

All this blog can do is post the link to the NHLPA site, hoping they give the public the same specifics the league has so folks can see all offers, and decide for themselves. 

I will not use professional media twittering sketchy details of what the PA offered via sources, that's not what providing information is about. Hopefully the PA does show it's offers in the near future.

Bottom line, the rejection of the the league offer, the rejection of the NHLPA counter-offer, and talks breaking off likely mean unless one sides changes their mind there will not be an 82 game season.

What I can write of my own view is if the full season is eventually cancelled, someday when a settlement comes there will be a player or two wondering why they did not accept these terms revisiting this day.

As far as the owners rejected offer what I have learned after two CBA agreements where I believed a system was crafted which had no loopholes for corporate owners to exploit was they could and did.