NHL players ready to submit new proposal next week
NHL players ready to submit new proposal next week
December 2, 2004
TORONTO (Ticker) - Eleven weeks into a lockout, the NHL Players Association is ready to submit a new proposal.
The NHLPA announced Thursday that executive director Bob Goodenow sent a letter to commissioner Gary Bettman inviting the league's Negotiating Committee to attend a meeting in Toronto next week.
The letter also confirmed that the NHLPA is working on a proposal which it believes should provide the basis for a new collective bargaining agreement.
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"Almost three months have passed since the players made their last proposal and we have yet to receive a counter offer from the league," Goodenow said. "We have been working hard at other creative solutions and believe our new proposal will provide a basis to end the owners' lockout and resume NHL hockey."
NHL executive vice president Bill Daly said Thursday he is looking forward to the meeting.
"We are hopeful that the NHLPA's offer will be a meaningful effort to address the league's economic problems," Daly said. "When we receive the proposal, we will evaluate it closely and respond appropriately."
No talks between the union and the league have taken place since commissioner Gary Bettman announced the players would be locked out on September 15.
While touring Alberta each of the last two days, Bettman insisted the league would not accept the luxury tax proposal the Players Association initially offered. He also proclaimed unless a new and improved collective bargaining agreement is reached with some sort of salary restriction, teams such as the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers would not survive.
NHL teams have been given the authority to clear dates in their arenas up to 45 days in advance, effectively canceling games through mid-January. As of Thursday, 638 contests have been wiped off the slate.
Players have missed out on four paydays thus far, as checks are issued twice each month. The 88th NHL season was scheduled to begin October 13.