NHL cancels games through Nov. 1
BY ADAM L. JAHNS ajahns@suntimes.com October 19, 2012 11:52PM
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, foreground, arrives with deputy commissioner Bill Daly as the NHL and its locked-out player resume negotiations in Toronto on Wednesday Oct. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)
Updated: November 21, 2012 6:13AM
As expected, the NHL made a disappointing announcement Friday after collective-bargaining negotiations earlier in the week failed to gain true traction with the NHL Players’ Association.
The league announced that the regular-season schedule through Nov. 1 has been canceled. It was the league’s second round of regular-season cancellations. A total of 135 games have been nixed from Oct. 11 through Nov. 1.
There’s no telling when the NHL, represented by commissioner Gary Bettman, and the union will return to the negotiating table as the rhetoric has become even more antagonistic. The announcement came a day after the NHL declined three proposals made by the union in Toronto and a few days after it came out with its touted 50/50 offer with a goal of preserving an 82-game season, which swayed public opinion in its favor.
The union, though, had several issues with the NHL’s proposal from what constituted hockey-related revenue to the changes the league made to contract rights.
“Everybody hears 50/50, and everybody is like, ‘Why aren’t you signing it?’ ” Florida Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell said. “But there are a lot of different ins and outs to it all that the majority of people don’t know about.”
While the NHLPA seriously examined the NHL’s latest offer, the players were disappointed that Bettman and Co. didn’t do the same to their three proposals, dismissing them after one meeting.
“It’s funny how the league claims to negotiate in good faith when they wait this long to give us their so-called ‘best deal possible,’ ” Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews said via text message. “They have locked us out to the point where an 82-game schedule may be on the line, and they’re still unwilling to come to the table and really talk.’’
Hawks defenseman Steve Montador said via email that the union’s third proposal had the goal of progressively reaching 50/50.
