The longer the NHL goes without a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with its players, the more games it will cancel and that action will send shock waves through the hockey world.
The latest round of cancellations, which includes games through Nov. 1, means that 135 games have been cancelled thus far in the lockout (source: USA Today).
Players and fans who were hoping for a quick agreement when the NHL presented its so-called "50-50 plan" Oct. 16 have had those hopes dashed. All parties must realize that much more work needs to be done before an agreement can be reached and hockey can be played again.
However, while this latest move is somewhat painful to all involved, it's not all that significant.
If there are additional cancellations because no agreement has been reached before Oct. 26, that's much more significant.
Gary Bettman's last offer consisted of the NHLPA and the NHL splitting Hockey Related Revenue on a 50-50 basis (source: TSN.ca). While the initial reaction of the players was somewhat positive—it was referred to as a good starting point—the players presented three counter-proposals.
Bettm ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
NHL Cancels More Games: What Message Does It Send to the Players?
October 19th, 2012 by Steve Silverman Leave a reply »
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