The National Hockey League and its Players Association are two years away from their current Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring, and commissioner Gary Bettman said they hope to update it well before its expiration date.
Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli indicated Wednesday that the league would like an extension completed by June in what would be “an unprecedented step for these two sides to come together that early with a labor history that has seen three lockouts under Bettman’s watch.”
The league’s most recent lockout saw the 2012-13 season stalled and shortened to just 48 games, with the two sides only kicking off negotiations a month before the prior CBA expired.
“The NHL came to the table then with a heavy hand, set on lowering the revenue split between players and owners,” wrote Seravalli of those negotiations. “That resulted in a transfer of wealth of more than $5 billion from players to owners over the last 11 years. This time around, Bettman has signaled and said publicly that the league is not asking for ‘fundamental changes’ to the CBA.”
Negotiations from the players’ association will see its executive director Marty Walsh, who took over from Don Fehr 18 months ago, be involved in the first renegotiation. Seravalli reported while he was unable to reach Walsh for comment, “sources indicated Walsh wanted to complete the union’s fall tour to take players’ temperature on their wish list and interest to start bargaining this far out before committing to a timeline.”
What could be on tap for potential changes?
For one, shortening the pre-season from its current eight games is believed to be a hot topic. While Bettman played his cards close to his vest, as is his common modus operandi, Seravalli reported there’s been a “long-belief” that the league would be willing to trim the pre-season in half while adding two more games to the regular season schedule, hiking its total to 84 games.
Calls for a shorter pre-season have bounced quietly in recent years, but repercussions are being heavily felt this year with players and top prospects around the league suffering various injuries.
Los Angeles Kings defenceman Drew Doughty fractured his ankle, now on the shelf for months. Montreal Canadiens Patrik Laine and David Reinbacher are set to miss extended time with injuries from an ugly game with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Ottawa Senators have seen Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk suffer injuries Tuesday night, while first overall pick Macklin Celebrini crashed hard into the boards.
In Edmonton, the Oilers haven’t been unscathed, with backup netminder Calvin Pickard working his way back from a collision Saturday against the Seattle Kraken, but he said Wednesday he was “feeling ready to go,” and that it was “nice to be back skating.”
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
