6°c Clear
20°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Deal in days or it's over: source
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman (MARY ALTAFFER/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES)
A veteran member of the NHL’s board of governors says commissioner Gary Bettman is prepared to cancel the season on Thursday if a deal has not been reached or appears to be imminent.
The chill that has settled on NHL labour negotiations is all part of a Don Fehr plan to push commissioner Bettman into a corner for one last squeeze and there could be unfortunate circumstances for hockey fans, said the governor who requested anonymity.
The league believes Fehr is unwilling to do a deal until after Bettman has cancelled the NHL season and the union leader is now slowing the process one last time to increase pressure on the commissioner, said the governor late Thursday night.
Such a gambit could be put to the test as early as next Thursday and the governor said it will come up empty for the players and finally the fans.
If the NHL and NHLPA cannot come to a settlement and sign a new collective bargaining agreement by Thursday of next week, Bettman will announce the cancellation of the 2012-13 season.
The governor theorized Fehr will then let things sit for a day or two before trying to leverage Bettman one more time into signing a deal viewed as better for the players.
It won’t work.
The governor said owners and league personnel believe Fehr is trying to blow up the process and is no longer interested in making a deal.
They say Bettman is prepared for such an eventuality and will be supported should he elect to cancel the season on Thursday if no deal is done. Bettman will then take off what is currently on the table.
Bettman will be willing to listen and talk with Fehr after he cancels the season but it will be on the basis of doing a deal for the 2013-14 season. Once the commissioner cancels this season, a 50-50 share will no longer be offered and the league will pursue a much revamped package because the owners will have no incentive to make the deal that was on the table.
A lost season will clearly do great damage to the game and the league will find itself in a new economic reality.
There will also be the messiness of lawsuits, a dissolved union and complete uncertainty for both sides to deal with. Some owners, said the governor we spoke with, would welcome such an opportunity if the current deal cannot be closed.
Talks between the league and players had made slow but steady progress this week to the point where Fehr let a union-imposed deadline to enact a disclaimer of interest pass on Wednesday night.
Players, however, became frustrated with the league’s refusal to budge on certain issues and on Thursday took the step of beginning another vote to give Fehr the authority to disclaim interest by as early as Saturday after 5 p.m.
Bettman has made it clear a deal must be concluded by the end of next week in order to have players in training camp by next weekend to prepare for a season start on Jan. 19.
The league has stated it will not play less than a 48-game season and it has a schedule drafted that begins on Jan. 19. Teams were asked to provide dates for this schedule and altering it now would prove extremely problematic.
Twitter: @garylawless
History
Updated on Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 11:28 PM CST: Corrects date from "late Wednesday night" to "late Thursday night."
Fact Check
Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
More Latest News
(1 of 50 articles for this week)
Duffy expense controversy sent back to closed-door Senate committee
05/21/2013 10:02 PM 0
About Gary Lawless
Gary Lawless is the Free Press sports columnist and co-host of the Hustler and Lawless show on TSN 1290 Winnipeg and www.winnipegfreepress.com
Lawless began covering sports as a rookie reporter at The Chronicle-Journal in Thunder Bay after graduating from journalism school at Durham College in Ontario.
After a Grey Cup winning stint with the Toronto Argonauts in the communications department, Lawless returned to Thunder Bay as sports editor.
In 1999 he joined the Free Press and after working on the night sports desk moved back into the field where he covered pro hockey, baseball and football beats prior to being named columnist.
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- A new mom's booze-fuelled hell
- Apple trick on Ellen falls short for city woman
- Male facing charges after gun fired in Exchange District
- Peeping Tom portrayed as sexual deviant in court
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Justin Bieber's pet monkey becomes property of Germany after singer misses deadline
- Gay Archie character to kiss partner in Pop Tate's
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Driver crashes into tree near golf course
- Arrests made after raids on local head shops
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- News of city's $17-million winner leaks out on FB
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Susan Griffiths dies in Switzerland
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Police make grow-op bust
- MP Bruinooge says Bill 18 could infringe on religious freedoms
- Bethania CEO put on leave during investigation
- Elijah Harper: The humble man who said no
- Two charged in golf course burglary
- Power restored to Linden Woods after goose collides with lines
- Man breaks world record by riding Ferris wheel at Chicago's Navy Pier for more than 48 hours
- Doc's memoir portrays ERs as frantic, funny, frightening ... but never dull
- WAG's 100 Masters exhibit drawing more than art aficionados
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Marsh Madness: Photographers Fred Greenslade and Joe Bryksa capture spring migration's grandeur at Delta Marsh
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Province removing red tape in alcohol sales
- Animals are animals, new ads say
- Skin picking gets status as distinct disorder, should help sufferers access help
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Manitoba's changing spiritual landscape
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- Paul McCartney to play Winnipeg Aug. 12
- Ontario steps in to help save ELA
- Saskatchewan professor wants to test the health benefits of nose-picking
- 'Revenge of the redheads': Ginger-haired Montrealers gather in celebration
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Retail sales in province see 2 per cent increase in February
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.