The CBA "War" Begins

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=400580

{eot}

The NHL has made the first move in labour negotiations with its union.

Two media outlets reported Friday night that the league has made an initial offer to the NHL Players' Association with several major changes to the current collective bargaining agreement.

RDS.ca posted details of the proposal, including a reduction of players' hockey-related revenues from 57 per cent to 46 per cent.

Renaud Lavoie, a journalist with RDS, also reports that players would need to wait 10 seasons before becoming unrestricted free agents and that contracts would be limited to a maximum of five years.

The RDS story also says that the NHL's proposal would bring an end to salary arbitration and that entry-level contracts would be five years instead of three as they are under the current CBA.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post also tweeted that the NHL's proposal would eliminate signing bonuses on future contracts and mandate that all future deals have an equal value for every year of the contract.

"NHL proposal amounts to Declaration of War against NHLPA," added Brooks in a separate tweet.

[hf101]

Some of those demands / wants are outrageous. I get the ask for more so you can negotiate to a happy medium. But still.......46%?? Everyone knows they want the revenues at 50%.

10 seasons to be a UFA is ridiculous, 7yrs as it is now is fine. They probably could make the entry level contracts for players age 18 and 19 four years, but I can't see a player like Read who comes into the NHL @ 24 needing to have a 4/5 yr entry level deal for 1M

I think there should be signing bonus's up to a certain value that is not a part of the salaried cap hit and an equal value for every year of the deal is ok by me. I'm surprised the league didn't state they want to be able to terminate contracts as they see fit.

[flyerrod]

"Well the longer the strike lasts, the longer before the Maple Leafs are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs..."

This negotiation tactic is being employed to all unions everywhere. The problem is, it does nothing but create animosity and if you think the owners offer was ridiculous, just wait until you see the return proposal from Fehr. He will top the ludicrousness of that in spades. They only people who profit from this situation are the negotiators (lawyers) themselves. Nothing can just be "fair" anymore. The lawyers all want paid..........