With the September 15th deadline just three days away, today is by far the biggest day of the negotiations to date. More than 300 players will be at today’s meetings, with the NHLPA hopefully making a new offer, per Renaud Lavoie:
Possible new players offer today. Bill Daly expect some movement at some point before the NHLPA meeting Wednesday.
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) September 11, 2012
Although that tweet is from yesterday, it is still promising that a new offer may be made at some point. This new offer was also confirmed by Bruce Garrioch:
The NHLPA discussed the possibility of bringing a new proposal in conference call last night. Certainly discussed new ideas. #NHL.
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) September 12, 2012
The meeting between the NHL and the NHLPA is expected to be this morning, with both sides meeting on their own immediately after. It’s widely expected that there will be a lot of news –and hopefully movement– as the deadline approaches. An upcoming deadline usually gets both sides moving.
However, with the players showing that they are unlikely to budge in terms of hockey related revenues, and the owners unlikely to budge on more robust revenue sharing, it makes you wonder how much will actually get done in the next three days. These are the key points that are breaking the deal right now.
The owners seem content with another lockout, despite losing the PR war. The players, with Donald Fehr on board as the head of the NHLPA, are not going to cave like they did last lockout. The sad truth is that we are likely going to have another work stoppage, the third in Gary Bettman’s regime.
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