The specter of a work stoppage in the NHL has been hanging over the sport of hockey for nearly a year.
With each passing day, the idea of the NHL and the NHL Players' Association coming to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement prior to Sept. 15 seems less likely.
Donald Fehr, the head of the NHLPA, says there is nothing magical about that date. He has said that if there is no formal agreement by Sept. 15, the two sides could continue to negotiate while working under the terms of the previous CBA.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman prefers that an agreement is reached by that date (source: CBC.ca). He has not threatened a lockout, but he has not ruled it out either. He may not want to give away his position because he doesn't want to weaken his negotiating stance.
The current round of talks between the NHL and NHLPA appear to have a certain maturity to them that has rarely been seen when a potential work stoppage seemed imminent. Both sides have been damaged by work stoppages in the past, and Fehr has been through the wars many times during his tenure with the Major League Baseball Players' Association.
As a result, b ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
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