NHL says 'wide gap' remains in labor talks

Commissioner Gary Bettman said of the bargaining: "We're not yet on the same page."
Commissioner Gary Bettman said of the bargaining: "We're not yet on the same page." (CHRIS YOUNG / AP)
Associated Press
Posted: August 16, 2012

TORONTO - With the threat of a lockout only a month away, the wide gap in contract negotiations between the NHL and the NHL Players' Association remained Wednesday, a day after the union presented its counterproposal.

In his first public comments since having a chance to read through the union's offer, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the two sides are "still apart, far apart."

Adding that he was "a little disappointed" that the union has yet to present its full proposal, Bettman said the league isn't even at the point of making a counteroffer.

"I think there are still a number of issues where we're looking at the world differently," Bettman said after the two sides met for an hour at the NHLPA headquarters in Toronto. "So there's still a wide gap between us, and not much time to go."

NHLPA executive director Don Fehr described the gap between the two sides as "a pretty substantial monetary gulf."

But he placed the blame on the NHL for creating the gap in the first place with the cutbacks in salary and limitations placed on free agency the league made in its initial offer last month.

The collective bargaining agreement expires Sept. 15, and the league has already said it will lock out its players if a new deal is not reached by then. The NHL regular season is set to open Oct. 11.

Bettman's response to the NHLPA's proposal and the large gap that remains between the two sides was regarded as a significant setback. That considerably raises fears that the NHL could be headed for its fourth labor dispute in 20 years.

Index by Keyword
|
Index by Date
|
About Philly.com
|
Contact Us
|
Terms of Use & Privacy Statement
|
Copyright 2013