Nhl Players Association

NEW YORK - NHL labor negotiations hit a standstill after talks broke off Friday, two weeks before the league has threatened to lock out its players. NHL Players' Association executive director Don Fehr announced that the NHL asked that talks be "recessed" after the union presented its latest proposal during negotiations held at the league's headquarters. Fehr said the union's latest proposal "did not bear fruit. " The NHLPA's latest offer came three days after the NHL made its first counterproposal.

Representatives from the NHL and the players' union met Monday night in New York, trying to find common ground that will end their labor war. Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner, said the league asked the NHL Players' Association to submit a full proposal on how to divide hockey-related revenue. That could be done Tuesday. "We are going to think about what was said and think about our next step," said Donald Fehr, executive director of the players' union. Daly told reporters that owners would not accept a proposal that guarantees an amount of revenue to players, compared to a percentage of the pie. The league wants to settle the revenue split before tackling player-contract issues.

The NHL on Friday canceled games through Nov. 1, but the move was a formality because the league had said it was hoping to start its season Nov. 2 if a new collective bargaining agreement is signed by Thursday. The NHL had previously canceled the season's first two weeks because of the labor dispute with the players' union. No new meetings are scheduled between the league and the NHL Players' Association. The lockout began when the CBA expired Sept. 15. Phantoms fall. Andrew Johnston scored the lone goal for Adirondack Phantoms, the Flyers' farm team, in a 2-1 loss to the host St. John's IceCaps.

Will the momentum from Saturday's lengthy, productive talks carry into Tuesday's negotiations between representatives of the NHL and the players union? That's the hope as both sides enter the 52d day of the lockout. Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner, and Steve Fehr, the NHL Players' Association's special counsel, will meet Tuesday in New York. There's a chance they could be joined by the big honchos - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr, executive director of the players union.

A small group of representatives from the NHL and NHL Players' Association continued to make progress yesterday in an attempt to draft a new collective-bargaining agreement. Talks lasted for 10 1/2 hours in Toronto. Neither NHL commissioner Gary Bettman nor union executive director Bob Goodenow attended the session. They are expected to attend today's full-scale labor committee session. Despite various reports that a deal was imminent, two people directly involved in the discussions - both of whom asked not to be identified - said that while that is far from true, genuine progress is being made in hopes of completing a deal by mid-June.

Both sides said progress has been made in the NHL's labor dispute, but the lockout is far from over. Representatives from the NHL and the players' union met Saturday night at an undisclosed location and did not end their session until 1 a.m. They did not come close to a settlement, but at least they are negotiating. It was their first face-to-face meeting in 16 days. The sides reportedly will meet again Tuesday in New York. Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner, and Steve Fehr, special counsel for the NHL Players' Association, were at Saturday's lengthy session.

All was quiet on the NHL labor front Wednesday, marking the 13th consecutive day representatives of the league and the players' association did not meet. Donald Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players' Association, complained about the league's lack of negotiating in the latest letter he sent to the players. "At every opportunity we have continued to state that we are ready to meet and willing to discuss all open issues, including the owners' last offer," Fehr wrote. "Nonetheless, to date, their group has declined to commit to a meeting unless it can dictate what the agenda is. " Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner, did not respond to an e-mail Wednesday asking him to respond to Fehr.

The NHL, while revealing that another round of contract negotiations with the union will be held next week, confirmed also that more games would be canceled. "There will be an announcement Monday on games being canceled," NHL director of hockey operations Brian Burke said after meeting with Buffalo Sabres officials yesterday, the 28th day of the lockout. "If it's up to me, the number will be in double digits. "Based on building availability, we lose the ability to reschedule.

Representatives of the National Hockey League and the NHL Players' Association met for the first time since Feb. 19 yesterday in Toronto. Neither side presented proposals to end the 178-day lockout during the 90-minute session. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and union chief Bob Goodenow attended along with their counsels - Bill Daly for the league and Ted Saskin for the union. It was the first time that Bettman and Goodenow had met in a bargaining session since Feb. 10. "No progress was made toward a new collective-bargaining agreement," Daly said in a statement.

It's back to the bargaining table again today for the National Hockey League and the NHL Players' Association. The time and location of the meeting are secret. Neither side will make a proposal, their representatives say, adding that negotiations will begin anew, with no proposals from previous negotiations on the table. Bill Daly, the NHL's chief legal counsel, and Ted Saskin, the union's senior director, said they expect this session to be used for seeing where the sides are after meetings of their members last week.

About a half hour after Donald Fehr said the labor war between the NHL and the union was almost over, it seemed to get bloodier Thursday night. While Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players' Association, was painting a rosy picture during a news conference in New York and saying the sides had "a complete agreement on dollars," the NHLPA was receiving a voice mail from the league saying the union's proposal was rejected. The lockout lives. The NHL season stays dark. Fact is, the season may be headed toward its death if you listen to Gary Bettman, the NHL's beleaguered commissioner.

About a half hour after Donald Fehr said the labor war between the NHL was almost over, it seemed to get bloodier Thursday night. While Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players' Association, was painting a rosy picture during a news conference in New York and saying the sides had "a complete agreement on dollars," the NHLPA was receiving a voice mail from the league, telling it that the union's proposal was rejected. The lockout lives. The NHL season stays dark. Fact is, the season may be headed toward its death if you listen to Gary Bettman, the NHL's beleaguered commissioner.

With negotiations at a standstill, the NHL and the players union have turned to federal mediators as they attempt to end their long labor dispute. The mediation, announced Monday during the 72d day of the lockout, is nonbinding. "Both sides are prepared to try a new approach," said Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. " The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service will try to steer the sides toward a new collective bargaining agreement.

Representatives from the NHL and the players' union met Monday night in New York, trying to find common ground that will end their labor war. Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner, said the league asked the NHL Players' Association to submit a full proposal on how to divide hockey-related revenue. That could be done Tuesday. "We are going to think about what was said and think about our next step," said Donald Fehr, executive director of the players' union. Daly told reporters that owners would not accept a proposal that guarantees an amount of revenue to players, compared to a percentage of the pie. The league wants to settle the revenue split before tackling player-contract issues.

Stop wasting our time, NHL. Same goes for you, NHL Players' Association. For more than two months, you have teased us. There have been off-and-on negotiations and hints that your very public labor war was about to end. In reality, you are no closer to a settlement than you were in September. Your rhetoric has gotten older than the Phillies' roster. Your bickering has become as annoying as the guy who whines about his fantasy football injuries. Your lack of progress and your disregard for the fans - the folks who supplied you with a record $3.3 billion in revenue last season - have threatened to put hockey somewhere between badminton and roller derby on sports' popularity chain.

Donald Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players' Association, confirmed after Thursday's five-hour meeting that the league responded to proposals made by the players' union, but both sides were tight-lipped on the progress that was made. The proposals regarded revenue-sharing and the players' share of hockey-related revenue, and both were reportedly rejected by the NHL. The owners want an immediate 50-50 split in hockey-related revenue, but the players are trying to have a "phase-in" period, with the 50-50 divide not occurring until the third year of the collective bargaining agreement.

For the second time in four days, representatives from the NHL and the players union had a lengthy meeting as they attempted to end their labor feud and take a step toward a new collective bargaining agreement. The meeting in New York, attended by 13 players, including Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby, lasted more than seven hours Tuesday night. Neither side would disclose what occurred at the meeting. They planned to meet again Wednesday. "The players' view has always been that we ought to keep negotiating until we find a way to get an agreement," Donald Fehr, the NHL Players' Association's executive director, told reporters before the sides met. "You sort of stay at it day by day, so it's very good to be getting back to the table.

Both sides said progress has been made in the NHL's labor dispute, but the lockout is far from over. Representatives from the NHL and the players' union met Saturday night at an undisclosed location and did not end their session until 1 a.m. They did not come close to a settlement, but at least they are negotiating. It was their first face-to-face meeting in 16 days. The sides reportedly will meet again Tuesday in New York. Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner, and Steve Fehr, special counsel for the NHL Players' Association, were at Saturday's lengthy session.

Will the momentum from Saturday's lengthy, productive talks carry into Tuesday's negotiations between representatives of the NHL and the players union? That's the hope as both sides enter the 52d day of the lockout. Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner, and Steve Fehr, the NHL Players' Association's special counsel, will meet Tuesday in New York. There's a chance they could be joined by the big honchos - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr, executive director of the players union.

The Winter Classic, the crown jewel of the NHL's regular season, was canceled Friday, making some wonder if scrapping the entire 82-game season will be next. The league announced that the Jan. 1 matchup between Detroit and Toronto at Michigan Stadium was canceled because a collective bargaining agreement is not in place. Setting up the event, along with the alumni game at Detroit's Comerica Park, would be virtually impossible on short notice, the league said. The lockout reached its 48th day Friday, but representatives for the players and owners planned to resume bargaining Saturday at an undisclosed location.