Sunday, 12.02.2012 / 5:23 PM / News
NHL.com
The National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players' Association are moving forward with plans to have owners and players meet face-to-face in an attempt to negotiate a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement.
Six NHL owners are expected to attend the meeting, which would take place Tuesday.
The idea was suggested by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman after members of the NHL bargaining committee and the NHL Players' Association met with federal mediators last week. Those meetings broke up after two days of sessions.
Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr will not attend the meeting.
"We have confirmed with the Union that we will attempt to schedule a players/owners-only meeting for some time on Tuesday afternoon in New York," Daly said in the statement. "No further details have been confirmed at this point.
"We expect the following NHL owners to attend: Ron Burkle (Pittsburgh Penguins), Mark Chipman (Winnipeg Jets), Murray Edwards (Calgary Flames), Jeremy Jacobs (Boston Bruins), Larry Tanenbaum (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Jeff Vinik (Tampa Bay Lightning). We will make further details available when available and as appropriate."
The NHL and NHLPA have been without a CBA since Sept. 16. Games have been cancelled through December 14, along with the 2013 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and the 2013 NHL All-Star Game.
"The NHLPA has agreed to a meeting on Tuesday in New York that should facilitate dialogue between players and owners," Fehr said in a statement. "Neither the Commissioner nor I will be present, although each side will have a limited number of staff or counsel present.
"There will be owners attending this meeting who have not previously done so, which is encouraging and which we welcome. We hope that this meeting will be constructive and lead to a dialogue that will help us find a way to reach an agreement."
The players who will attend the meeting have not been identified.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=646751 Bob.
Nhl, Union plan players/owners, CBA meeting
Dec 3 2012, 11:11 PM
