They sweated the small stuff with “heated discussions” Wednesday. It bodes ominously that fireworks could erupt when the NHL and its Players Association finally argue the big “lockout issues’’ in the next week.
Union head Donald Fehr joins the CBA negotiations Thursday at NHL headquarters in midtown, and is expected to challenge the NHL’s proposals for revising methods of counting revenue today and tomorrow. But sources say Fehr is not likely to present the union’s economic proposal — the big one — until the sides reconvene in Toronto, starting Monday.
Fehr arrived in New York yesterday from Barcelona, where he conferred with his European constituency, but did not join the “small group” talks that focused on grievance arbitration in the morning, and supplemental discipline.n the afternoon.
“At times there have been heated exchanges. There were definitely strong opinions on both sides, especially when it comes to supplementary discipline,” said Mathieu Schneider, special assistant to Fehr. “I wouldn’t describe them as adversarial, not at all.”
The union dislikes the Lone Justice format, starring Brendan Shanahan as ruler of the rink, with any appeals of his verdicts heard by his bosses and would The union would prefer an independent arbitrator for appeals.
Handling such side issues before the main ones are settled may lead to a repeat of the union’s last fiasco, when player Shanahan sought a rules committee which ownership could negotiate against on other issues. The current CBA expires Sept. 15
“It seems to be an important issue for the players. It’s an important area of discussion. It’s an important issue for the league,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said of the supplementary discipline/safety talks.
Both sides are waiting to see Fehr’s proposals, expecting him to take a militant stance against further concessions on the salary cap.
A proposal to dismantle the current salary cap would be a bold declaration of intent. Fehr will have to demonstrate his historic other-sport strength in these negotiations, since tough negotiator Bob Goodenow fell victim to a cabal in 2005 that snatched defeat from the jaws of union victory.
The league has proposed drastic give-backs by the union with little inducement. The NHL’s proposal would cut the players’ share of revenue from 57 percent to 46 percent, and the union calls it 43 percent because of proposed changes in counting revenue. The union says that plan amounts to a 25 percent pay cut. The league also wants to extend entry contracts from three years to five, and severely limit salary arbitration.