The gap of between $600 million to $650 million between the NHLPA and NHL as represented by the union’s “50/50” offer on Thursday was unaddressed yesterday as the 34th day of the lockout came and went without formal interaction between the parties.
The NHL — which all but stormed out of Thursday’s session in Toronto over what amounts to a difference of approximately 3 percent of hockey-related revenue allocation over the league’s proposed collective bargaining agreement’s six-year term — did, however, announce cancelation of games through Nov. 1.
That was a response to the calendar, not to the players association. The league, which has established an Oct. 25 deadline for reaching agreement on a CBA in order that a full 82-game season can be played beginning Nov. 2, had previously canceled games through Oct. 24.
Owners’ deputy commissioner Bill Daly cited a figure of $650 million as the difference between the offer the league presented the players on Tuesday and the counter-proposal the NHL received on Thursday. A union source reported the difference as $600 million.
That represents approximately 3 percent of the sum of between $20 million to $24 billion in hockey-related revenue the league would generate over the life of the agreement with projected annual growth of between 5–7 percent.
Rather than responding with a counteroffer to what one players association source told The Post, “was and is negotiable,” league personnel dismissed the offer within 10 minutes and soon after left the meeting that had been attended by 18 players, including Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Jarome Iginla and Shane Doan.
While no negotiating sessions are currently scheduled for next week, it would be a surprise if the parties do not reconvene early in the week — if not in some form over the weekend — in New York or Toronto.
In addition to the dispute over the split of hockey-related revenue, the NHL and NHLPA are 180 degrees apart regarding contractual and freedom issues the league is seeking to restrict on an across the board basis.