NHL, NHLPA agree to framework of new CBA

NHL website ^ | 1/6/13 | Shawn P. Rourke

[airborne]

The National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association reached agreement on the framework of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement early Sunday morning.

After a marathon 16-plus hour negotiating session at the Sofitel Hotel that began Saturday afternoon, the sides announced an agreement in principle shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday.

The League did not announce the start date of the season or the number of games each team will play. Those details will be announced soon.

The deal, agreed to at approximately 4:40 a.m., was announced jointly by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr in the same hotel conference room where the negotiations were conducted with the assistance of Scot Beckenbaugh, Deputy Director for Mediation Services for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

[rfp1234]

Shortened season should be interesting. Players will be better rested for the playoffs and are already in good shape by playing in Europe or elsewhere.

However I still think it's unfair for the Stanley Cup trustees to give the NHL a monopoly. If the season had been canceled again, they should have held a mini-tournament for the Cup among the winners of the other North American leagues ( AHL, OHL, WHL, etc.).

[dfwgator]

So an 8 seed like the Kings winning the Cup isn’t a fluke?

[dfwgator]

I know I am in the minority here in Dallas in that the Stars are my favorite local franchise.

[discostu]

When is winning 16 games out of 28 with fewer than usual days off a fluke? The fact is the Kings improved dramatically after they fired their coach, going 25-13-11 after making the change and were 2 points shy of winning their division which would have made them the 3 seed, and had they had the right coach the whole season maybe even the 1 seed.

[airborne]

Like it or not, it’s a business. And for some reason I don’t get, they’ve all decided it pays to play.

[SoothingDave]

I understood “home and home”.

[PaleoBob]

I’m torn between being happy that they came to an agreement and angry that it took this long.

Also, now that the NHL is back, we will lose our goalie here in Hershey (Braden Holtby) and he’s the only thing keeping the Bears anywhere near being in contention.

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Hey. Very cool. I live in Baltimore and attended maybe 100 games in the old Sports Arena in my time. Mitch Lameroux was actually an acquaintance back in the day. I saw my first penalty shot in the Arena, Gene Ubriaco beating Gilles Villemure (I think it was). Wow. I loved that place. Truly a great “dump,” in the tradition of Boston Garden.

As for Holtby—way too good for the AHL at this point.