Source: NHL makes offer as time runs short

[D Y B FLYERS]

Per ESPN.com:

NHL makes new offer, player says


Updated: December 28, 2012, 11:29 AM ET
By Pierre LeBrun | ESPN.com

The NHL has made a new proposal to the NHL Players' Association with time ticking toward a canceled season, an NHL player told ESPN.com on Friday.

The player, who requested anonymity, said the NHL made a new offer to the NHLPA on Thursday, one that moved on the term limit for player contracts, salary variance and buyouts, according to the player.

The league's insistence on a five-year limit has been a major sticking point with players, who countered Dec. 6 with a willingness to limit deals to eight years.

There was no scheduled meeting between the sides set for Friday, a source said. The NHLPA needs time to review the lengthy and detailed offer from the league.
The NHLPA has scheduled a 3 p.m. ET players internal conference call to discuss the offer, a source said.


Details of the new offer include:

• Term limit on player contracts moves to six years from the five years NHL asked in previous offers (seven years if you're re-signing your own player).

• Year-to-year salary variance moves from 5 percent (NHL's previous offers) to 10 percent.

• Each team will be allowed one compliance buyout before the 2013-14 season that will not count against the salary cap but will count against the players' share.

• The Make Whole provision stays at $300 million.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, reached by ESPN.com, would not confirm what the player said. The two sides last met Dec. 13, when mediators failed to produce any progress.

The NHL since then has canceled games through Jan. 14. In total, 50.8 percent of the regular-season schedule has been scrapped.

During a news conference on Dec. 6 in New York after talks broke up again, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman suggested that anything less than a 48-game season would not be acceptable. Given that the league has said it is willing to push a season into late June, a 48-game season likely would have to begin around the third week of January, which means a deal would need to be struck by mid-January at the very latest.

In the meantime, the NHLPA's executive board has until Jan. 2 to decide whether to file a notice of disclaimer of interest -- dissolving the union -- after players last week voted overwhelmingly to give the board the right to do so.

Players have told ESPN.com that their preference would be to quickly negotiate a new deal rather than file the disclaimer, but if there's no traction in talks, there would be no choice but to file.

Can't see the players taking this one either, hopefully I'm wrong.

[shaud19]

I guess a long shot offer is better than no offer. If the whole season gets canceled us fans are in for a long off season because there will be no pressure to get a deal done. And because it's hockey ESPN will give it no coverage, joy. Turn the negations to even more of a stalemate.

[BROKEN*ORBITAL]

I'd like to offer both sides the opportunity to go f*ck themselves.

Cancel the season.

[straka91]

Krypeos is saying PA already rejected it and is working on a counter offer.

[RayzorEdge]

The question is whether the owners are willing to negotiate a little more to get it done. If not, just cancel the season.

[Jack Schitt]

Originally Posted by RayzorEdge

The question is whether the owners are willing to negotiate a little more to get it done. If not, just cancel the season.

Saw your tweet to BigErn

[hockey doc]

Looks like the owners are done muscle flexing and have now advanced into panic mode, I hope the NHPA rejects this and the 2013 season ends up in bettman's toilet where it belongs. Owners have way more to lose from this point going forward, the players should be smelling blood soon.

[chilly666]

January 11th is the drop dead date for a deal

[Loosey]

Guaranteed this will be rejected, they sound a little desperate now. At the very end of the day, the reason we all started watching/playing hockey is for the speed, big hits, big saves, and good fights etc.. None of this is done anywhere but on the ice, so the players have the advantage in the sense that, we the fans all fell in love with the GAME of hockey, and enjoy it at its highest level. And when and if the owners bull**** stops, the players and Fehr know they have a much higher potential then the owners to make us fall in love with the SPORT again, and get over the politics.

I'm not saying I'll be back with bells on, but this is the truth. I hope the fans send the message tho.

[fansince65]

Originally Posted by hockey doc

Looks like the owners are done muscle flexing and have now advanced into panic mode, I hope the NHPA rejects this and the 2013 season ends up in bettman's toilet where it belongs. Owners have way more to lose from this point going forward, the players should be smelling blood soon.

They have smelled blood long ago , they want the owners too need a transfusion before they OK any offer that comes their way now .
I am hoping for the season cancellation , that will be the end of Bettman ..

[chilly666]

End of bettman? For 50th time, he's not doing this. He's the owners puppet. This is not about bettman.

[BobNystromOwnsU]

F$3K Bettman.

[Boston Garden]

Originally Posted by shaud19

I guess a long shot offer is better than no offer. If the whole season gets canceled us fans are in for a long off season because there will be no pressure to get a deal done. And because it's hockey ESPN will give it no coverage, joy. Turn the negations to even more of a stalemate.

As they shouldn't.

[NameyMD]

Originally Posted by chilly666

End of bettman? For 50th time, he's not doing this. He's the owners puppet. This is not about bettman.

bettman bettman why are you always bringing him into the discussion? he has literally nothing to do with this

and yet, bettman is to blame.. of everything. alas, he must go

[ProbieRules]

These morons should have started compromising months ago...for example if one side wants 8 years max contract length and the other 5 why not settle for 6 or 7 and be done with it already...same with other sticking points...like BO mentioned these greedy bastards can go fuk themselves.

I hope they cancel the season.