Ready, set, go! -- Or blow?
May 25, 2005
The optimists took a stiff body check on Wednesday in the eternal NHL-NHLPA war.
The pessimists still have the lead.
And, as long as no new collective bargaining agreement is sealed the pessimists will prevail. That was the gist of Wednesday's events in Chicago.
Just when it appeared as if substantial traction was about to be made in settling hockey's civil war, the A -- as in agreement -- train grounded to a halt.
Based on the first of two days of meetings in the Windy City, the union appears in no rush to make a deal. Apparently NHLPA boss Bob Goodenow is continuing his stalling tactics on the assumption that his side has more leverage than the league.
"The players' association is acting as if it is in absolutely no rush," a negotiator tells me.
Most of Wednesday was consumed with accounting issues.
"It was totally uneventful," one participant tells me. "The issues we discussed could easily have been dealt with after we negotiated the more important ones."
Thursday's meeting is expected to be a continuation of the arithmetic lesson, leaving virtually no hope of a settlement by early June, as some had hoped.
At least one NHL negotiator is baffled by what he describes as the union's "laid-back" behavior.
“It’s not even about dollars anymore,” he insists, “and not about principles. Goodenow has agreed to every principle we need. I can't understand why he is dragging his feet."
Soundings from the union side have been less clear and less hopeful.
When a player agent suggested on Tuesday to an NHLPA attorney in Toronto that it appears as if the warring factions, at last, are en route to a deal, the unionist shot back, disparagingly, “Don’t be so sure!”
Likewise, in an interview with the Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan, Detroit Red Wings’ senior vice-president Jim Devellano takes a very cautious view of proceedings.
“A deal isn’t complete until a deal is done,” says Devellano. “It’s good that they are talking and meeting quite a bit. But there’s work remaining to be done.”
Many NHL leaders, including Devellano, remain perplexed by Goodenow’s apparent intransigence and reluctance to more vigorously negotiate.
Reports continue filtering in about NHLPA membership dismay with Goodenow’s failure to aggressively hammer out a pact now that progress on several issues has been made. But so far, Goodenow seems to be running the union show.
“One thing is certain,” a league negotiator tells me, “and that is we’ve gotten far enough so that Bob can’t walk away from this.”
Meanwhile, the fiscal hour glass continues to lose sand -- or in the NHL’s and NHLPA’s case – cash.
ESPN’s deadline for renewing its pact – which had been a $60 million contract – is June 1. Reports have been circulating that the network would prefer reworking the deal downward.
In addition, teams generally send out their season ticket renewals in June and advertisers plan their fall budgets next month as well.
“If the league loses money,” an NHL official tells me, “the players should know that they will lose money (in the next CBA) as well with every month that they delay signing a new agreement."
Many skaters privately acknowledge this but refuse to publicly criticize their union negotiators.
I have a report from a player-related source that an NHLPAer has lined up a sizeable number of players ready to oppose Goodenow if he fails to deliver on a deal – or refuses to allow Linden, et. al. to sign off on a new pact.
However, in assessing the union boss it is important to remember two key factors when it comes to the possibility of an anti-Bob putsch.
1. He has successfully resisted opponents in the past; and 2. He retains a loyal following who remember how he defeated NHL negotiators in 1992 and again in 1995.
With June just a calendar flip away – and with the sands disappearing down the NHL hour glass – urgency would seem to be the order of the day. That is, presuming of course, that Goodenow really wants to make a deal.
And if he doesn’t, whether the players are – once and for all – willing to take control of their Association’s negotiations.
Will there be a new Collective Bargaining Agreement?
Optimists line up on the right.
Pessimists stand on the left – with me!
