Racing to the finish line -- we hope!
Jul 07, 2005
The easiest prediction I have ever made – naturally – has come true.
Earlier this week, I dusted off my trusty ouija board and, within seconds, it told me that every media person east of Suez and west of Canarsie would be deluging us with stories about the NHL’s peace pact.
And, of course, this has happened over the past 48 hours.
Not surprisingly, some of the stories are partially correct.
It’s the old mud-on-the-wall theory. Throw enough mud and most of it will fall to the ground -- but at least some will stick.
Surprise of surprises, some has stuck.
As I’ve been saying over and over again, this armistice between the NHL and the NHLPA would NOT be neatly arranged to be announced on Canada (July l) or Independence Day (July 4) or any day that pleases a headline-writer.
The Collective Bargaining agreement is so comprehensive -- an estimated 500-plus pages -- that it threatens to surpass the Oxford Unabridged Dictionary in both size and weight.
Nor will Commissioner Gary Bettman dare allow an announcement to take place before every comma is in place and every owner has thoroughly read the document.
As Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz told the Chicago Tribune’s Neil Milbert, “Lord knows how long it will take to paper this, but we won’t have a comma or a colon misplaced.
"I told the commissioner I don’t care if it’s 500 pages long, I will sit and read every page before I put my name on it.”
When I reported earlier this week that an owners’ Executive Committee meeting was scheduled for Monday in New York, I said that it would catapult negotiations to a finish.
But I emphasize that that does NOT mean the deal is done.
Approval by the 30 owners is expected -- despite grumbling from some "Have" teams.
However, a green light from the 700-member NHL Players’ Association is far from guaranteed.
The union go-ahead, or rejection, will depend on how effective a dissident group – ostensibly headed by one retired NHL goon and one who is still active – is in persuading the players to thumbs-down the deal.
Meanwhile, the optimists continue pumping out "good news.”
A Toronto radio station claims that NHL-NHLPA talks will conclude on Friday. It also agrees with my assertion that the league’s Executive Committee will convene on Monday but that all-owner ratification is not likely until -- at the earliest -- Tuesday.
Still uncertain is the when and how of an NHLPA vote. And this raises troubling questions.
Such as, how can we be sure that the players will have a totally secret ballot? What form will it take? Will 700 players be invited to Toronto for a Goodenow briefing? What role will the Executive Director play; if any?
Significantly, Goodenow continues to get verbally whacked by players who previously kept their mouths shut.
Sean Avery of the Los Angeles Kings blamed Goodenow for “brainwashing” the players.
The politically correct Jarome Iginla – Calgary Flames’ player rep -- appeared on a Calgary radio station and commended the work of NHLPA Executive Committee members such as Trevor Linden, et. al.
But, conspicuously, Iginla did not mention Goodenow’s name. In some quarters it was viewed as a gratuitous kick in the NHLPA boss’ pants.
On the assumption that Goodenow cannot summon a majority of players to reject the new CBA, it could be gift-wrapped and presented to the public somewhere between July 13 at the earliest but, more likely, early the following week.
If hockey’s new constitution really is 500 pages long, even a speed-reader couldn’t finish it before July 15th.
P.S. I read very slowly!
