Friday, January 18, 2013

2012-13 NEW RULES-JAN 18,2013

Hockey Operations Update: Standard of Enforcement and New Rules

Friday, 01.18.2013 / 4:39 PM / Rules 
OFFICIAL NHL RULES
http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=27011












The NHL's Hockey Operations Department hosted a two-day meeting on August 21-22, 2012 at the League Office in Toronto to discuss the standard of enforcement by NHL on-ice officials. Among those in attendance were representatives from the NHL and NHLPA offices; team general managers, coaches and players; and on-ice officials.

Over the course of two days the group discussed:
1) Interference (Rule 56)
2) Face-off Interference (Rule 56)
3) Holding (Rule 54)
4) Hooking (Rule 55)
5) Slashing (Rule 61)
6) Broken Stick Slashes (Rule 61)
7) Embellishment (Rule 64)
8) Attainable Pass (Rule 81.5)
Following is an explanation of each area of discussion with video examples of each play.

Interference (Rule 56)
The consensus was that defenders should be allowed to engage/bump/hit an attacking player "immediately" after they released the puck on a dump in, but would be expected to release the attacker and pursue the puck or retreat to the slot following this initial contact. The same standard would be applied regardless of whether or not the attacking player was knocked down. Various time and space guidelines were discussed. However, it ultimately was decided that the "immediacy" of the contact had to be a determination made by the officials on a case by case basis. The measuring stick of 1/2 a second, occasionally used by Hockey Operations/Player Safety to determine lateness, was also mentioned as a guideline.
The most discussed forecheck interference plays were:
1) Example 1 Doughty on Whitney. It was determined that the initial bump had been immediate in this instance, but that a penalty was warranted because the defender had failed to release his opponent and elected to take an indirect route to the puck in order to impede the attacker.
2) Example 2 Karlsson on Hagelin. It was determined that this was a legal play, even though the defender appeared to leave his lane to engage the attacker, because the contact had been immediate. The feeling was that defenders should be rewarded for maintaining a tight gap.
3) Example 3 Brendan Smith on Gordon. It was determined that this was a legal play, even though the defender used his body to impede the attacker by shielding him from the puck, because the defender took a direct route to the puck in an effort to make a play on the puck.
4) Example 4 Orpik on Read. It was determined that this play warranted a minor penalty because the defender's gap was too wide and contact with the attacker had not been "immediate".
http://podcasts.nhl.com/ops/interference_summit_revised2.mp4

Faceoff Interference (Rule 56)
The consensus was that the faceoff interference standard was in a good place. If contact between players was immediate and did not continue once the faceoff was complete, battles were acceptable.
The most discussed faceoff interference plays were:
1) Example 1 Alzner on Anisimov. It was determined that this was a legal play. The initial bump by the defender was immediate and he did not pin or hold the attacking player. Had the attacking player made more of an effort to fight through the initial bump, the defender would have been expected to release him.
2) Example 2 Zubrus on Williams. It was determined that this was an illegal play because, while the initial contact had been immediate, the offensive player remained engaged with the defensive player for too long following the completion of the faceoff.
3) Example 3 Parise on Brown. It was determined that this was a legal play because two players, lined up beside one another, immediately engaged and a battle resulted from both attempting to make a play on the puck.
http://podcasts.nhl.com/ops/interfence_fo_summit_revised2.mp4

Holding (Rule 54)
The consensus was that the appropriate standard was being applied in relation to holding and that obvious holding penalties were being called consistently.
The most discussed holding plays were:
1) Example 1 Stoll on Jackman. It was determined that this was a legal play. Stoll was deemed to have used his free hand to push, rather than restrain, and the group agreed that this was allowed.
2) Example 2 Toews on Getzlaf. It was determined that this was a legal play. Again, the player was deemed to have used his free hand to push, rather than restrain.
3) Example 3 Michalek on Malkin. It was determined that this was an illegal play, because the defending player used his free hand to restrain the attacking player and gain body position. It was, however, the feeling of the group that had the defending player used only his stick hand to fend off the attacking player's attempts at protecting the puck with his free hand, this would have been a legal play. The group felt that players should be allowed to battle, but not to gain body position, a competitive advantage or restrain an opponent with their hand.
http://podcasts.nhl.com/ops/holding_summit_revised2.mp4

Hooking (Rule 55)
The consensus was that the appropriate standard was being applied in relation to hooking.
The most discussed hooking play was:
1) Example 1 Parise on Wilson. It was determined that this was a legal stick lift. The observation was made that players were more likely to be penalized for hooking when they reached and had no chance at making a play on the puck.
http://podcasts.nhl.com/ops/hooking_summit_revised2.mp4

Slashing (Rule 61)
The group felt that slashes to the hand area were increasingly being used as a tactic by defenders to disrupt offensive players. The consensus was that officials no longer had to be certain that contact had been made with the hands (as opposed to the stick) in deciding whether or not to assess a slashing minor.
The most discussed slashing plays were:
1) Example 1 Nystrom on Havlat. This is an example of a light slash in the hand area that should be called moving forward.
2) Example 2 Stamkos on Malkin. This was discussed as an example of slashing for the sole purpose of disrupting an offensive player. The defensive player made no attempt to play the puck in this instance. Accordingly, a penalty should be called.
3) Example 3 Greening on Stamkos. It was determined that this was an illegal play. The defensive player used slashes to the hand area to disrupt the attacking player, making no attempt to play the puck.
4) Example 4 Park on Tavares. This was cited as an example of a play that should be penalized even though there had not been contact with the hands. The offensive player's stick was broken on this play, but the consensus was that this should be a penalty either way.
http://podcasts.nhl.com/ops/slashing3_summit_revised.mp4

Broken Stick Slashes (Rule 61)
The group did not believe there should be an automatic penalty for slashes when the result was a broken stick, but agreed that the vast majority of these plays should be penalized. The feeling was there was room for judgment in the application of this rule, but when players slashed at the stick of an opponent they ran the risk of breaking it and should usually be penalized because their actions rendered an opponent useless.
The most discussed broken stick slashing plays were:
1) Example 1 Ebbett on Boyle. It was determined that this was one of the few instances in which a player should not be penalized for breaking the stick of an opponent. The consensus was that this slash was not forceful and that there must have been issues with the integrity of the stick.
2) Example 2 Gagner on Backes. It was determined that this was an illegal play. Even though the slash was not a violent one, the defensive player was not making an attempt to play the puck and rendered an opponent useless by hacking at his stick.
http://podcasts.nhl.com/ops/brokensticks_summit_revised2.mp4

Diving / Embellishment (Rule 64)
Rule 64.2 – Minor Penalty – A minor penalty shall be imposed on a player who attemps to draw a penalty by his actions (“diving / embellishment”).
The Group agreed there should be a heightened awareness by officials and a stricter standard of enforcement applied to embellishment. Simply stated…more 2 + 2's should be assessed.
The most discussed embellishment plays were:
1) Example 1 Malkin. It was determined that this play should have been a minor for both interference and diving. The belief was that assessing two minor penalties, instead of simply allowing play to continue, would be an important step in addressing the embellishment issue.
2) Example 2 Wingels. It was determined that two players should have been penalized on this play, one for hooking and one for diving.
3) Example 3 Letang. This was viewed as embellishment, likely to be missed on the ice, that should be addressed after the fact with a warning or a fine.
http://podcasts.nhl.com/ops/embellish_summit_revised2.mp4

Attainable Pass (Rule 81.5)
At our most recent Officials' Training Camp (September 11, 2012), we have instructed our officials to follow the below direction:
81.5 – No Icing (Paragraph 6)
The Linesman shall have discretion to wave off apparent icing infractions on attempted passes if those passes are deemed receivable (attainable). In order for the Linesman to wash out the icing for this reason, the receiving player's stick must be on the attacking side of the center red line, the attempted pass must be within reach and the puck on the ice, the player must make a legitimate effort to play the puck, and he must be eligible to receive the pass (e.g. he cannot be in an off-side position and cannot be involved in a player change that would result in a too many men on the ice penalty if he were to play the puck).
Attainable Pass
Icing is called when:
• player turns the wrong way
• player has only one hand on the stick
• player refuses to touch or attempt to play the puck
• the puck is out of reach of the player's stick
• puck is in the air at the instant you are determining whether or not the pass is attainable
• when the boards (not the ice) causes the puck to bounce or skip over the player's stick
• player not over the center red line or not eligible to play the puck (line change, off-side)
Icing is waived off when:
• player touches the puck over the center red line
• player attempts to play it (within reach, two hands on the stick)
• when a saucer pass is used or the puck is passed through the air, the puck must be on the ice at the time you determine the pass is attainable
• the ice causes the pass to skip over his stick
Note: The rule is attainable pass, NOT attainable shot. Player must make a LEGITIMATE EFFORT to play the puck.
New Rules
The National Hockey League's Board of Governors, at its annual June meeting, approved changes to two rules. Rule 67 – Handling Puck implements a minor penalty for use of the gloved hand to "conceal" the puck or prevent an opponent from playing it. Rule 76 – Face-Off implements a minor penalty for a player taking a face-off using his hand to direct the puck.
http://podcasts.nhl.com/ops/Hand_Passes_CC_new.mp4

Rule 67 - Handling Puck
67.2 Minor Penalty – Player
A player shall be permitted to catch the puck out of the air but must immediately place it or knock it down to the ice. If he catches it and skates with it, either to avoid a check or to gain a territorial advantage over his opponent, a minor penalty shall be assessed for "closing his hand on the puck."
New, approved wording in italics:
Any time a player places his hand over the puck while it is on the ice in order to conceal it from or prevent an opponent from playing the puck, a minor penalty shall be assessed for "closing his hand on the puck." When this is done in his own team's goal crease area, a penalty shot shall be assessed (67.4) or a goal awarded (67.5).
A minor penalty shall be imposed on a player who, while play is in progress, picks up the puck off the ice with his hand.

Rule 76 - Face-off
76.4 Procedure - Centers:
Both players facing-off are prohibited from batting the puck with their hand in an attempt to win the face-off. Any attempt by either center to win the face-off by batting the puck with their hand shall result in a minor penalty. This penalty shall be announced as a "Minor Penalty for Delay of Game - Face-off Violation." Once the face-off is deemed complete (and winner of the face-off is clear), hand passes shall be enforced as per Rule 79.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

I THINK-NOW I KNOW HOCKEYS ON.GO LEAFS GO

1ST @ 2ND LOCKOUT PAGE NEWS
http://nhlhockeystats.blogspot.ca/2012/09/save-nhl-petition.html
http://nhlhockeystats.blogspot.ca/2012/12/is-seasons-end-near-or-will-we-have.html

2012-13 HOCKEY ON-BETTMAN/FEHR ANNOUNCE AT 4AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na7FHgvkYyw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJsquftXRSY

Game on! NHL lockout ends with tentative deal between league, NHLPA

FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2012, file photo, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, right, and deputy commissioner Bill Daly speak to reporters in New York. Bettman has told the players union that a deal must be in place by Jan. 11 in order for a 48-game season to be played beginning eight days later.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
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FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2012, file photo, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, right, and deputy commissioner Bill Daly speak to reporters in New York. Bettman has told the players union that a deal must be in place by Jan. 11 in order for a 48-game season to be played beginning eight days later.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
NEW YORK, N.Y. - After six long months of negotiations, it took one extremely long night to get the NHL out of the boardroom and back on the ice.A tentative deal to end the 113-day NHL lockout was reached Sunday morning at the end of a marathon 16-hour negotiating session."We have reached an agreement on the framework of a new collective bargaining agreement, the details of which need to be put to paper," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told a news conference. "We've got to dot a lot of i's and cross a lot of t's. There's still a lot of work to be done but the basic framework of the deal has been agreed upon."Before the new CBA officially comes into effect, it must be ratified by a majority of both the league's 30 owners and the union's membership of approximately 740 players."Hopefully within a very few days the fans can get back to watching people who are skating, not the two of us," said Donald Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players' Association.Neither side has announced any details of the deal—which came together with the help of U.S. federal mediator Scot Beckenbaugh—but according to a source, it's a 10-year agreement with an opt-out option after eight years.It also includes defined benefit pensions for the players as well as a $64.3-million salary cap in 2013-14.Other highlights, according to a source, include a seven-year contract term limit for free agents and eight years for players re-signing with the same team. The deal also includes a 35 per cent yearly variance in salary and no more than 50 per cent difference between any two seasons."Everyone is obviously relieved that it's over and done with, for all intents and purposes, and we're able to kind of move on to what we kind of enjoy doing a lot more than this," said Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan, who was involved in the negotiations.It's not clear when the season will start or exactly how many games will be played, though Winnipeg Jets defenceman Ron Hainsey—also a key figure in the negotiations—said he expects it to be 48 or 50 games.The league was on the verge of cancelling a second season due to a work stoppage. Bettman had set a deadline of Jan. 11 to get a deal done to save the season."It was a battle," said Hainsey. "Gary said a month ago it was a tough negotiation and that's what it was. The players obviously would rather not have been here but our focus now is to give the fans whatever it is—48 games, 50 games—the most exciting season we can."Hainsey said the pension ended up being a key component of the agreement."I don't think there's any doubt that the pension is the centrepiece of this deal for the players," said Hainsey.The lockout ended up costing the league 510 regular-season games—plus the all-star game in Columbus—but the most important number probably won't be revealed for at least 18 months. The NHL was coming off seven years of record revenues when the last CBA expired, hitting a high-water mark of US$3.3-billion last season, and it remains to be seen how quickly fans and sponsors will return when the puck is dropped again.After all, many hoped the league's lockout cycle would be broken when the entire 2004-05 season was cancelled to get a salary cap. But it turned out the shared history of the parties, which also includes a strike in 1992 and a lockout in 1994-95, was too much to overcome."It was concessionary bargaining right from the beginning," said Doan. "As the players, you kind of understand that and you accepted that. As much as you didn't want to, we understand that the nature of professional sports has kind of changed with the last couple CBAs starting with football and basketball and obviously hockey."We knew we were in that position and I think as a union we got the best deal we could possibly get."The NHLPA membership hired Fehr out of retirement about 21 months before the CBA expired with the express purpose of getting the players a fair shake in these negotiations. And the union's executive director made it clear that his players were still stinging after being locked out for an entire season just eight years earlier."Obviously, what happened in the last round of negotiations is the starting point for this round of bargaining," Fehr told The Canadian Press just before formal talks began with the league at the end of June. "The players made what can only be characterized as enormous concessions. And so you want to make sure that the players understand what happened the last time and that they take that as the beginnings of where things go from here."Negotiations got off to a rocky start.The first offer tabled by the NHL on July 13 was intended to be a wishlist for the sides to start from, but instead seemed to anger and galvanize the union membership. In addition to proposing that the players' share in revenue drop from 57 per cent to 43 per cent, the league suggested a range of changes to contract rules, including term limits of five years and an extended entry-level system.It would be another month before the NHLPA delivered a counter-offer.By then, it was already clear the sides were heading for another lockout once the CBA expired and when the moment of truth arrived on Sept. 15, they were nowhere near the bargaining table. Soon most of the news about the league was dominated by cancellation announcements—first a portion of the pre-season, then all of the exhibition schedule and eventually the first two weeks of the regular season.The league eventually responded with a surprise beefed-up proposal on Oct. 16 that offered an enticing carrot to players: The chance to save an 82-game season. It included a 50-50 split of revenues and required the deal to be signed off on within nine days."If we didn't do it now, if we didn't put an offer on the table that we thought was fair and could get us playing hockey ... then it probably wasn't going to happen for a while," said Bettman. "It's done in the spirit of getting a full season in."Fehr and the players didn't blink. They returned 48 hours later with three proposals and an impressive roster of attendees, including Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews, and saw all three shot down by Bettman in a matter of minutes.More cancellation announcements followed, including the Jan. 1 Winter Classic outdoor game between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium. The losses were mounting. Bettman told reporters that each day came at a cost of almost $20 million per day for the league.The first true surge of optimism arrived during the first week of December, when Crosby and four new owners, including Pittsburgh's Ron Burkle, joined the process and brought a more conciliatory tone. The first day of talks stretched past midnight and ended with NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr calling it the "best day" of talks.That was immediately followed by another lengthy session the following afternoon where proposals were exchanged and tempers were heated.On the third day, it went off the rails. Donald Fehr presented a new proposal, told reporters the sides were so close they were virtually on top of each other and then quickly returned to announce the league was pulling its latest offer from the table. Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly followed with an emotional 30-minute press conference, where the commissioner was asked about the possibility of losing a second season on his watch."Am I unhappy about the prospect? You bet I am," said Bettman. "It's absolutely something that torments me. But by the same token I have a long-term responsibility to this game and to the fans of the game to make sure we have a healthy product. Too many people are forgetting where we were 10 years ago. And the fact is we didn't have a healthy game, and we had too many franchises that couldn't continue."We did what we had to do in 2004 to make it right, and we're focused with our owners on what we need to make this game healthy for our fans."The frustration was shared by everyone involved. Crosby returned to a practice rink in suburban Pittsburgh, where he spent the majority of his time staying sharp during the lockout, and told reporters he wouldn't re-enter negotiations."This stuff is getting ridiculous, (losing) all these games," said Crosby. "I'm here to play hockey, I'm not here to negotiate. I support the players. I witnessed how hard guys worked and how bad they want this to work."But to see this happen, it's terrible. It makes everyone look bad."
The window to make a deal finally opened Dec. 27 in the form of a 288-page proposal emailed from Bettman to Fehr. In it, the league softened demands on contract lengths and salary variance, and reintroduced $300 million in deferred payments to help ease the transition to a system where revenues are split 50-50.That sparked a resumption of negotiations on New Year's Eve—just steps from Times Square, where thousands of revellers gathered—and kicked off the push to the finish. A series of proposals were exchanged as the sides moved closer together and when talks were in danger of getting off track, Beckenbaugh stepped in to ensure they didn't.He spent almost 13 hours shuttling between independent meetings with the two sides on Friday and got them back together at the bargaining table on Saturday afternoon. That's where the deal was signed to save a shortened NHL season.

Bill Daly tells CP 48-game NHL season seems "more and more" likely

Calgary Flames' Cory Sarich, top, crashes into the Edmonton Oilers' Taylor Hall during first period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton on Friday, March 16, 2012. The NHL is most likely to play a 48-game season after its new collective bargaining agreement is ratified.Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Canadian Press on Monday morning that it's looking \
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Calgary Flames' Cory Sarich, top, crashes into the Edmonton Oilers' Taylor Hall during first period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton on Friday, March 16, 2012. The NHL is most likely to play a 48-game season after its new collective bargaining agreement is ratified.Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Canadian Press on Monday morning that it's looking \"more and more\" like that is the maximum number of games that can be fit in.THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Ulan
NEW YORK, N.Y. - The timeline for the start of a shortened NHL season remained up in the air one day after the league and NHL Players' Association shook hands on a tentative deal to end the lockout.
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Canadian Press on Monday morning that hope for a 50-game schedule had already faded as the sides continued to finalize the memorandum of understanding their constituents will each vote on later in the week.As a result, the league is expected to return with a 48-game season starting Jan. 19, assuming there are no major hiccups before then."It depends on ratification timeline for PA, but it's looking more and more like 48 games is going to be the only option," Daly said in an email.
The NHL's Board of Governors is scheduled to gather in New York on Wednesday afternoon to hold a ratification vote. A schedule had yet to be formally laid out for the players to cast ballots, but it's believed the NHLPA wants to give them time to review the document—meaning they likely won't be able to wrap up a vote before Saturday.Both sides need to get majority support to adopt the tentative deal they reached early Sunday morning following a marathon 16-hour negotiating session. Even after announcing the tentative agreement around 6 a.m., they went right back to work on the language of the new pension plan, which ended up being the final major hurdle for them to cross in negotiations.A 50-game schedule held appeal for both sides, but the league figured it needed to start to start the season in the middle of next week to make it work. That simply won't happen.The NHL played a 48-game schedule following the 1994-95 lockout and that allowed for a balanced intraconference schedule for what was then a 26-team league.It's going to be a little more complicated this time around. The NHL is planning to have teams play three games against the 10 opponents within the same conference but outside their division. They will then have an unbalanced schedule against division rivals, with five games against two teams and four against the two others, according to a source.On Sunday, the league has circulated a memo to teams telling them to be ready to play by Jan. 19. That is the date the shortened season is most likely to start.The shortened schedule will force a number of changes to the NHL calendar. The league has proposed an April 5 trade deadline and July 5 opening to free agency, but the sides have yet to agree on that.The scheduled June 28-29 entry draft at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., might also need to be pushed back.Even though the ink had yet to run dry on the new CBA, teams started trying to make amends for the sport's fourth work stoppage in 20 years. The Pittsburgh Penguins issued a statement from owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle in which they offered an apology to fans."There is nothing we can say to explain or excuse what has happened over the past four months," it read.

Leafs fire Burke and appoint Nonis GM just days before season expected to start

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke attends the year end press briefing in Toronto on Tuesday, April 10, 2011. The Leafs are making a stunning move just days before the regular season is expected to start.A source tells The Canadian Press that Burke is out as general manager of the NHL team.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
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Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke attends the year end press briefing in Toronto on Tuesday, April 10, 2011. The Leafs are making a stunning move just days before the regular season is expected to start.A source tells The Canadian Press that Burke is out as general manager of the NHL team.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped a bomb on the hockey world Wednesday, firing general manager Brian Burke and replacing him with his protege Dave Nonis.The surprising news comes just days before the lockout-shortened season is about to begin.The league and its players agreed to a tentative agreement over the weekend to end the lockout. The league's board of governors is holding a ratification vote Wednesday in New York.Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment president Tom Anselmi made the announcement at a hastily called news conference in Toronto. He said Burke will remain with the Leafs as a senior adviser.The decision came after MLSE's new ownership group conducted an exhaustive review of all the company's properties and concluded it was time for a change in the Leafs front office."We've decided to make a leadership change and move in a different direction for the general manager role," said Anselmi.
MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum, who is in New York to attend the NHL meetings said it was "a decision of the board."When asked if he had a role in the decision too he said "Well I'm on the board."Anselmi said there was not "one incident or any one thing" that led to Burke's dismissal."This was a decision that the board and myself collectively made," Anselmi said. "It's the product of a conversation that has been going on for some time."The sale of MLSE to BCE and Rogers Communications was finalized in August. Anselmi said the operational review began sometime after that.Nonis and Burke have a long history after working together in Vancouver before coming to the Leafs."I've worked for Brian for most of my adult life and he's always been a great friend and mentor," Nonis said.Burke held the Leafs job for just over four years. The team missed the playoffs in every season under his watch and is coming off a disappointing 13th-place finish in the Eastern Conference in 2011-12.They made a head coaching change late last season, hiring Randy Carlyle to replace Ron Wilson.Before being named GM and team president in November 2008, Burke spent three-plus seasons managing the Anaheim Ducks and guided them to a Stanley Cup win in 2007.He also previously served in the NHL front office as senior vice-president and director of hockey operations and as general manager of the Vancouver Canucks and Hartford Whalers. The 57-year-old Providence, R.I., native was also GM of the 2010 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team.He arrived in Toronto as a somewhat divisive figure. Some fans hailed him as the saviour of the franchise, while others worried he wouldn't be capable of rebuilding a team that hasn't appeared in a playoff game since 2004.Burke wasn't afraid to make some big moves during his time with the Maple Leafs.He landed Dion Phaneuf in a seven-player deal with Calgary in 2010 and the defenceman was named team captain. But Burke's most hotly debated trade was a 2009 deal with Boston, when he acquired sniper Phil Kessel for two first-round draft picks and a second-round selection.The Bruins used the picks to select star forward Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton and Jared Knight.
Nonis won't have much time to prepare.The league and union reached a tentative agreement to end the 113-day lockout last weekend. Pending ratification from both sides, the NHL is targeting a 48-game season that would begin Jan. 19."We're going to have a very short window in order to make some decisions about this hockey team," said Nonis. "We're going to focus on that right now."

ITS 4:10PM WED JAN 9,13.THE 30-0 RATIFICATION OF NHL OWNERS IS COMPLETE. THE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION WILL RATIFY THE CBA BY SAT JAN 12,13.AND IF THIS HAPPENS.SAT THE SCHEDUALE WILL COME OUT AND SUNDAY JAN 13,13 THE TRAINING CAMPS WOULD BEGIN AND THE FIRST NHL OF 2012-13 WOULD BEGIN SAT JAN 19,13.

NHL's Board of Governors ratifies new CBA

Wednesday, 01.09.2013 / 4:26 PM / News



14



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1NEW YORK -- The National Hockey League's Board of Governors today ratified the terms of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the National Hockey League Players' Association.



Details of the new Agreement will be made available following completion of the formal ratification process by the members of the NHLPA.

NHL players vote to ratify labour deal will last from Thursday night until Saturday morning

Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, in New York. NHL owners ratified the tentative labor deal on Wednesday. All that now remains is player approval to finally start the hockey season. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
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Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, in New York. NHL owners ratified the tentative labor deal on Wednesday. All that now remains is player approval to finally start the hockey season. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
NEW YORK, N.Y. - NHL players will have 36 hours from Thursday night until Saturday morning to vote on the new labour deal that would end the four-month lockout.The players' association announced that electronic voting will begin Thursday at 8 p.m. EST and will last until Saturday at 8 a.m. The union said it will announce the result after voting is finished.If a majority of the more than 700 players choose to accept the deal that NHL owners unanimously ratified on Wednesday, training camps will open Sunday, and a 48-game regular season will begin Jan. 19.A tentative agreement was reached early Sunday, the 113th day of the lockout, after a 16-hour negotiating session in New York.The new deal is for 10 years, but either side can opt out after eight. The previous collective bargaining agreement was in effect for seven seasons.The lockout began on Sept. 16, and forced the cancellation of 510 games, beginning with opening day on Oct. 11. The outdoor Winter Classic and the All-Star game were also wiped out this season.The NHL says it will release a new schedule once the ratification process is completed.A memorandum of understanding that has been in the drafting process by the two sides this week must be signed before training camps open.The players' association wanted as much of the document as possible to be completed before voting began.Leading up to Thursday's start time for voting, the union has been busy calling players and agents to educate them about the changes and additions to the tentative agreement.Assuming the deal is approved by the players, as expected, there will be only six days between the opening of camps and the start of the season. No preseason games will be played.

PA voting window ends; sides await results

Saturday, 01.12.2013 / 12:46 PM / News

NHL.com



The National Hockey League Players' Association has finished voting on ratification of the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the National Hockey League, but has yet to announce the results."Per agreement with the NHL, we will announce results of player vote later today," the Union said through its Twitter account. "Discussions to finalize the MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] continue this morning."
Both sides have to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the mechanics of the provisions of the ratified CBA to kick in and for the 2012-13 season to begin.If the MOU is signed by both sides Saturday, teams could open training camps Sunday, with the regular season reportedly to begin Jan. 19.The NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously Wednesday to ratify the new 10-year CBA.

NHL players vote in favour of ratifying new collective bargaining agreement

TORONTO - It's the news hockey fans have been waiting to hear.NHL players have voted in favour of ratifying the collective bargaining agreement that was reached last weekend.A union statement made it clear that a written memorandum of understanding consistent with what the players voted on must be completed before the CBA becomes final.The NHLPA and the NHL continue their work to finalize the memorandum.
When completed, it will clear the way for training camps to open Sunday and a 48-game regular season to begin next Saturday.The 36-hour electronic voting process for the 700-plus players ended this morning.
A tentative agreement was reached last Sunday on the 113th day of the lockout.The two sides finally got a deal completed after a 16-hour negotiating session in New York and assistance from federal mediator Scot L. Beckenbaugh.NHL team owners ratified the deal Wednesday.The new deal is for 10 years, but either side can opt out after eight.The previous collective bargaining agreement was in effect for seven seasons.The lockout began in mid-September and forced the cancellation of 510 games, including the Winter Classic and all-star game.The NHL has said it will release a new schedule once the ratification process is completed.
No pre-season games will be played.Many NHL players have taken part in informal skates at practice rinks over the last week to prepare for the shortened camp and season.

THE 2012-13 NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON WILL OFFICIALLY BEGIN TOMORROW WITH TRAINING CAMPS OPENING AROUND THE NHL.ON  SAT JAN 19,13 ,THE LEAGUE STARTS THE REGULAR SCHEDUALE.GO LEAFS GO.I WANT USE TO GO FAR INTO THE PLAYOFFS WITH LUONGO AND REIMER AS OUR LEAF GOALIES.I HOPE WE GET LUONGO.THE TRADE HAS NOT BEEN DONE YET AS OF JAN 12,13.

Reports: Gomez, Redden placed on waivers

Wednesday, 01.16.2013 / 12:26 PM / News

NHL.com




Scott Gomez of the Montreal Canadiens and Wade Redden of the New York Rangers were placed on waivers in order to facilitate buying out their contracts, according to multiple reports.The National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association on Tuesday agreed on a change in compliance buyout rules, allowing teams to buy out player contracts prior to Saturday.In the new Collective Bargaining Agreement agreed to recently by the NHL and the NHLPA, clubs were permitted two "compliance" buyouts to take place during the 2013 and/or 2014 offseasons in order to ease the transition to a lower salary cap.
The new agreement allows teams to use one of those compliance buyouts prior to the start of this season. However, the player's full salary for the 2012-13 season still would count against the team's cap.Players that are bought out will become unrestricted free agents, eligible to sign with any team.Gomez is owed $10 million over the next two seasons and carries a salary-cap hit of nearly $7.5 million. Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin had said the plan was to keep Gomez out of the lineup this season in order to avoid injury and allow the Habs to buy out the final season of Gomez’s deal over the summer.Redden also has $10 million and two seasons remaining on a six-year, $39 million contract he signed with the Rangers before the 2008-09 season. The 35-year-old Redden has spent the past two seasons playing for the Connecticut Whale of the AHL.Should Gomez and Redden clear waivers, they will become available to sign with any club as early as Thursday at noon.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

2012-13 FREE AGENT LIST

Boston Bruins

Available UFAs: F Josh Hennessy, D Zach McKelvie, D Mike Mottau, F Michel Ouellet, F Brian Rolston, G Marty Turco

Available RFAs: F Jamie Arniel, F Stefan Chaput, G Adam Courchaine

Buffalo Sabres

Available UFAs: F Jochen Hecht, F Ales Kotalik, G Drew MacIntyre, D Shaone Morrisonn, F Michael Ryan, F Colin Stuart, F Travis Turnbull, F Derek Whitmore

Available RFAs: F Tyler Ennis, D Dennis Persson, F Paul Szczechura

Carolina Hurricanes

Available UFAs: F Chris Durno, F Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll, D Kyle Lawson, F Matthew Pistilli, D Mathieu Roy, F Justin Soryal, D Jaroslav Spacek

Available RFAs: F Evgeni Dadonov, G Mike Murphy, F Jeremy Welsh

Florida Panthers

Available UFAs: F Mark Cullen, F John Madden, F Ondrej Roman, D Keith Seabrook, F Marco Sturm, F Bill Thomas

Available RFAs: D Roman Derlyuk, D Dmitry Kulikov, F Michael Repik, F Eric Selleck, F Casey Wellman

Montreal Canadiens

Available UFAs: F Hunter Bishop, D Joe Callahan, D Chris Campoli, F Andrew Conboy, F Mathieu Darche, F Olivier Fortier, D Alex Henry, F Danny Masse, D Mark Mitera, D Jeff Penner, F Robert Slaney, D Garrett Stafford, F Brian Willsie

Available RFAs: D P.K. Subban

New Jersey Devils

Available UFAs: D Jay Leach, F Brad Mills, F Kory Nagy, G Timo Pielmeier, F Petr Sykora

Available RFAs: F Vladimir Zharkov

New York Islanders

Available UFAs: D Yuri Alexandrov, F Jeremy Colliton, D Mark Eaton, G John Grahame, F Trevor Frischmon, F Trevor Gillies, D Milan Jurcina, F Tyler McNeely, F Jay Pandolfo, F Yanmick Riendeau, F Tony Romano

Available RFAs: F Justin DiBenedetto, D Mark Katic, G Mikko Koskinen, F Matt Martin, F Tomas Marcinko, Rhett Rakhshani

New York Rangers

Available UFAs: F Sean Avery, D Brendan Bell, D Steve Eminger, D Mike Vernace

Available RFAs: D Lee Baldwin, F Francois Bouchard, F Chris Chappell, D Michael Del Zotto, D Sam Klassen, G Cameron Talbot, F Andreas Thuresson, D Pavel Valentenko, F Mats Zuccarello

Ottawa Senators

Available UFAs: G Alex Auld, F Tim Conboy, D Matt Gilroy, F Francis Lessard, F Corey Locke, G Mike McKenna, F Mark Parrish, D Craig Schira, F Jesse Winchester

Available RFAs: F Nikita Filatov

Philadelphia Flyers

Available UFAs: G Jason Bacashihua, F Johan Backlund, F Blair Betts, D Dan Jancevski, D Pavel Kubina, F Ian Laperriere, F Andrew Rowe

Available RFAs: F Harry Zolnierczyk

Pittsburgh Penguins

Available UFAs: F Ryan Craig, G Brent Johnson, G Mattias Modig, G Scott Munroe, F Cal O'Reilly, F Richard Park, D Alexandre Picard, F Casey Pierro-Zabotel, D Boris Valabik, F Jason Williams

Available RFAs: D Robert Bortuzzo, D Alex Grant, F Eric Tangradi

Tampa Bay Lightning

Available UFAs: F Mike Angelidis, D Brett Clark, D Mike Commodore, D Scott Jackson, F Jon Kalinski, D Richard Petiot, F Alexandre Picard, D Sebastien Piche, G Dwayne Roloson, F Ryan Shannon, F Trevor Smith

Available RFAs: G Jaroslav Janus, D Brendan Mikkelson

Toronto Maple Leafs

Available UFAs: D Jeff Finger, D Matt Lashoff, F Jay Rosehill

Available RFAs: D Cody Franson, F Richard Greenop, D Juraj Mikus, F Marcel Mueller, G Ben Scrivens

Washington Capitals

Available UFAs: F Kyle Greentree, F Mike Knuble, F D.J. King, F Jacob Micflikier, D Zach Miskovic, G Dany Sabourin

Available RFAs: D John Carlson, D Kevin Marshall

Winnipeg Jets

Available UFAs: F Eric Fehr, D Mark Flood, F Jason Jaffray, D Randy Jones, G Peter Mannino, F Kenndal McArdle, F Tim Stapleton, D Andrei Zubarev

Available RFAs: D Brett Festerling, F Michael Forney, F Evander Kane, D Arturs Kulda, F Spencer Machacek, D John Negrin, F Fredrik Pettersson

WESTERN CONFERENCE FREE AGENTS

Anaheim Ducks

Available UFAs: F Mark Bell, F Troy Bodie, F Jason Blake, G Dan Ellis, F Niklas Hagman, F Dale Mitchell, F Ryan O'Marra, F Rod Pelley, F Rick Schofield, G Iiro Tarkki, D Sean Zimmerman

Available RFAs: F Luca Caputi, D Mathieu Carle, D Kyle Cumiskey, G Marco Cousineau

Calgary Flames

Available UFAs: F Ryley Grantham, F Raitis Ivanans, F Tom Kostopoulos, F P-L Letourneau-Leblond, F Logan MacMillan, F Stefan Meyer

Available RFAs: None

Chicago Blackhawks

Available UFAs: F Andrew Brunette, G Cristobal Huet, D Sami Lepisto, F Brendan Morrison, D Sean O'Donnell

Available RFAs: D Simon Danis-Pepin, F Chris DiDomenico

Colorado Avalanche

Available UFAs: F Evan Brophey, D Matt Hunwick, D David Liffiton, F Joakim Lindstrom, F Greg Mauldin, F Justin Mercier, D Danny Richmond, F Patrick Rissmiller, F David Van Der Gulik

Available RFAs: F Patrick Bordeleau, G Trevor Cann, F Zach Cohen, D Jonas Holos, D Jake Newton, F Mark Olver, F Ryan O'Reilly

Columbus Blue Jackets

Available UFAs: F Darryl Boyce, D Taylor Ellington, F Alexandre Giroux, G Shawn Hunwick, F Kristian Huselius, D Brett Lebda, D Radek Martinek, D Brett Regner, G Curtis Sanford, F Martin St. Pierre

Available RFAs: F Maksim Mayorov

Dallas Stars

Available UFAs: F Radek Dvorak, F Angelo Esposito, F Jake Hauswirth, D Brad Lukowich, F Michael Neal, G Andrew Raycroft, F Raymond Sawada, D Dan Spang, F Mikhail Stefanovich, F Francis Wathier

Available RFAs: F Jamie Benn

Detroit Red Wings

Available UFAs: F Fabian Brunnstrom, G Ty Conklin, D Travis Ehrhardt, F Tomas Holmstrom, D Doug Janik, F Jamie Johnson, F Chris Minard

Available RFAs: F Justin Abdelkader

Edmonton Oilers

Available UFAs: D Cam Barker, F Josh Green, F Ryan Keller, F Milan Kytnar, D Bryan Rodney, F Hunter Tremblay

Available RFAs: F Linus Omark

Los Angeles Kings

Available UFAs: F Marc-Andre Cliche, F Trent Hunter, F Ray Kaunisto, F Ethan Moreau, F Scott Parse

Available RFAs: F Justin Azevedo

Minnesota Wild

Available UFAs: F Erik Christensen, F Jon DiSalvatore, D Kurtis Foster, D Kris Fredheim, F Jed Ortmeyer, D Jeff Penner, F Warren Peters, F Jeff Taffe

Available RFAs: F Cody Almond, G Dennis Endras, D Justin Falk, D Chay Genoway, F Nick Palmieri

Nashville Predators

Available UFAs: G Sebastien Caron, F Brodie Dupont, F Andrei Kostitsyn, F Zack Stortini

Available RFAs: D Jonathon Blum, G Atte Engren, F Ryan Flynn, D Teemu Laakso, F Chris Mueller, G Jeremy Smith, F Ryan Thang

Phoenix Coyotes

Available UFAs: D Dean Arsene, F Matt Beaudoin, F Gilbert Brule, F Shane Doan, F Daymond Langkow, F Colin Long, F Patrick O'Sullivan, D Nathan Oystrick, G Justin Pogge, F Marc-Antoine Pouliot, D Nick Ross, D Michal Rozsival, D Kurt Sauer, F Matt Watkins

Available RFAs: G Marc Cheverie, F Brett MacLean, F Andy Miele, F Viktor Tikhonov, F Brock Trotter

San Jose Sharks

Available UFAs: F Ben Guite, F Tony Lucia, F Cameron MacIntyre, F James Marcou, F Dominic Moore, G Antero Niittymaki, G Tyson Sexsmith, D Jim Vandermeer, D Colin White, F Brad Winchester

Available RFAs: F Tim Kennedy, F Brandon Mashinter, D Nick Petrecki, F James Sheppard

St. Louis Blues

Available UFAs: F Jason Arnott, F Jonathan Cheechoo, D Carlo Colaiacovo, D Brennan Evans, D Kyle Hagel, D Kent Huskins, F Brett Sterling

Available RFAs: F Jay Berriball, F Jori Lehtera

Vancouver Canucks

Available UFAs: D Nolan Baumgartner, F Byron Bitz, G Matt Climie, F Mike Duco, F Victor Oreskovich, F Samuel Pahlsson, D Ryan Parent, F Steven Reinprecht

Available RFAs: None

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?id=38580

Saturday, January 5, 2013

IS THE SEASONS END NEAR OR WILL WE HAVE HOCKEY

1ST NHL LOCKOUT PAGE UPDATE
http://nhlhockeystats.blogspot.ca/2012/09/save-nhl-petition.html 

LAST TUE,WED THU DEC 4-6TH-THE NHL AND PLAYERS HAD MEETINGS.EVERYONE THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING GOOD UNTIL FEHR HAD A NEWS CONFERENCE AT AROUND 6:45PM.ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER FEHR CAME BACK TO THE PODIUM AND SAID THE OWNERS REFUSED THE PLAYERS DEAL.SO THERE HAVE BEEN NO TALKS SINCE DEC 6,12-ITS NOW DEC 9,12 AND WE WILL SEE IF THEY GET TALKING AGAIN OR IF THE SEASON IS DONE WITH.

National Hockey League cancels games through Dec. 30 as lockout continues

A nearly empty hockey stick rack in the Buffalo Sabres locker room is shown at the First Niagara Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres NHL hockey team, in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. The earliest a shortened NHL season will start is Dec. 31.The league is set to cancel another 104 regular-season games later this afternoon, according to a source. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-David Duprey
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A nearly empty hockey stick rack in the Buffalo Sabres locker room is shown at the First Niagara Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres NHL hockey team, in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. The earliest a shortened NHL season will start is Dec. 31.The league is set to cancel another 104 regular-season games later this afternoon, according to a source. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-David Duprey
The biggest question now is whether the latest NHL lockout will result in a shortened season like 1994-95 or a scorched season like 2004-05.As the league cancelled the rest of its schedule through Dec. 30 on Monday afternoon, it brought one more reminder of how close the NHL and NHL Players' Association are getting to a make-or-break moment.Even though commissioner Gary Bettman hasn't set a drop dead date for saving this season, he does believe each team must play 48 games to make it legitimate. For that to happen, the puck will need to drop by about mid-January."When it gets to the point where we can't play a season with integrity, with a representative schedule, then we'll be done," Bettman said last week. "If you go back in history, in '94-95 I think we played 48 games. I can't imagine wanting to play fewer than that."The latest round of cancellations brought the NHL's total to 526 regular-season games—or roughly 43 per cent of the schedule. The Jan. 1 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium and Jan. 27 all-star game in Columbus have also been wiped away.Neither the union nor league issued statements after the cancellations were announced.
There had been hope as recently as last week that the lockout could be ended in time to drop the puck over the holidays, with one report suggesting the season might start on Christmas Day. Now the earliest that will happen is New Year's Eve, which was already due to see 13 games played under the original schedule.
Talks between the NHL and NHLPA broke down in dramatic fashion last week. They haven't scheduled any further sessions, although both sides have expressed interest in returning to the bargaining table this week.There appeared to be hope the start of the 2012-13 season was imminent when NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr met reporters on Thursday night in New York after delivering a new proposal to the league. He claimed the sides had found agreement on virtually all of the key issues.However, Fehr later returned and said the NHL had rejected the offer and pulled its own off the table.Despite that, the union leader continues to believe a deal isn't very far off."My comments from a couple of days ago stand on their own," Fehr said Saturday after addressing the Canadian Auto Workers in Toronto. "I think we were very close."Deputy commissioner Bill Daly laid out the three key areas where he felt they remained apart. As part of an offer of US$300 million in deferred payments and a 50-50 split of revenues, the owners wanted:
—a 10-year term for the CBA, with a reopener after eight years (the NHLPA offered eight years, with an option to opt out after Year 6).
—no compliance buyouts, which would allow teams to buy out contracts without being penalized by the salary cap.
—contract term limits of five years for free agents and seven years for a team's own players, which Daly described as "the hill we will die on." The NHLPA proposed an eight-year cap on contracts.After becoming the first North American sports league to cancel an entire season because of a labour dispute eight years ago, the NHL is trying to avoid doing it again. That round of negotiations stretched all the way into February and saw the sides contemplate making a deal that would save a 28-game schedule before Bettman eventually pulled the plug.All indications are that the scenario won't be repeated.Instead, they'll be looking at the timeframe established in 1995, when the lockout ended on Jan. 11 and the puck was dropped on Jan. 20. The regular season ran through May 3 and saw the Stanley Cup awarded on June 24—thanks in part to sweeps in four of the last seven playoff series.The most recent NHL cancellations will ensure players are denied two more paycheques, which will bring the total they've missed to six. It's proving to be a costly lockout for all involved.Progress was made in the last round of talks with Fehr and Bettman left on the sidelines and a new group of owners and players at the table. However, the leaders are likely to be back in the room when negotiations resume.That's particularly important to the players, who received a chilly reception from owners last week after suggesting Fehr rejoin the meetings."I can't envision a scenario, where without the help of mediation or our leadership, that we can close any deal," said Winnipeg Jets defenceman Ron Hainsey. "I don't see how we could do it."

NHL cancels games through Jan. 14, moves closer to calling off season

The NHL has moved one step closer to calling off another season because of a labour dispute.
Regular-season games through Jan. 14 were wiped off the schedule on Thursday afternoon, setting up a potential timeline for the league's collective bargaining negotiations with the NHL Players' Association.
It was likely the final batch of games that will be cancelled during the lockout. If commissioner Gary Bettman holds true to his word that the league must play at least a 48-game schedule with playoffs ending in June, the next announcement from the league will either be a new CBA or a second cancelled season in eight years.
"When it gets to the point where we can't play a season with integrity, with a representative schedule, then we'll be done," Bettman said earlier this month. "If you go back in history, in '94-95 I think we played 48 games. I can't imagine wanting to play fewer than that."A total of 625 games have been cancelled because of the current lockout, which represents 50.8 per cent of the season. The all-star game in Columbus has also been axed.When the NHL staged a 48-game season following the 1994-95 lockout, the CBA was agreed to on Jan. 11 and the puck was dropped on Jan. 20. The regular season ran through May 3 and saw the Stanley Cup awarded on June 24—thanks to sweeps in four of the last seven playoff series.The league contemplated the possibility of a 28-game season in 2004-05 before finally cancelling play on Feb. 16.
There was no statement included with Thursday's announcement of the additional game cancellations. In an email, deputy commissioner Bill Daly declined to characterize whether Jan. 15 could be viewed as the lastest date to salvage a shortened schedule.Talks have been at a standstill since the NHLPA last presented a proposal on Dec. 6 in New York. The sides also spent two days with a U.S. federal mediator last week and reported no progress.Meanwhile, the league and union continue to deal with the legal ramifications of the lockout. On Thursday, a court summons was filed in New York that stated the NHLPA has until Jan. 7 to respond to a class-action complaint filed by the NHL last week.The league has asked a federal court to rule on the legality of the lockout and argued in its complaint that the NHLPA was only threatening to disband as a bargaining tactic designed to "extract more favourable terms and conditions of employment."A vote of the union's membership on the possibility of filing a "disclaimer of interest" is scheduled to wrap up Friday. Two-thirds of players must support the motion for the NHLPA's executive board to be granted the authority to disclaim by Jan. 2, which would allow them to file anti-trust lawsuits against the league."We feel like we have no other choice right now," Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos said this week. "We feel like we've done our part and we'll see what transpires over the next couple of weeks. We're in this process and we all wish we could have something much earlier, but we have to deal with what's in front of us."There are currently no further bargaining sessions planned. On Wednesday night, NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr said the union was ready to get back to the bargaining table but it hadn't happened yet "because the owners have not indicated a desire to resume."

PLAYERS VOTE TO GIVE NHLPA BOARD POWER TO DISSOLVE UNION  - DEC 22,12
http://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/players-vote-to-give-nhlpa-board-power-to-dissolve-union-1.1088759

NHL, players' association don't speak to each other on quiet Sunday

An empty Buffalo Sabres locker room is shown at the First Niagara Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres NHL hockey team, in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/David Duprey)
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An empty Buffalo Sabres locker room is shown at the First Niagara Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres NHL hockey team, in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/David Duprey)
NEW YORK, N.Y. - All is quiet between the NHL and the players' association, and there is no sign the sides will talk even by phone before Christmas."Nothing today," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press in an email Sunday night. "Don't know whether we will speak before the holiday."
Daly and players' association special counsel Steve Fehr spoke to each other Saturday, but nothing of note came out of those discussions. The union declined to comment Sunday, the 99th day of the NHL lockout.
The sides haven't met face to face since Dec. 13.All games through Jan. 14 have already been called off, and if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't reached by then, the remainder of the schedule could be cancelled, too. So far, 625 games—more than 50 per cent of the schedule—have been wiped out, along with the Winter Classic and the All-Star game.

NHL makes movement on buyouts, contract length in new proposal to NHLPA

In this Sept. 25, 2012 photo, an empty locker room is shown during the NHL labor lockout in Buffalo, N.Y. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, David Duprey
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In this Sept. 25, 2012 photo, an empty locker room is shown during the NHL labor lockout in Buffalo, N.Y. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, David Duprey
TORONTO - The NHL is making a serious bid to save the season.With another year in jeopardy because of a labour dispute, the league softened its demands in key areas of collective bargaining with a new proposal to the NHL Players' Association on Thursday night. The comprehensive offer included compliance buyouts and less restrictive rules on player contracts, according to sources.The league's proposal calls for a six-year term limit on free-agent deals—up from five previously—and will allow teams to re-sign their own players for up to seven years. It also includes a provision that salary can vary by 10 per cent from year to year during the course of a deal (the NHL's most recent offer proposed a five per cent variance).A source told The Canadian Press the deal is contingent on the NHLPA signing off by Jan. 11. Training camps would then open the next day and the season would start Jan. 19.The NHL and NHLPA plan to review the proposal on a conference call Saturday and could meet in person on Sunday.For the first time during these negotiations, the league is also willing to consider one-time compliance buyouts to help teams transition from a system that saw players receive 57 per cent of revenues to one that pays them 50 per cent. It has proposed giving each team one such buyout, with the money counting against the players' overall share in revenue but not an individual team's salary cap.Deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the existence of the new offer Friday, but declined to comment on its details."We are hopeful that once the union's staff and negotiating committee have had an opportunity to thoroughly review and consider our new proposal, they will share it with the players," Daly said in a statement. "We want to be back on the ice as soon as possible."The NHLPA's negotiating committee and executive board was scheduled to hold an internal conference call Friday afternoon to discuss the offer.The proposed length of the agreement is 10 years through the 2021-22 season, with a mutual option for both parties to opt our after eight years.According to sources, the league's detailed proposal covered both the major issues that have divided the sides and a number of the smaller ones they've already found agreement on during more than five months of negotiations. It also put the US$300 million in deferred transition payments back on the table—something it had previously withdrawn when talks broke down Dec. 6.Despite the movement from the league, there is still clearly work to be done. Among the items in the proposal a source indicated the NHLPA isn't keen on is a $60-million salary cap in 2013-14, which the union believes will result in players paying a high rate of escrow.The NHL and NHLPA have a little over two weeks to reach an agreement that would save the season. The 104-day lockout has seen all regular-season games cancelled through Jan. 14 and a deal needs to be reached soon to salvage a 48-game schedule—the minimum commissioner Gary Bettman says must be played.Negotiations have been at a standstill since talks broke off in New York at the beginning of the month, but Daly created a buzz Dec. 19 when he predicted on Hockey Night in Canada Radio there would be a season. Later that day, NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr told reporters the owners needed to show a willingness to negotiate for it to happen."I certainly hope he's right," Fehr said of Daly's prediction. "That's the players' goal, that's what we want to try and do. Hopefully, we'll get back together and negotiate out the remaining issues as soon as possible."In the meantime, a decision is looming for the NHLPA's executive board. Players voted overwhelmingly to give that 30-member committee the power to file a "disclaimer of interest" until Jan. 2—a move that would see the union dissolved and would allow the players to challenge the legality of the lockout in court.

Don Cherry worried NHLPA will push NHL to brink in ongoing labour dispute

Don Cherry is worried the NHL Players' Association will push for more after the NHL's latest offer to end the lockout.The Hockey Night in Canada commentator posted a series of messages to Twitter on Saturday night, relating a conversation he had with one of his friends."A few days ago I was talking to a buddy who wants to know what's gonna happen with the lockout," said Cherry from his verified Twitter account that has over 100,000 followers. "I tell him we're gonna see who really wants to end this and start the season."How come he asks? I said whoever puts in an offer will put himself in a sticky situation because the press and fans will think he has caved in."Cherry then noted that on Friday the NHL submitted a nearly 300-page proposal to the union in an effort to end the 105-day lockout."Sure enough Bettman comes in with a new offer and yes it looks like he has weakened," said Cherry. "In the (Toronto) Sun it's front page and claims Bettman was pressured by the owners. I don't believe that."The former head coach of the Boston Bruins and Colorado Rockies went on to discuss an article by Sun columnist Bruce Garrioch."Garrioch says an insider said it's not so much the pressure of the executives but it's more to save the season for the fans," said Cherry. "So (NHL commissioner Gary) Bettman has put himself in a situation just made for (NHLPA executive director Donald) Fehr. He knew when he put in the offer this would happen."But I believe he did it to save the season."Added Cherry: "Fehr naturally will say this isn't good enough and squeeze for more. But like I said 2 months ago after the association squeezes the last drop it will be settled. The only dark cloud I see is if the association pushes too hard we could go off a cliff."

NHL and NHL Players' Association begin third straight day with mediator

FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2012, file photo, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, right, and deputy commissioner Bill Daly speak to reporters in New York. Bettman has told the players union that a deal must be in place by Jan. 11 in order for a 48-game season to be played beginning eight days later.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
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FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2012, file photo, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, right, and deputy commissioner Bill Daly speak to reporters in New York. Bettman has told the players union that a deal must be in place by Jan. 11 in order for a 48-game season to be played beginning eight days later.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
NEW YORK, N.Y. - For now, the NHL's labour dispute lies in the hands of Scot L. Beckenbaugh.
The U.S. federal mediator gathered with a small group from the league and NHL Players' Association on Saturday afternoon after spending the previous day shuttling between the sides for almost 13 hours.
Beckenbaugh became awfully familiar with three-block walk between the league office and NHLPA's hotel, where the Saturday afternoon group session was held. It was the first time the parties were in the same room with one another since a lengthy bargaining session that started on Wednesday night and stretched into Thursday morning.With progress being made at that time, the NHLPA elected not to declare a "disclaimer of interest" prior to a self-imposed deadline just before midnight on Wednesday.However, a second vote of players that wraps up Saturday at 6 p.m. ET was started which would restore the NHLPA's executive board's ability to disclaim. If it passes, the 30-member committee would have the authority to dissolve the union, which would open the door for anti-trust lawsuits and bring even more uncertainty to the bargaining process.The NHL and NHLPA are seeking to reach an agreement prior to Jan. 11 to salvage a shortened 48-game season.The sides have moved closer to one another with a series of proposals since Dec. 27, but still need to find agreement on the salary cap for next season, the length of player contracts, salary variance, the length of the CBA and pension plan, among other things.Beckenbaugh was also involved in the NHL's labour negotiations during the 2004-05 lockout, having met with the sides in February just before the season was cancelled. He is the deputy director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.The lockout is set to enter its 16th week on Sunday. 

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