World Cup off table for 2020

Union, league still eye new contract

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association have given up on the possibility of staging the next World Cup of Hockey in September 2020 but will continue collective bargaining talks.

The league and players association announced the conclusion in separate statements Wednesday that there’s not enough time to put together a World Cup in roughly 20 months. The sides met earlier in the day in Toronto to discuss the World Cup as part of collective bargaining talks after holding an informal meeting Jan. 10 in Las Vegas.

Not holding the World Cup in September 2020 is consequential because it was so closely linked to the potential of labor peace in hockey. But the NHL and NHLPA plan to meet again soon with the goal of avoiding a potential work stoppage. A lockout wiped out the 2004-05 season and lasted more than three months in 2012-13.

The current CBA runs until 2022, but either owners or players could opt out later this year and end it Sept. 15, 2020. Players’ escrow payments and Olympic participation are big issues that must be overcome to avoid either side electing to reopen the CBA.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the AP last week he believed there was a commitment by both sides to continue talking and “see if we can move forward on something that might work for a CBA extension.”

“While the parties have now concluded that it is no longer realistic to try to schedule a World Cup of Hockey for the fall of 2020, they plan to continue their dialogue with the hope of being able to schedule the next World Cup event as part of a broader agreement, which would include a long-term international event calendar,” the NHL said in a statement.

Canadiens

Montreal forward Paul Byron was suspended three games by the NHL without pay by the league for charging Florida Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.

Ducks

Anaheim, which has lost 12 games in a row, continued to change its makeup, trading forward Pontus Aberg to the Minnesota Wild for center Justin Kloos. Monday, they traded veteran winger Andrew Cogliano to the Dallas Stars for young forward Devin Shore.