BETTMAN PREACHING NHL LABOUR PEACE
There are no good guys or bad guys: NHL commissioner
Gary Bettman spoke on Thursday. And no, he wasn’t booed.
Based on what he said, he might have deserved a standing ovation. There might be a labour war brewing between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association, but you wouldn’t know it by listening to Bettman. Standing in a loose-fitting suit, minus a tie and with a pair of black sneakers completing the somewhat casual look, the NHL commissioner said the last thing he wants to do is get into another fight. He’s not even looking to argue. If anything, he’s playing peacemaker.
It’s a new look for a commissioner who’s overseen three labour stoppages in his 25 years on the job.
“There are no good guys or bad guys,” said Bettman, smiling. “This is a relationship and we’ve lived with each other for a long time and we’re going to continue to live with each other.”
What’s right, according to Bettman, is labour peace. That’s why the NHL declined its option to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement last week. In doing so, the NHL moved toward three more seasons of uninterrupted hockey.
That is, as long as the NHLPA follows suit and also declines opting out of the current arrangement before the Sept. 15 deadline.
“The puck is in their end,” said Bettman. “We made the decision that we thought was the best decision for the game, namely labour peace. And it’s now up to the Players’ Association to decide what they want to do on the 15th.”
About 50 players met in Chicago for a union meeting on Wednesday to discuss their options. It’s too early to tell whether they will opt out of the CBA, but it sure seems like they are leaning that way.
The hope is that rather than drawing up an entirely new CBA, both sides might come to terms on a CBA extension that involves some minor tweaks to the current model.
Already, this feels different than previous lockouts. Back in 2005 and in 2012, the NHL needed to make drastic changes for the supposed health of the game.
“In those years, we were focused on a fundamental change that needed to be made for the game to prosper for everybody’s benefit,” Bettman said. “And I think the things that are at stake now are things that I’d like to see corrected but not in the short term to the expense of labour peace.”
The players, of course, might feel differently.
While there is a laundry list of issues that need to be discussed, the main sticking point for the players involves escrow, which takes a portion of a player’s salary and puts it into a pool.
Bettman blames front-loaded contracts, signing bonuses and a change to how the uppercap limit is structured for the amount that is now subtracted from players’ salaries.
That Bettman is open to suggestions could be a sign that this negotiation gets settled quickly and painlessly. Then again, it could be the first in a series of negotiating tactics from someone who has plenty of experience in going to war.
“… We’ve had major differences of opinion, but I don’t see a lot of that this time. We’ve had constructive dialogue.”
ROGERS DEAL STILL A SUCCESS
Six years later, the massive $5.232-billion deal that Rogers signed to become the Canadian rights-holder of the NHL is looking like a bad gamble for the media giant, which has been forced to cut several of its staff members in the past month.
But Bettman said he has been happy with the relationship, which runs for another six years. “Rogers has been a great partner,” he said.
OLYMPICS OUT, WORLD CUP IN
While Olympic participation is something that the players want to be included in the next CBA, Bettman’s international calendar only has room for another World Cup.
“With the Olympics, I still believe they are incredibly disruptive to our season with no benefit, and I don’t mean that financially,” he said. “Promotionally or any other way, we haven’t got anything out of the five Olympics that we’ve been to.”
OTTAWA TO FOLLOW CALGARY’S LEAD?
With the Flames now on track to having a new arena built sometime around 2024, Bettman said he is hopeful that the Senators will also find a solution to their arena situation.
“I’m glad it’s a reality,” Bettman said of the Flames’ proposed arena. As for Ottawa, Bettman believes it’s just a matter of time before a solution presents itself.