The wonderful game of hockey sees some good news at last! After almost 15 days of uncertainty, National League of Hockey and players' union will share the table to discuss hockey-related revenue sharing.
The NHL has already scrapped games through November and the prestigious Winter Classic. If both the parties come to some agreement, the remaining games can still be resumed. It would be a good sign for the game and sports lovers would welcome it.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and players' association special counsel Steve Fehr have been communicating over the phone so far. Their decision to meet Saturday afternoon to discuss the issue face-to-face will definitely be welcomed among the sports fraternity.
The NHL has already clarified that it would not be possible to reinstate the already scrapped games. However, both parties will find it mutually beneficial if the remaining games are played as per schedule. The lockout has completed 49 days and 327 games have become casualty as a result of the bitter disagreement between the league and the players' union.
Daly said that there is hope of the remaining games being played and no more games will be scrapped.
''I don't foresee any further cancellation announcements in the near term,'' Daly wrote in an email to The Associated Press Friday. ''Last week we had a proposal to save a full season on the table. That has since been withdrawn. That creates a different environment for talks.''
The biggest question still remains. Would players agree for 50-50 revenue sharing of hockey-related revenue, or would the league agree to give players a 57 percent share? When the league had offered a proposal of 50-50 split of revenue sharing, players had refused to accept it and sent three of their proposals, which the league rejected and took back their proposal to give players an equal share in revenues.
After that, both parties have talked over the phone, but did not share a negotiation table. A week ago, the union had invited players to resume talks, but the players' union did not agree.
In such a scenario, talks between the league and players may bring important results. If they could manage to reach an agreement, the remaining games of the season might be resumed. League Commissioner Gary Bettman will try hard to reach to an agreement. The present crisis is the third lockout in his tenure - first in 1994-95, and then in 2004-05.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
