Don Fehr and the NHLPA rejected a previous realignment plan unilaterally created by the NHL. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The NHL players union has approved an NHL realignment plan scheduled for the 2013-2014 season.

“After discussions with the Executive Board, the NHLPA has given consent to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 season,” NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr said through a statement.

The union’s approval was the only obstacle for the new divisional realignment that will also include a new playoff format. In 2012, the NHLPA rejected a realignment plan unilaterally created by the NHL.

The NHL must now take the proposal to its Board of Governors for a vote. If approved, the new plan will go into effect starting with the 2013-14 season.

“The NHL Players’ Association confirmed to us today that it has consented to a revised Plan for Realignment, effective for the 2013-14 season,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. “Our next step will be to bring the proposed Plan for Realignment to the NHL Board of Governors for its consideration. We will update the status of the process as future developments warrant.”

The realignment plan will reduce the number of divisions from six to four:

Atlantic: Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington

Central: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto

Mid-West: Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis and Winnipeg

Pacific: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose and Vancouver

The new playoff plan will also include wild-card teams and divisional playoffs rather than seeding based on conference finish during the regular season. The top three teams in each division would earn playoff berths plus four wild cards. The division winner with the most regular-season points would face the lowest-seeded wild card in the first round.

The National Hockey League and their player’s association are discussing new plans for realignment for the 2013-14 season which would move the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Detroit Red Wings to a proposed Eastern Conference from the Western Conference. Any plan for realignment must be approved by the NHL Board of Governors.

According to the CBC and MLive.com, in one eight team conference would be the Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers.

Another eight-team conference would include Carolina Hurricanes, the Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.

One Western seven-team conference would have the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.

The other Western seven-team conference would have Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks.

The new re-alignment NHL/NHLPA have worked on — I: CAR/CLB/NJ/NYI/NYR/PHI/PIT/WASH—
Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 24, 2013

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr will not be taking the same position with the NBA players union, a source told Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal.

Executive director Billy Hunter’s future with the NBPA is considered tenuous after he was placed on indefinite leave Friday.

Fehr was first linked to the NBAP through a CBSSports.com report of an influential group of NBA player agents pushing for his hire. Fehr’s recent handling of the NHLPA’s new CBA and his past success as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players’ Association reportedly could provide enough clout to win approval of NBA players.

Fehr originally declined to comment on the report while Hunter still holds his title as the NBPA executive director. Hunter was placed on leave following a negative independent review of his business practices, including the involvement of family members as NBPA employees and vendors.

Source close to Don Fehr: "Don is very happy in his current role and has absolutely no plans to leave the NHLPA." (1/3)—
Liz Mullen (@SBJLizMullen) February 05, 2013

Donald Fehr is the choice of many NBA agents to be the NBPA’s next leader. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

NBA agents are floating prominent sports union leader Donald Fehr as the next possible head of the National Basketball Players Association, CBS Sports’ Ken Berger reported Monday.

Fehr is the current executive director of the NHL Players Association and also was the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association.

He would replace Billy Hunter, who was placed on indefinite leave last week by a committee organized by union president Derek Fisher. That committee formed in order to “move the organization forward” after a stinging report by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, an independent firm that was hired to investigate the union’s business practices under Hunter’s leadership.

Fehr did not comment when reached by Berger.

While representing NHL players during the recent NHL lockout, Fehr earned the notorious distinction of becoming the first players union director to lead two work stoppages. Fehr also presided over the MLB lockout of 1994-95, which canceled the entire 1994 postseason, including the World Series.

Hunter has been the head of the NBPA since 1996. Because the firm’s report found that Hunter’s contract was never “properly approved,” it said that the contract could be terminated.

The NHL will start a 48-game schedule for teams on Jan. 19 after the league and the NHLPA signed a MOU on Saturday. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The National Hockey League is officially back after a 119-day lockout and will return to action after the league and the players association signed a memorandum of understanding late Saturday night, the league announced, via NHL.com.

The NHL board of governors unanimously ratified a contract on Wednesday to end the lockout and the original plan was to start training camps on Sunday, if the memorandum of understanding was finished. The league allowed physicals and medical exams to take place on Friday.

The wide-ranging Agreement includes an economic system under which Hockey Related Revenues (HRR) will be shared 50%-50% between Owners and the Players. The Agreement includes terms that limit the length of individual Player contracts to seven years (eight when a team is re-signing its own Player) and regulates the compensation structure, year-to-year variability and defining minimum value.

A 48-game season is expected to start Jan. 19. A total of 510 games, the Winter Classic and the All-Star Game were cancelled due to the lockout. The regular season was originally supposed to begin Oct. 11.

Hockey is (almost) officially back. The NHL board of governors met today to complete their review of the CBA and vote on it.

The 113-day lockout was tentatively brought to an end last week when the NHL and NHLPA finally agreed on a deal. That deal is now official with a unanimous NHL board ratification.

NHL board completes review of CBA approves the new Document. Done deal.

—
John Shannon (@JSportsnet) January 09, 2013

The NHL board of governors have ratified the CBA #bn #nhl

—
gary lawless (@garylawless) January 09, 2013

NHL governor inside the room via text: ``It's been ratified.''

—
Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) January 09, 2013

The NHLPA now needs to ratify the deal. They will be meeting Friday-Saturday to vote on the agreement. Camps should start on Sunday.

The NHLPA now expects to hold its player vote on Friday and Saturday.

—
Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 09, 2013

Also, CBA approved by #NHL. #NHLPA to wrap Saturday. Camps Sunday. @penguins

—
Rob Rossi (@RobRossi_Trib) January 09, 2013

The NHLPA began a vote to decide whether a disclaimer of interest is a necessary next step in the lockout. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

NHL players began a vote Thursday night to decide whether they want to again grant authority to their management committee to disclaim interest in their union, according to a report in TSN.

The vote comes after some progress — but apparently not enough — was made in talks between the league’s owners and its players association over the past two days over the ongoing lockout, which has now dragged on for 110 days. The vote began around 6 p.m. ET on Thursday night and will end within the next 48 hours, according to TSN.

The NHLPA’s first vote on the subject passed overwhelmingly, but the deadline to disclaim interest passed without action from management on Wednesday. If least two-thirds of players again vote for the measure and the NHLPA this time decides to disclaim, it could lead to players filing antitrust lawsuits against the league.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said that the “drop dead” deadline for a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement is Jan. 11. That would allow for a 48-game season.

All games through Jan. 14, as well as the All-Star game, have already been canceled.

There are several key issues that remain as roadblocks to a potential agreement, but the three most pressing are player pensions, the league’s salary cap and limits on the length of player contracts. Owners want a second-year salary cap around $60 million, according to TSN. Players want a cap more in the range of $65 million. And owners prefer a six-year limit on player contracts — seven if re-signing with a team — while players want any term limits scrapped.

The NHL decided not to disband the union by the Wednesday midnight deadline, and negotiations with the league to end the lockout continue, reports the New York Daily News. The two sides had a nearly five-hour bargaining session on Wednesday night, and mediator Scot L. Beckenbaugh requested that they return on Thursday to continue.

“There has been some progress but we’re still apart on a number of issues,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “But as long as the process continues, I am hopeful.”

The union had voted in December to allow the executive board to file disclaimer of interest up until Wednesday at midnight. Although the deadline has passed, the union can still take another vote to disclaim interest.

NHL players and NHLPA staff arrived at the league’s office in New York on Thursday afternoon; the smaller group meetings suggest that discussions will be limited, and no full bargaining talks will occur yet.

Steve Fehr and a handful of players and NHLPA staff have arrived at the NHL office.—
Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 03, 2013

Smaller group meetings about to start. No full bargaining at this time. #NHLPA #NHL—
Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) January 03, 2013

Though it has not been a negotiation topic, the NHL and NHLPA have each internally discussed the possibility of expanding the postseason to 20 teams, according to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos. The league’s current format includes 16 teams, eight from each conference.

The two sides are expected to meet on Wednesday — three months and 17 days into the lockout — in New York after the league made a counter-offer to the players’ union on Tuesday night. Commissioner Gary Bettman said on Monday that the league has told the NHLPA that a 48-game season can begin on Jan. 19 if a deal is reached by Jan. 11.

Although it hasn't been brought up in negotiations both #NHL #NHLPA have had internal discussions on 4 more teams qualifying for playoffs—
Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) January 02, 2013

Based on the proposed four-conference realignment, a potential expanded playoff could involve “one-game (maybe best-of-three) playoffs for the fourth- and fifth-place teams in each of the four conferences,” writes ProHockeyTalk’s Jason Brough:

This would have two advantages. First, the additional games would provide additional revenue. Second, more teams in the playoff race theoretically means fewer fans giving up on their teams during the regular season.

CBSSports.com’s Adam Gretz outlined what the 2012 postseason would have looked like had a 20-team format been in place:

Just for some perspective: Four additional teams (two in each conference) in the current conference alignment would have resulted in the Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames making the playoffs in the Western Conference last season, as well as the Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will meet the NHLPA to discuss counterproposal submitted by the players’ association on Monday. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The NHL and NHLPA met for three hours on Monday, the first time  in more than two weeks that the two sides have had in-person meetings, in order to try to end the ongoing lockout, reports ESPN. The NHLPA submitted a counterproposal to the league Monday, and additional meetings will be held on Tuesday.

“We spent a good part of [Monday] afternoon with the players’ association. They were responding to the proposal we made Thursday and their response was a comprehensive one, dealing with a full slate of issues that we raised and proposals that we put forth, and we’re in the process of reviewing their response,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Monday. “Our expectation is that we’ll contact them [Tuesday] morning and arrange to get back together, hopefully, certainly by midday. We’re going to try and turn this around overnight so we can continue the process.”

Bettman declined to provide any details on the NHLPA offer, beyond calling it “comprehensive.”

Games through Jan. 14 have already been cancelled; the NHL’s last offer indicated that the season needed to start by Jan. 19, and Bettman reaffirmed this position on Monday:

“What we’ve said is we need to drop the puck by Jan. 19 if we’re going to play a 48-game season,” said Bettman. “We don’t think it makes sense to play a season that is any shorter than that.”

The NHL sent a new offer to the NHLPA on Thursday that includes some compromise according to an NHL player in a report by ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun.

The player, who requested anonymity, said the new proposal moved on term limits for player contracts, salary variance and buyouts.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly would not confirm what the player said when reached by ESPN.com.

The league’s push for a five-year limit has been a major roadblock for the players, whose Dec. 6 counter proposal offered to limit deals to eight years. It’s believed the league has offered to move to six-year limits on player contracts.

Looming deadlines on both sides of the labor dispute could require an agreement soon if the league is to play some form of a regular season.

The NHL has cancelled games through Jan. 14 since the two sides last met with mediators on Dec. 13.

On Dec. 6, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said he “can’t imagine wanting to play fewer than” 48 games, a shortened season that would likely have to begin around the third week of January and a resolution to the labor standoff by mid-January.

A vote by the players has given the NHLPA’s executive board the power to decide whether or not to file a notice of disclaimer of interest, effectively dissolving the union, by Jan. 2.

An NHL player says the NHL made a new offer to the NHLPA on Thursday, one which moved on contract term limits, buyouts and variance…—
Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) December 28, 2012

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly would not confirm it when reached—
Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) December 28, 2012

The National Hockey League announced Thursday the cancellation of 2012-13 regular-season games through January 14 due to the league’s labor dispute with the NHLPA.

The move will leave 625 regular-season games — 50.8 percent of the season — lost during the current lockout.

NHL Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said yesterday the point of no return for cancelling the entire 2012-13 season is in and around mid-January.

The 2004-05 season was not canceled until much later in the schedule, but the NHL reportedly won’t wait as long during this lockout.

breaking news, Deputy Commish Bill Daly states the point of no return is in and around mid-january. Much earlier than 2004/05. #sportsnet—
Daren Millard (@darenmillard) December 19, 2012

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman’s league is now in the 91st day of the lockout. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The National Hockey League will seek to void all player contracts if the players association is successful in dissolving the union, reports the Toronto Sun.

The union will vote to dissolve the union electronically starting on Sunday and the process will continue over a five-day period. A 2/3 majority vote is needed to pass and the NHLPA executive board has a Jan. 2, 2013 deadline to file a disclaimer of interest.

On Friday, the NHL filed a class action complaint to uphold the lockout and an Unfair Labor Practice Charge with the National Labor Relations Board. The Players Association said the league’s position was ”completely without merit.”

“The NHL requests a declaration that, if the NHLPA’s decertification or disclaimer were not deemed invalid by the NLRB, and the collective bargaining relationship between the parties were not otherwise to continue, all existing contracts between NHL players and NHL teams (known as Standard Player’s Contracts or “SPCs”) would be void and unenforceable,” a statement by the NHL said.

The lockout is now in its 91st day and all games through Dec. 30 have been canceled.

The NHL filed a class action complaint in Federal Court in New York on Friday to confirm the ongoing legality of the lockout. The NHL reacted in response to information suggesting the NHL Players may vote to decertify the NHLPA.

While simultaneously  filing the complaint, the NHL also filed an Unfair Labor Practice Charge with the National Labor Relations Board. The charge is made on the grounds that the NHLPA has “engaged in an unlawful subversion of the collective bargaining process and conduct that constitutes bad faith bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act.”

The NHL issued a press release regarding the filing of the Class Action Complaint.

The NHL filed a class action complaint in federal court in New York seeking a declaration confirming that the lockout is legal.

—
Katie Carrera (@kcarrera) December 14, 2012

NHL just announced it has filed a class action suit in response to Information the players may vote to decertify the NHLPA

—
Liz Mullen (@SBJLizMullen) December 14, 2012

Also the NHL says the PA took part in 'unlawful subversion' in the collective bargaining process and bad faith bargaining

—
  (@JoshuaCooper) December 14, 2012

After a two-hour meeting with the NHL board of governors, commissioner Gary Bettman said that he is “please with the process that is ongoing” in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.

Talks between the owners and players’ association resumed at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, according to ESPN.com’s Peter LeBrun:

Bargaining slated to resume around 215 pm ET or so… Same group dynamic as yesterday. So no D Fehr or G Bettman—
Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) December 05, 2012

The two sides met for eight hours on Tuesday with six players and 18 owners in the room and Bettman and NHLPA president Donald Fehr absent, according to The Record‘s Tom Gulitti.

The Star-Ledger‘s Rich Chere described two team executives as optimistic:

There is optimism from both the league and its players after two positive days. Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said he was “encouraged” and Columbus Blue Jackets executive John Davidson said, ‘We feel good aboit the information we got.”

Reporters on Twitter, including the Winnipeg Free Press‘ Gary Lawless, have speculated that the league could proceed with a season between 50 and 60 games if a deal is struck this weekend to end the 81-day lockout.

if a deal gets done by the weekend, big if, training camps could open next wednesday and 56-game season would begin on Dec. 20. #bn #nhl—
gary lawless (@garylawless) December 05, 2012

The NHLPA authorized a $10,000 stipend for its players due to the lockout. ( Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The National Hockey League Players Association’s Executive Board on Saturday approved authorization to provide a stipend worth $10,000 to all players, reports ESPN.com.

The NHL players have missed four paychecks due to the lockout.

The NHLPA’s next decision will be to respond to the NHL on whether to accept commissioner Gary Bettman’s invitation to hold a players/owners-only meeting, with no league or NHLPA staff present. The idea was presented as an alternative option after mediation broke down between the two sides Thursday.

The league and the NHLPA have been trying to mediate their differences for the past week in order to save the season, which has already cancelled games including the Winter Classic and the All-Star Game.

The NHLPA Executive Board has authorized a $10,000 stipend to all players. #TSN—
Aaron Ward (@aaronward_nhl) December 01, 2012

Bringing the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service into the NHL-NHLPA labor negotiations has failed to make a dent in the league’s 75-day-old lockout.

Two days of meetings with third-party mediators uncovered no common ground and brought the NHL and NHLPA back to their existing labor stalemate.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly addressed the mediation process on behalf of the league:

“Today, we concluded two days of mediation with FMCS mediators and representatives of the NHL Players’ Association.  After spending several hours with both sides over two days, the presiding mediators concluded that the parties remained far apart, and that no progress toward a resolution could be made through further mediation at this point in time.  We are disappointed that the mediation process was not successful.”

Shortly after learning that mediation had not been a success, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman reportedly suggested a players-owners meeting as a possible way to break the labor gridlock.

#CBA According to multiple sources Bettman proposed to D. Fehr a meeting between owners and players only, w/ no league or PA staff present.—
Katie Strang (@KatieStrangESPN) November 29, 2012

Not all owners would be included in this owner-player meeting. Hasn't been determined. Not sure why either side wouldn't welcome this.—
Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 29, 2012

The lack of mediation success may not immediately further shorten a season that’s already seen the cancellation of games through Dec. 14, the Winter Classic, and the All-Star weekend in Columbus, Ohio in January.

Told @NHL not considering cancelling more games at this point.—
Louis Jean (@LouisJean_TVA) November 29, 2012

The NHL and NHLPA agreed to meet with a mediator in attempts to end the lockout. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The National Hockey League and the NHL Players’ Association have agreed to meet with a mediator to try to resolve the lockout, reports ESPN.com.

“While we have no particular level of expectation going into this process, we welcome a new approach in trying to reach a resolution of the ongoing labor dispute at the earliest possible date,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. “We have no further comment on the upcoming meetings at the current time.”

The league has already canceled the NHL All-Star Weekend, the Winter Classic, plus all games through Dec. 14. The two sides have not met since Wednesday when the players association’s latest proposal was rejected.

“At the invitation of the FMCS, and with the agreement of both parties, the ongoing negotiations will now be conducted under our auspices,” Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service director George Cohen said in a statement. “I have assigned deputy director Scot L. Beckenbaugh, director of mediation services John Sweeney, and commissioner Guy Serota to serve as the mediators.”

Cohen has mediated negotiations in Major League Soccer, the NFL, NBA and the dispute between the NFL and its officials earlier this year.

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller believes the NHLPA should decertify to help end the NHL’s lockout. (Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)

Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller became the first NHL player to publicly call for decertifying the NHLPA in an email to The Globe and Mail.

“After watching the other sport leagues go through labour disputes last year, it is apparent that until decertification is filed, there will not be any real movement or negotiation,” Miller wrote. “Many things in our negotiation are very consistent with the NFL and NBA negotiations, and both of those leagues filed papers necessary to decertify.

“It seems like the players in any league are going to be subjected to the same scripted labour dispute developed by [NHL and NBA law firm] Proskauer Rose in all collective bargaining discussions now and in the future. Decertification becomes part of the script because Gary Bettman and the owners are trying to get a sense of how far they can push us and at some point we have to say ‘enough.’

“They want to see if we will take a bad deal because we get desperate or if we have the strength to push back. Decertification is a push back and should show we want a negotiation and a fair deal on at least some of our terms.”

The NHLPA has unofficially categorized decertification — a dissolution of a union previously used by the NFL and NBA player unions during their lockouts — as a last resort. Decertification could be used as a tool leading to a legal end to the NHL owners’ lockout, or an antitrust lawsuit.

It’s widely believed that the majority of NHL players do not favor ending their union, but decertification could gain support after NHL owners rejected the players’ latest proposal on Wednesday.

“This is going to galvanize them,” one member on the players’ side said.

The NHLPA could also seek to make a dramatic move in anticipation of the league cancelling more games and the 2013 All-Star Game scheduled for Jan. 27, 2013, in Columbus, Ohio.

The NHL and its players association have reportedly made progress toward ending the league’s 67-day lockout during their meetings in New York on Wednesday.

The NHLPA proposed a five-year deal that would set Dec. 1 as the start date to a 68-game season, according to The Globe and Mail‘s James Mirtle. NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr estimated that there is a $182 million gap between the players’ latest offer and the NHL’s last offer.

An integral part of the players’ proposal is $391-million in “make whole” money over the five years, which is substantially more than the $211-million the owners last had on the table but less than the $592-million the NHLPA had previously asked for.

Included was a proposal by the union on eliminating heavily front-loaded contracts, the only element of contract rights the NHLPA included in its offer.

Fehr also said the players’ proposal for the first time deals in percentages as opposed to a guaranteed share.

“About as good as we can do,” Fehr told reporters in attendance.

The decision in now in the league’s hands, and its response is expected to come at 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun tweeted the following quote from Rangers star Brad Richards.

NYR star B. Richards via text on PA proposal: "It is a move in their direction again and based off of their proposal. There has to…" Cont—
Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) November 21, 2012

… "an effort from them to get this done now." End quote—
Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) November 21, 2012

The Globe and Mail provided full details of the proposal. Several reporters, including CSNPhilly.com’s Tim Panaccio, raised doubts about the accuracy of Fehr’s estimate.

CAUTION: from the start, the NHL and NHLPA have never agreed on the math in terms of how far apart they are …—
Tim Panaccio (@tpanotchCSN) November 21, 2012

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has agreed to 13 of the NHLPA’s 17 main issues, according to a report. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

While the core issues of the NHL lockout are still being discussed, the two sides have agreed on several terms, according to a Toronto Star report.

Those issues include: moving up the date that teams can sign free agents from July 1 to June 15; allowing cap space to be included in transactions; creating a joint health committee; eliminating re-entry waivers; appointing a third-party arbitrator to deal with appeals for on- and off-ice discipline; and establishing minimum roster requirements.

In total, Commissioner Gary Bettman has agreed to 13 of the NHLPA’s 17 issues, although the smaller agreements are being nullified by the lack of an overall agreement.

“Right now, nothing is agreed on because we won’t agree to anything until we get a deal on core economics,” said one insider familiar with the NHL’s positions. “But this is stuff where we said, ‘Okay, we’ll go there.’ ”

There’s no question the key issues — money (including revenue sharing), contract restraints and who pays for damage caused by the lockout — remain outstanding. Just how far the NHLPA moves, if it does indeed make a substantial new offer, will determine where talks are headed.

The two sides are “getting closer” on several issues, the report states, involving entry-level contracts, AHL salaries, unrestricted free agency and salary arbitration. As the lockout heads toward its 11th week, the sticking points remain revenue sharing and player contract restraints.

NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr encouraged the league to continue negotiations last week. The players’ association is expected to have a new proposal to present on Wednesday. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The NHL Players’ Association is expected to deliver a new CBA proposal on Wednesday, reports TSN. The two sides met on Monday night for 90 minutes and the league asked for a comprehensive offer on revenue shares and player contract rights. The union is working internally on Tuesday and could meet with the league on Wednesday.

“We’ve never heard a full proposal from them,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said. “We’ve heard their proposal on economics, they’re still suggesting that they’re moving in our direction on economics… We’d like to hear it all together.”

The players’ association and league will also have to decide how to pay for damage caused by the lockout–the NHLPA’s most recent offer on Nov. 7 did not include the mechanism to account for reduced revenue as a result of a shortened 2012-13 season. The lockout is into its 10th week and all regular season games through Nov. 30 have been cancelled. The sides considered taking a break from negotiations last week, but the NHLPA encouraged continued meetings.

“It’s hard for me to see how you make an agreement if you aren’t talking and so you talk,” said NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr. “Sometimes it doesn’t lead anywhere, perhaps very often it doesn’t lead anywhere, but if you aren’t talking it’s 100 per cent sure it doesn’t lead anywhere.”

According to USA Today’s Kevin Allen, talks will resume on Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Columbus’ Jack Johnson used his Web site to call out NHL owners. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson used his own Web site to question the honor of NHL owners “trying to dismantle existing contracts.”

Here’s the letter, originally titled “Where Is The Honor?” according to the Columbus Dispatch, as posted on www.JackJohnson3.com:

“I want to work! I’m a professional athlete and I want to play hockey! In my chosen profession, I don’t have until I am 60 or 70 years old to do this job. My window of opportunity to play professional hockey is limited. If I’m lucky, I can play until I’m 40. I have been training as a hockey player my entire life, and I know it is a privilege to play in the NHL. So each month, each week, and each game that is cancelled is an opportunity I will never get back. This is the case for every NHL player. I value every day in this job and take my commitment to my team very seriously. I give it my all every shift. I come to play every night and I leave it all on the ice. This is my responsibility as an individual, an athlete, and a professional. I have a duty to my team, the organization that has given me this opportunity, and the fans in the stands to give them my best at all times. The concept that the owners are trying to dismantle existing contracts that they in good faith offered, signed, and committed to is appalling, unprofessional, and disgraceful. I negotiated my own contract, without an agent, with the confidence and belief that the owner offering me that contract operated by the same convictions and principals as I do. During the summer, the players offered to play through negotiations and the owners locked us out. We want to play hockey! Where is the honor? I’m ready to play and uphold my end of the deal!”

The NHL has cancelled all games through Nov. 30, according to a tweet by CBC’s Elliotte Friedman:

NHL informs teams games up to and including Nov. 30 will be cancelled. As far as I know, there was no mention of Winter Classic.—
Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 26, 2012

The league is expected to announce the latest slate of cancelled games on Friday. The move was expected after the NHLPA rejected the league’s latest collective bargaining agreement proposal. The NHL has withdrawn the proposal that included a 50/50 hockey related revenue split and no salary rollbacks after the self-imposed Thursday deadline passed.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league’s most recent proposal would be withdrawn. All games in November may be cancelled. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The NHL plans to withdraw its most recent proposal to the NHLPA once the Thursday deadline passes, according to a report from ESPN:

“When we delivered the proposal last Tuesday, we told them it would be on the table through today,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN.com Thursday afternoon. “Having not reached agreement through today, I expect that we’ll formally notify the union Friday that the proposal is no longer on the table. We’re going to take it back internally and figure out where we go from here.”

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr was not surprised by the league’s withdrawal. He commented,

“Review the history here: they make a proposal, it’s essentially a take it or leave it, we respond on the core economics, they take 10 minutes and say no…. It takes two to negotiate. They seem to be really good at imposing deadlines and issuing ultimatums and having lockouts. It seems to be something they’re well-practiced at.”

Daly said the proposal would no longer work because it was created under the pretense of having an 82-game season. The league is expected to cancel games through the end of November on Friday.

The NHL’s memo to general managers and owners detailing the topics of discussion allowed with players was obtained by Yahoo! Sports. The memo was sent to teams last week and details were released on Tuesday afternoon. In it, the league prohibited teams from negotiating with players and asking specific question related to the ongoing lockout:

YOU MAY NOT: “Negotiate” with a Player.  This means you may not explore alternatives or variations to the proposals on the table from either side because that would be prohibited “direct dealing.”  You may not ask “What do you want?” or “What do the Players want?”  or “What should the League propose?

The memo also insisted that teams have players go through the NHLPA and restricted any discussion regarding the league’s position on hypothetical proposals:

If he volunteers what he has in mind you should not respond positively or negatively or ask any questions but instead refer him to the NHLPA.  Likewise, you may not suggest hypothetical proposals that the League might make in the future or that the League might entertain from the Union.

The memo also stated that a failure to comply would likely set the league back in efforts to end the lockout and be considered a violation of an NHL by-law.

Nick Cotsonika reported on Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly’s response to the memo via Twitter:

Daly: "Club executives were provided an opportunity to respond to Player inquiries on our most recent proposal …" (cont.)—
Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) October 23, 2012

Daly (cont.): "…and on the status of bargaining generally for a limited period of time. Clubs received strict and unequivocal guidelines."—
Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) October 23, 2012

Daly: "We consider it a non-event."—
Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) October 23, 2012

Sergei Kostitsyn reportedly hopes NHL lockout will continue. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Predators winger Sergei Kostitsyn hopes the current NHL lockout will eventually lead to the cancellation of the entire season, according to a quote in the Russian Sport-Express via the Globe & Mail.

Interestingly, Kostitsyn is a pretty popular player with the Predators. Maybe he was referring to his time in Montreal where he wasn’t quite received as well.

He signed a two-year, $6 million contract in the offseason, so when the lockout ends, odds are he will be back in Nashville.

Zach Parise questioned NHL owners’ desire to negotiate. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

A “depressed” Zach Parise, recipient of one of the offseason’s biggest free-agent deals, told Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, he’s fed up with NHL owners.

Parise called the 50-50 revenue-sharing proposal released by the NHL a “publicity stunt” designed to lure fans and media to the league’s side of the current labor-lockout standoff. He questioned the owners’ dedication to negotiate after quickly passing on three proposals in 10 minutes Thursday.

“Something is not right there,” the Wild’s Zach Parise said. “It’s confusing. All these owners, maybe this was their plan the whole time, to sign all these guys to these big contracts knowing full well they’re not going to pay the value of them. To me, that doesn’t sound like good-faith negotiating, yet they keep preaching it.”

“You have all these owners signing big deals minutes before the CBA expires and then going the next day, ‘We don’t want to pay these contracts,” Parise said. “Maybe that’s how they conduct business. That just doesn’t seem right. What if us players signed a deal and said, ‘You know what, I actually want 15 percent more?’”

The NHLPA confirmed it will submit a counter proposal when it meets with the NHL on Thursday, reports Dan Rosen via Twitter. Eighteen players will be at the meeting; Devils’ beat writer Tom Gulitti tweeted out some of the attendees:

Per NHLPA, players who will attend: Clarkson, Craig Adams, Brad Boyes, Chris Campoli, Dan Cleary, Carlo Colaiacovo, Sidney Crosby, …—
Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) October 18, 2012

…Shane Doan, Shawn Horcoff, Jarome Iginla, •Robyn Regehr, Eric Staal, Matt Stajan, Shawn Thornton, Jonathan Toews, Kevin Westgarth,…—
Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) October 18, 2012

…Dan Winnik.—
Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) October 18, 2012

The NHL made a proposal on Tuesday that included a 50-50 revenue split and an 82-game schedule that would begin on Nov. 2. The full proposal was released on Wednesday. The reduction in the players’ share from 57% in the old CBA to 50% in the recent proposal was met with some resistance by NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr, the LA Times reported:

“Simply put, the owners’ new proposal, while not quite as Draconian as their previous proposals, still represents enormous reductions in player salaries and individual contracting rights,” Fehr told players in a letter obtained by Canada’s TSN.

Games through Oct. 24 have already been cancelled, and if a new agreement is not reached soon, additional games and other events are in jeopardy.

The NHL pinpointed a deadline of Oct. 25 for a new agreement and said a delay “would necessarily leave us with an abbreviated season and will require the cancellation of signature NHL events.” The economic damage of losing events such as the Jan. 1 Winter Classic “will obviously necessitate changes to this offer in the event we are unsuccessful in saving a full season.”

A meeting between the two sides is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Toronto.

The NHL made a surprising move by releasing the full proposal to end the lockout on the NHL website.  The six-year agreement hopes to preserve the 82-game season starting Nov. 2.

Full text of NHL's offer for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in order to preserve a full 82 game season: bit.ly/R9zzCU

—
  (@NHL) October 17, 2012

Reports say the NHL and NHLPA will meet tomorrow in Toronto to discuss the new proposal. A response from the NHLPA could be expected at that time:

NHL and NHLPA will meet in Toronto tomorrow

—
Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) October 17, 2012

Lockout update: NHL and NHLPA representatives are scheduled to meet in Toronto tomorrow, TSN confirms.

—
  (@CP24) October 17, 2012

With talks tomorrow, players want to know what constitutes a 50-50 revenue split.

“For now we’re still evaluating the proposal,” says Devils goalie Johan Hedberg.

Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson criticized NHL owners’ tactics. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson said NHL owners have lowballed the NHLPA since negotiations began and wanted a lockout from the start, according to the Ottawa Citizen.

“Like everybody else, I’m disappointed that the owners chose to have this tactic from the very beginning,” Alfredsson said. “They chose to give a lowball offer from the get-go. It was kind of clear what they wanted and I don’t see anything changing anytime soon.”

Alfredsson said he is “past being frustrated,” and believes the NHL wanted a lockout before opening negotiations towards a new collective bargaining agreement.

“I believe the players are doing the right thing,” he says. “We’ve been more than fair. Maybe it would have been different if we, the players’ association, had done what (the owners) did in their first offer and said ‘we want 70 per cent’. We started at a fair point, moving in their direction and now they’re frustrated that we’re not moving. It’s disappointing more than anything.”

Alfredsson won the 2011-12 King Clancy Memorial Trophy as the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice, while making noteworthy humanitarian contributions in the community. The 16-year veteran turns 40 in December, leaving his NHL future uncertain if the season is canceled.

Donald Fehr said players may begin questioning NHL’s salary cap. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr introduced the elimination of the NHL’s salary cap as a possible bargaining tool during a Tuesday meeting with the Toronto Star‘s Editorial Board, the Star reports.

Fehr told the board that the longer the NHL lockout lasts, the more likely the players will question the league’s salary cap.

“If this goes on for an extended period of time, I don’t know what they (the players) are going to do. But I think it’s safe to say, they would be exploring all options,” said Fehr.

He added the players can live with salary cap if an agreement can be reached quickly.

Fehr is scheduled to be in New York on Wednesday to resume discussions on non-core CBA issues such as medical benefits and pensions.

The NHL and its players association continue to hash out details over a proposed new CBA that would bring an end to the lockout, according to a series of tweets from the North Jersey Records’ Tom Gulitti.

There has been communication between NHL and NHLPA this weekend and more expected before end of day. No next meeting scheduled yet, though.—
Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) October 07, 2012

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said via email he thinks there will be more communication before end of the day.—
Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) October 07, 2012

The current NHL Lockout has been ongoing for a little under a month now, a work stoppage that has caused the cancellation of regular-season games and an exodus of the game’s top players to the European Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The situation has become so dire that several players have talked of the lockout canceling the entire NHL season, while ESPN has picked up U.S. TV rights for KHL games.

NHL leaders held an unscheduled meeting Friday at the NHL Players’ Association office in Toronto, a day after canceling the first two weeks of regular-season games.

News of the meeting led by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, deputy commissioner Bill Daly and union leaders Donald and Steve Fehr didn’t become public until it was over.

Bill Daly just confirmed that he was in Toronto to meet withe the NHLPA today. #NHLlockout—
John Shannon (@JSportsnet) October 05, 2012

Mike Brehm and Kevin Allen of USA Today had comments from both sides:

“(The) meeting was regarding trying to move this process forward,” NHLPA spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon said.

“We went up today to see if there was something we could do to encourage them to give us a new proposal,” Daly said in an email. “Anything. Even if it moves us backwards, at least we would have movement.”

NHL and NHLPA leaders said they would stay in contact over the weekend.

“Not sure we will really know whether we made progress until we talk again — likely by phone over the weekend,” Daly said.

Dan Boyle questioned the NHL’s decision to cancel games. (Norm Hall/NHL/Getty Images)

The NHL will claim it had no choice but to cancel the first two weeks of regular-season games, but Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle told CSNBayArea he thinks the owners just want to see the players squirm.

“I don’t think they’re serious about doing anything until we start missing some checks,” Boyle repeated, after skating at Sharks Ice on Thursday morning.

The veteran also takes a dim view of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman needing just eight of 30 votes to veto any CBA proposals.

Boyle, therefore, seems to believe that there is a select group of owners – the big money makers, especially – that are willing to hold up the entire process, ignore other owners that would be more open to the players’ proposal, and cancel more and more games until they get exactly what they want. That includes, of course, an immediate reduction in current player salaries and contracts, something that the union has emphatically stated it would not accept.

“I think when players make comments, sometimes it’s directed towards 30 owners, but I think a lot of us feel that it’s not across the board. It’s a certain group of teams that are controlling 30 others,” Boyle said.

“It doesn’t make any sense to me that eight teams can control the fate of 22 other ones.”

Boyle and Ryane Clowe said last week that the players are prepared to make concessions such as possible caps on contract lengths, or perhaps stricter rules to prevent teams from circumventing the salary cap, but the NHL doesn’t seem to want to listen to  .

“I think we have to give back. There are a lot of things that we need to fix, and we want to give back,” he said. “They say it’s our turn, or whatever, but they don’t want to negotiate until we start missing some checks.”

Boyle sees no reason to believe the lockout will end any time soon.

“I don’t see anything happening for the next couple months. I know that’s very pessimistic of me, and I really hope I’m wrong. But the eight guys…what if there’s 22 teams out there that want to play right now? How do eight teams control their fate? That bothers me the most.”