NEW YORK – There have been a lot of percentages thrown around during the NHL and NHL Players’ Association talks. The NHL’s latest proposal offers the players 49 percent of the revenue this year, while the players are reportedly requesting 54.3 percent.
That doesn’t seem too far apart – until the percentages are turned into actual dollars.
According to the Globe and Mail, the six-year deal proposed by the NHL and the five-year plan offered by the NHLPA differ by nearly $1 billion over the spans of the CBA. That’s $1 billion, with a b.
It’s no wonder there is little optimism the sides will come together by 11:59 p.m. Saturday, the deadline to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement and avoid a lockout.
The Globe and Mail broke down the numbers, and the players’ share of revenues in the offers differs by $210 million per season, based on present monetary growth. That’s a lot of money, and it’s actually progress. The league has offered the players $650 million more than it did compared to its first proposal.
“Until we can get some sort of commonality and closure on that issue, it’s going to be hard to address the other issues,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday.
The players are meeting right now at their Times Square hotel, and it’s unlikely they are celebrating the NHL’s latest offer.
---John Vogl
