Sabres Edge

There were no bomshells dropped by NHLPA head Donald Fehr when he spoke Saturday to a meeting of the Canadian Auto Workers at the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto. He's not resigning, the union likely isn't decertifying. It seems to be the hope -- maybe against hope -- that negotiation will eventually work. 

"I had hoped when this invitation came and even earlier this week to be in a position to tell you that we had successfully concluded an agreement and that the lockout was over,' Fehr said. "As you know, I can't do that. I can't tell you when it's going to end. I can tell you that the only way it ends is to keep at the process and hope that eventually we are able to find a way through the thicket of issues that are there."

There are currently no new sessions scheduled and the league is likely to whack the rest of December games as soon as Monday. Fehr, as you would expect, questioned the wisdom of the NHL -- and all sports -- using lockouts as a negotiating tactics. 

"This happens in an industry which does not face the kind of competitive pressure that employers talk about in bargaining in many other industries," Fehr said. "There is no other major hockey league in North America. There is no outsourcing problem. We can't move the plant to Bangladesh. But it doesn't seem to matter. And it doesn't seem to matter what the economic circumstances of the league is."

Fehr said he was proud to help rebuild the NHLPA and to foster participation from its roughly 750 members (the union, remember, completely broke down under Bob Goodenow during the '04-05 lockout).

"I learned a long, long time ago from [late baseball players head] Marvin Miller that in the end if you really don't have any idea what to recommend or none of the choices are good, or none of the options appear to be tremendously better than the others, that what you do is trust your membership," Fehr said. "They'll tell you what the right thing to do is."

(At this point, you have to wonder what the players would tell Fehr to do if things were put to a vote. I don't see, for example, the likes of Matt Ellis or Cody McCormick having to worry about whether they could sign a five- or seven-year deal.)

Said Fehr in his closing remarks, "If anybody has a brilliant idea about how to solve the lockout, don't keep it to yourself. ... My own hope and, far more importantly the hope of the players, that we'll find a way to get through this and get the guys back on the ice much sooner rather than later."

Elsewhere: 

Go to this link for John Vogl's story from Page A-1 of today's paper recounting an exchange of texts and emails he had with Ryan Miller on the negotiations.

CBC's Elliotte Friedman has a conversation with Winnipeg defenseman Ron Hainsey, who is being described as the NHLPA's "bad cop." Hainsey admits he's pondered the thought that no NHL team will offer him a contract next year when his contract runs out as a means of retribution for his union activities. 

Hainsey is in the Miller zone for having well-spoken perspectives on league issues. We had a long chat with him last season in First Niagara Center about NHL realignment, when news broke the Jets were going to remain in the Eastern Conference again this season, and he was hugely impressive.

Canadiens goalie Carey Price, speaking Saturday to Montreal Gazette writer Dave Stubbs about whether there will be a season: "There's got to be. We've got to. Why wouldn't we? [NHL hockey] was growing so much, it was at an all-time high. If we don't play this year, it's going to hurt everybody."

---Mike Harrington
Twitter: @BNHarrington 

Donald Fehr and Ryan Miller leave the Westin in New York early Friday morning (Getty Images).

Before the entire NHL negotiation fell off the cliff Thursday, one of the biggest pieces of news that came from Wednesday's meetings was a heated exchange between Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller and Boston owner Jeremy Jacobs.

The Toronto Star reported Miller "angrily vented" when Jacobs and the owners threatened to pull everything off the table. Sportsnet.ca wrote Miller "lost his temper briefly."

In a text to The Buffalo News today, Miller explained his version of the events:

"The owners wanted to leave the room and pull everything we spent a full day on. I asked them to stay and continue pushing through. I may have been passionate but there was no disrespect or calling out one owner by name. I have a lot of respect for any owner because they are a big part of hockey.
 
"I wanted more than anything to make a deal but we are not professional negotiators. We as players didn't have the experience or authority to make a final deal. We were trying to responsibly move this process forward as best we could. If anyone thinks that we did wrong by the game or by the fans then they are misinformed. We have a responsibility to about 750 players and we made moves approved by them and thinking about them."

---John Vogl

It's possible you'll never hear Gary Bettman more irate. It's possible you'll never hear someone so positive (Donald Fehr) get his bubble burst so fast. So here they are, the audio files of the Bettman and Fehr news conferences.

The first Fehr file is his 6:45 p.m. description of the players' offer, which supposedly brought the sides so close that it "should be able to complete an agreement." The second is less than a half-hour later after he learned the NHL said no and pulled all parts of its proposals off the table.

A bit of warning: You'll hear me type throughout as I live-tweeted their comments. Also, you'll hear a laugh of astonishment when Bettman berates Fehr. (Not picking sides, just couldn't help myself. Bettman is in a class by himself when it comes to condescending remarks.)

And a special thanks to TSN Radio 1050 AM in Toronto for carrying the New York news conferences live.

---John Vogl

Gary Bettman

Donald Fehr 1

Donald Fehr 2

To say National Hockey League labor negotiations crashed and burned Thursday night would be like saying the Titanic is running a little behind schedule. With an irate commissioner speaking in front of an incredulous group of players, the lockout-delayed 2012-13 season moved closer to being a never-played 2012-13 season.

Talks between the league and the NHL Players’ Association imploded in shocking fashion in New York. At precisely the moment NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr was saying how close the sides were thanks a new proposal by the players, his brother – union special counsel Steve Fehr – received a voicemail from the league saying it was pulling its entire offer off the table and no negotiations would be held for the rest of the week.

“I am disappointed beyond belief that we are where we are,” Commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters in New York. “We’re going to have to take a deep breath and try and regroup.”

The NHL has already canceled games through next Friday, and it is expected to eliminate at least the rest of December today. Since the sides are essentially back to Square One, it’s possible the league could ax even more than that.

“It looks like this is not going to be resolved in the immediate future,” Donald Fehr said in Manhattan. “It comes as a disappointment, obviously.”

The sides have been far apart throughout the process, and that was never more evident than during Fehr’s first news conference of the night.

A large union contingent, which included Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, offered its proposal to a pair of league representatives during a one-hour meeting that began at 5 p.m. Fehr, with players standing behind him in a Manhattan hotel, explained the benefits of the proposal at about 6:45 p.m. He was beyond confident.

“We hope and believe and expect that this should put us on the road for a quick end to this dispute,” he said.

Before all the participants had even left the news conference, Steve Fehr retrieved his message. Shock and bewilderment filled the room.

“We feel like it should have been taken as a step toward ending this,” Miller, who had just left to catch a flight home to California, told The Buffalo News via text message. “How many concessions can we make?”

League members were asking themselves the same thing.

“We kept negotiating against ourselves,” Bettman said. "Anything that we put on the table this week is off the table."

The sides had resumed negotiations Tuesday with a new dynamic. Six owners met with 18 players as Bettman and Donald Fehr stayed on the sidelines. The first day of talks featured partnership and camaraderie.

“That sense of optimism, though, was something that almost inexplicably disappeared Wednesday afternoon when the four owners returned to the bargaining process,” Bettman said. “We’re at a loss to explain what happened, but things were not of the same tone as they had been on Tuesday.”

The nearly nine hours of talks Wednesday featured arguments and offers that were widely off the mark. Owners were set to walk away before being persuaded to stay by the players.

“Negotiations were spirited and passionate at times but certainly not contentious,” Miller said via text. “A lot of respect was paid to the owners for good reason.”

The league closed Wednesday’s meeting with a formal proposal. Their version of a collective bargaining agreement would be 10 years in length, feature a five-year limit on contracts (seven years if a team was re-signing its own player) and included a $100 million increase in “make-whole” dollars, which would reimburse players for money they’d lose as the sides transitioned from an economic system that had players earning 57 percent of the revenues to a 50-50 split.

“[Thursday] we were expecting an answer, a yes or a no,” Bettman said. “Our instructions from ownership was … if the answer was no, there was no point in continuing discussions.

“The answer wasn’t yes.”

Rather than accept or decline the league’s proposal, the union crafted a counteroffer that Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said “cherry-picked” bits and pieces that the players liked. The parts the union liked were only available if it accepted the 10-year term and five-year limit on contract lengths.

“Those moves were contingent on the union specifically agreeing on other things,” Bettman said. “This collective bargaining agreement is a total package.”

The union’s offer included the NHL concessions but asked for an eight-year term (with a opt-out clause after six years) and an eight-year limit on contracts.

“This is a package and everything fits together,” said Bettman, who had several players filter into his news conference and stand in the back of the room. “Spinning us all into an emotional frenzy over maybe we’re close and we’re going to be playing hockey tomorrow is terribly unfair to our fans and this process.”

Said Toronto owner Larry Tanenbaum: “I am very disappointed and disillusioned. Had I not experienced this process myself, I might not have believed it. Like all hockey fans, I am hopeful this situation can be resolved as soon as possible. I miss our game."

---John Vogl

Donald Fehr says the NHL has rejected the proposal put forth by the NHL Players' Association.

"We were advised in a voicemail message that the move that we made was unacceptable," Fehr told reporters in New York.

Fehr said the NHL has taken some of its offers off the table and will not negotiate tonight or Friday.

"I think this deal should be close if they are reasonable and acknowledge the concessions we have made," Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller said via text. "Can't help their reaction. We feel like it should have been taken as a step toward ending this. How many concessions can we make?"

---John Vogl

Donald Fehr says the end of the lockout should be in sight.

The NHL Players' Association has offered a "comprehensive proposal" to the NHL, Fehr said tonight, and the union executive director feels it should be enough to end the lockout.

"We think there is a complete agreement on dollars," Fehr told reporters in New York. "If that's the case, and we think it is .. should be able to complete an agreement."

The union met with league representatives from 5 to 6 p.m., and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and legal counsel Bob Batterman went back to the league's hotel to discuss the proposal. The union is awaiting the league's response.

Fehr said the union:

*Offered an eight-year collective bargaining agreement, with an opt-out clause after six;

*Offered a limit of eight years on contracts;

*Offered a contract variance in which the lowest salary of a multiyear deal must equal at least 25 percent of the highest year;

*Agreed to the NHL's make-whole proposal of $300 million.

"We hope and believe and expect that this should put us on the road for a quick end to this dispute," Fehr said. "The players have gone a very, very long way. ... The players have done far and away the lions' share of the movement here."

---John Vogl

The NHL Players' Association is bringing union leader Donald Fehr back to the negotiating table, and he hopes he'll have company.

The union has requested that mediators return to the bargaining process, according to multiple reports. The NHL and the players met with members of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service for two days last week, but the deal brokers were unable to find common ground for the dueling parties.

The league has not yet agreed to the request.

The mediators are located in Washington and would need to travel to New York, where players and owners have been meeting since Tuesday.

The sides are scheduled to resume negotiations today but have not yet done so. [UPDATE: The meeting began at 5 p.m.] The union reportedly is willing to talk today even without the mediators in attendance.

When talks resume, the leaders of the respective parties will be in attendance. Six owners and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly met with up to 19 players and union special counsel Steve Fehr the past two days, with Commissioner Gary Bettman and Don Fehr on the sidelines. The players want Fehr back in the room, and Bettman will certainly join the owners.

TSN's Darren Dreger reports that two league negotiators, Toronto owner Larry Tanenbaum and Winnipeg owner Mark Chipman, have left New York.

---John Vogl

More NHL negotiation details emerged overnight from New York, where players and owners met until 1 a.m. Among them, according to multiple reporters in Manhattan:

*The NHL has increased its contribution on the "make whole" provision to $300 million, up from $211 million. The NHLPA's previous request was $383 million, putting the sides approximately in the middle. But the Canadian Press reports the dollar amount is tied to other pieces of the NHL's proposal, which could continue to make financial negotiations tricky despite the apparent closeness of the sides.

*The league wants a 10-year CBA, with TSN's Bob McKenzie reporting there would be an out clause after eight years.

(As I mentioned during negotiations, I find it interesting NHL wants 10-year CBA. The league is the one who opted to end last CBA after seven years. It must feel it's closed all loopholes.)

*The NHL has offered to retain the previous thresholds for free agency, keeping them at age 27 or seven years of service, down from their request of 28 and eight.

*The league, however, is steadfast in its desire to limit contracts to five years and permit only a yearly 5 percent variance on players' salaries. The NHL has offered to permit teams to give their own free agents a seven-year contract. The union is against term limits.

*According to ESPN.com, the NHL Players' Association wants a change in the negotiating format. For the past two days, six owners and up to 19 players have done the negotiating, with NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and union special counsel Steve Fehr also present. The players, according to ESPN sources, want to eliminate restrictions and allow Executive Director Donald Fehr (and by extension, Commissioner Gary Bettman) back to the table.

The sides will reconvene this afternoon.

*According to the Toronto Star and Sportsnet.ca, Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller "angrily vented" and "lost his temper briefly" as the negotiations grew more and more intense. The Star also reported that Bruins owner and Buffalo native Jeremy Jacobs almost led a walkout by the owners.

(It's an emotional negotiation impacting the livelihood and pocketbooks of competitive individuals, so of course there will be drama.)

"We had good, candid dialogue," Daly told reporters in New York at 1:30 a.m. "There continue to be critical open issues between the two parties."

---John Vogl

While nearly everyone in the NHL was quiet, including Commissioner Gary Bettman, a select group of players and owners began talking Wednesday afternoon and continued well into Thursday morning. They formally exchanged ideas for a new collective bargaining agreement.

It’s unclear how much progress they made.

“We had a series of meetings today, very candid discussion, and we plan on meeting again tomorrow,” Winnipeg’s Ron Hainsey said to reporters in New York just before 1 a.m. Thursday.

About a half-hour later, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told reporters that after the candid dialogue some critical issues still remained.

"We are pleased with the process that is ongoing," Bettman said during an afternoon news conference that lasted 24 seconds. “Out of respect for that process I don't have anything else to say."

Six owners and 19 players spoke to each other and internally from afternoon till night till morning, breaking for dinner as speculation swirled about their conferences.

"We're going to continue to talk up until we get a deal," Toronto owner Larry Tanenbaum, who was one of the half-dozen league representatives, told reporters following a midday board of governors meeting. “All I can say is as long as we're talking we're hopeful."

The negotiating group, which included Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, talked for 7½ hours Tuesday but did not formally make offers. That changed Wednesday.

The NHL Players’ Association made a proposal in the afternoon, according to multiple reports. The league countered early in the evening, according to ESPN.com.

At about 8:45 p.m., following their two-hour dinner break, the owners returned to the meeting room. They stayed for less than 15 minutes and departed for another internal discussion, according to reports. They returned 15 minutes later.

The owners departed again at 10 p.m., rejoined the players an hour later and left again at 11:30 p.m. Meetings then continued well into the morning with smaller groups, reports said.

While they talked, reporters noticed an NHL lectern being set up for a news conference.

The suspense as to why added to the intensity of the day. A new CBA needs to be reached by Friday or more games are expected to be canceled. The schedule has already been wiped out through Dec. 14.

While Miller took part in negotiations, Sabres owner Terry Pegula, President Ted Black and General Manager Darcy Regier attended the board of governors meeting. Bettman described the two-hour session as “basically an update.”

"We feel good about the information we got," Columbus Blue Jackets President John Davidson told reporters.

Black, via email, declined comment. The NHL has threatened substantial fines for team employees who talk about the lockout.

It was unclear whether the meetings would extend into today, but the schedule is now open.

The sides were supposed to appear in front of the Quebec Labour Relations Board today and Friday, but because of the increased talks in New York they agreed to postpone the hearing. The NHLPA, led by members of the Montreal Canadiens, filed suit with the labor board in September to have the lockout declared illegal in the province.

---John Vogl

While nearly everyone in the NHL was quiet, including Commissioner Gary Bettman, a select group of players and owners continued to talk and negotiate Wednesday. They even formally exchanged ideas for a new collective bargaining agreement.

It’s unclear how much progress they made. Their talks in New York went late into the night for the second straight day.

"We are pleased with the process that is ongoing," Bettman said during an afternoon news conference that lasted 24 seconds. “Out of respect for that process I don't have anything else to say."

Six owners and 19 players spoke to each other and internally from afternoon until night, breaking for dinner as speculation swirled about their conferences.

"We're going to continue to talk up until we get a deal," Toronto owner Larry Tanenbaum, who was one of the half-dozen league representatives, told reporters following a midday board of governors meeting. “All I can say is as long as we're talking we're hopeful."

The negotiating group, which included Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, talked for 7½ hours Tuesday but did not formally make offers. That changed Wednesday.

The NHL Players’ Association made a proposal in the afternoon, according to multiple reports. The league countered early in the evening, according to ESPN.com.

At about 8:45 p.m., following their two-hour dinner break, the owners returned to the meeting room. They stayed for less than 15 minutes and departed for another internal discussion, according to reports. They returned 15 minutes later.

The owners departed again at 10 p.m., rejoined the players an hour later then left at 11:30 p.m.

While they talked, reporters noticed an NHL lectern being set up for a news conference.

The suspense as to why added to the intensity of the day. A new CBA needs to be reached by Friday or more games are expected to be canceled. The schedule has already been wiped out through Dec. 14.

While Miller took part in negotiations, Sabres owner Terry Pegula, President Ted Black and General Manager Darcy Regier attended the board of governors meeting. Bettman described the two-hour session as “basically an update.”

"We feel good about the information we got," Columbus Blue Jackets President John Davidson told reporters.

Black, via email, declined comment. The NHL has threatened substantial fines for team employees who talk about the lockout.

It was unclear whether the meetings would extend into Thursday, but the schedule is now open.

The sides were supposed to appear in front of the Quebec Labour Relations Board on Thursday and Friday, but because of the increased talks in New York they agreed to postpone the hearing. The NHLPA, led by members of the Montreal Canadiens, filed suit with the labor board in September to have the lockout declared illegal in the province.

---John Vogl

The conversations between players and owners have reportedly turned into negotiations.

During their second straight day of meetings with NHL owners in New York, members of the NHL Players' Association submitted an offer on key collective bargaining points, according to multiple reports. The owners left for internal meetings and returned this evening with a counteroffer, according to ESPN.com.

Earlier today, following a board of governors meeting, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said he was pleased with the direction of talks.

---John Vogl

Sabres fans can once again say to the Aud, "Farewell, old friend."

The replay of classic games from Buffalo's history continues Monday on MSG with the April 1996 season finale against Hartford, which marked the last game in Memorial Auditorium. Pat LaFontaine ceremoniously turned out the lights with a final postgame goal, and he will provide commentary throughout the broadcast, which begins at 8 p.m.

Following the two-hour telecast will be the premiere of "Buffalo Sabres: Rafters Club Roundtable." Sabres broadcaster Brian Duff sat down last month with the four living players who have their numbers retired in the rafters: LaFontaine, Gilbert Perreault, Danny Gare and Rene Robert.

---John Vogl

Gary Bettman, in an update that lasted 24 seconds, said this afternoon he is pleased with the direction talks are going between the NHL and its players' association.

"We are pleased with the process that is ongoing," Bettman said in New York, "and out of respect for that process I don't have anything else to say."

Resuming the talks that began Tuesday, six owners and 20 players (up from 18) are scheduled to meet again this afternoon. Neither Bettman nor union Executive Director Donald Fehr will take part. The NHL Players' Association today added Chris Campoli and Daniel Winnik to its list of players.

It is not known whether either side will present a formal proposal.

Bettman today presided over a two-hour board of governors meeting and described it as "basically an update."

---John Vogl

The second day of meetings between NHL players and owners will begin this afternoon because the sides spent the morning meeting internally.

The 24 negotiators who met for 7 1/2 hours Tuesday will gather again in New York after the NHL conducts its board of governors meeting, which was scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Sabres owner Terry Pegula, team President Ted Black and General Manager Darcy Regier were expected to attend.

The six owners and 18 players, including Buffalo's Ryan Miller, were originally planning to sit down prior to the board meeting. But Yahoo! Sports' Nick Cotsonika reports the players' asscociation "has something" for the owners and didn't want to rush through it. It's possible the NHLPA is readying a new proposal.

A collective bargaining agreement needs to be reached this week or more games will be canceled.

---John Vogl

Six owners and 18 players, including Buffalo's Ryan Miller, talked for more than 7 1/2 hours Tuesday in what's regarded as the best day yet of the lockout. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr held a joint news conference just after midnight following the conclusion of talks.

---John Vogl

It appears the NHL and its players’ association may have found a negotiating tactic that actually works.

With union counsel Steve Fehr calling it the best day they’ve had so far, six owners and 18 players, including Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, met twice Tuesday in New York. The sides made progress toward a long-awaited collective bargaining agreement, but they cautioned there’s a lot of work to be done before the lockout can end.

The negotiators, who wrapped up at midnight, will gather again this morning prior to an NHL board of governors meeting.

“I think everybody wants to get a deal done, so I think that's encouraging,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told reporters during a joint news conference with Fehr.

Tuesday’s meetings were different in that the leaders of the parties, Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr, were on the sidelines while new faces participated.

Four owners – Pittsburgh’s Ronald Burkle, Winnipeg’s Mark Chipman, Toronto’s Larry Tanenbaum and Tampa Bay’s Jeffery Vinik – sat down for the first time, joining regular league negotiators Jeremy Jacobs of Boston and Murray Edwards of Calgary.

The union elected to use all 18 players who traveled to New York after initially being expected to counter with six. Among those sitting alongside Miller were Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, Phoenix’s Shane Doan, Chicago’s Jonathan Toews, Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis and the New York Rangers’ Brad Richards.

The sides gathered at 2 p.m. and met for 5½ hours before breaking for dinner. They reconvened shortly after 10 p.m. for a two-hour session.

Though details were kept quiet, multiple reports said the Penguins’ Burkle played an integral role during the meetings, which featured full-party discussions and smaller gatherings.

Burkle, whose team is a Stanley Cup contender with Crosby as its captain, would likely push for a season to be played. It would seem Vinik, who oversees an aging Tampa squad featuring St. Louis, and Chipman, whose team has played just one season in Winnipeg, also would prefer seeing the puck drop.

Jacobs, the Buffalo native who owns Delaware North Cos., has repeatedly been portrayed as a hard-liner who has pushed for a knockout of the players’ association.

Jacobs is also the chairman of the board of governors, which will meet at 11 this morning. The Sabres are expected to take three spots at the table. Owner Terry Pegula, President Ted Black and General Manager Darcy Regier will take attend the summit.

Bettman is scheduled to hold a 1 p.m. news conference following the board meeting.

The lockout has been in effect since Sept. 16 and has wiped out all games through Dec. 14. More cancellations are expected this week if the sides fail to complete a CBA.

---John Vogl

Ryan Miller didn't need to worry about getting picked for today's meeting with the NHL. The players' association is sending in everyone.

Eighteen players, including the Sabres' goaltender, have traveled to New York for resumption of negotiations between the league and the NHLPA. Six owners will be at the table, and it was believed they'd be joined by a half-dozen players. The union announced this afternoon that all 18 who traveled will attend the meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

The players who will be in the negotiations are: Craig Adams, David Backes, Michael Cammalleri, Sidney Crosby, B.J. Crombeen, Mathieu Darche, Shane Doan, Ron Hainsey, Shawn Horcoff, Jamal Mayers, Manny Malhotra, Andy McDonald, Miller, George Parros, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis, Jonathan Toews and Kevin Westgarth.

Owners Ronald Burkle of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mark Chipman of the Winnipeg Jets, Jeffery Vinik of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Larry Tanenbaum of the Toronto Maple Leafs will join regular league negotiators Jeremy Jacobs of the Boston Bruins and Murray Edwards of the Calgary Flames at the table.

---John Vogl

Ryan Miller hopes he gets a chance to talk to six NHL owners Tuesday. It might give him a better idea of how the lockout will finally end.

“I can't make sense of what the owners truly need because they want everything,” the Buffalo Sabres’ goaltender wrote today during an exchange of text messages. “That is why it seems like the finish line is moving.”

Miller is among a large group of players who will gather Tuesday in New York City when negotiations between the league and the NHL Players’ Association resume. In a new dynamic, six owners and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly will meet with six players and union special counsel Steve Fehr. The leaders of the respective sides, Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr, will not take part.

“I don't entirely agree with leaving the heads of negotiation out of this because they are paid to make a deal,” Miller wrote. “But if it gets more owners involved then so be it.”

Owners Ronald Burkle of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mark Chipman of the Winnipeg Jets, Jeffery Vinik of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Larry Tanenbaum of the Toronto Maple Leafs will join regular league negotiators Jeremy Jacobs of the Boston Bruins and Murray Edwards of the Calgary Flames at the table. The NHLPA has not announced which players will take part in talks and probably will not do so until Tuesday.

“A lot of guys want the opportunity,” Miller wrote. “I hope we all get a better feel of what each side truly needs. On our side anyone can talk to the media or attend meetings, so I am hopeful that having more owners join the conversation we can get somewhere and break up this monopoly 4-5 owners have had on deal making.

“I am really disappointed that no moderate owners have stopped the madness. Hopefully they will after the board of governors convene.”

This figures to be a big week for the labor stalemate. In addition to Tuesday’s gathering, the NHL’s board of governors meets Wednesday. Also, more games are expected to be canceled Friday if a collective bargaining agreement is not in place.

“There has been a deal available for months,” Miller wrote. “We all expected things to fall into a negotiation after reaching 50/50 [in regards to splitting revenue] but it hasn't. The owners want too much from us and we have to make a stand. We appreciate the chance to play in the NHL but we have to protect our players.”

The sides have gotten closer in terms of finances, but contracting rights have become a major roadblock. The NHL’s most recent proposals would increase the age for free agency, limit contract lengths and control how much salaries fluctuate from year to year.

“I am confused by the hard line on contracting,” Miller wrote. “My only guess is Gary wants to limit General Managers so he won't have anymore loophole type surprises in this CBA. I understand that position to the extent you don't want contracts to cripple a team, but they are really taking away team building as a skill. Skilled GMs will have to identify how to balance a budget instead of building a well balanced winner.

“What I haven't heard anyone talking about is the fact that under the NHL proposal the NHL becomes a 2 tier salary league. The middle class is gone and that means shorter careers and in my opinion mediocre hockey.”

Last month, Miller told the Globe and Mail the lockout has been more about “brand suicide” than negotiating. He figures the NHL believes everyone will just forget about the lockout once games resume.

“I think they are counting on people to have short memories,” Miller wrote. “Just like politicians who flip-flop on an issue, the owners believe the fans will return and be caught up in hockey... Everything forgiven or at least forgotten once pucks drop."

---John Vogl

twitter.com/BuffNewsVogl