NHLPA stays the course with CBA

by James Mirtle on Jan 23, 2009 9:09 AM CST Comment 4 comments

About an hour and a half from now, NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly will meet with assembled media in Montreal to tell the hockey world what it's known for months now: They're sticking within the collective bargaining agreement, for all its ills, and declaring labour peace for the next two seasons.

Also on hand will be the union's general counsel Ian Penny, director of player affairs Glenn Healy, and a handful of all-stars: Zdeno Chara, Mike Komisarek, Vinny Lecavalier, Sheldon Souray and Joe Thornton.

The PA's press release yesterday called the gathering "a media conference ... to announce the decision of the NHLPA’s Executive Board regarding its option to terminate the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NHLPA and the NHL following the 2008-09 season" – which sounds just a tad more ominous than it needed to.

The real news is all good for hockey fans, who don't have to worry about another lockout until at least 2011-12. The next two seasons will be incredibly interesting as the CBA comes under true duress, as it's all but certain we'll now see the cap stagnate and likely fall in that time. There will likely be a crimp on salaries this summer, perhaps most evidently for those on the lower end of the payscale, and that could provoke unrest going forward.

I'm en route to Montreal at the moment, but there'll likely be coverage coming out of the presser soon. I'll post anything of note.

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Bonus Coushin

Does this mean teams will have the option of deferring bonuses from this season onto next year’s cap figure again? For teams that are tight against the cap this year, that could be a huge difference. My understanding is that option was not available this year due to the NHLPA’s potential to walk away from the CBA, but now that they’ve decided to continue with the CBA (and therefore this will NOT be the final year of the agreement), teams should gain that option again for the remainder of this season.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Jan 23, 2009 9:37 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

1) Great question Sask!
2) We’d also ask Mr. Kelley if he and Bettman can perhaps start talking about an extension of the CBA BEFORE this one expires. Last time around they were so busy throwing mud at eachother/posturing that we lost a season of hockey before they truly started to talk.

by Fauxrumors on Jan 23, 2009 10:47 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Well, “they” was Bettman and Goodenow, but point taken. Just once, I’d like to see some proactive action from this bunch of berks.

by Doogie2K on Jan 23, 2009 3:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

CBA extension is ...

… automatic in some sense. It’s written in the CBA that a) the players have the option to terminate it in 2009, which they have declines, and b) the agreement continues after 2011 until either party terminates it.

by SJKel on Jan 23, 2009 11:57 AM CST reply actions 0 recs