The lockout has lasted 113 days but finally the NHL and NHLPA come to an agreement on a new CBA deal. The Daily Shift’s Jack Squibb has more on the story…
NHL action to return after 113 days since the lockout began
It’s been 199 days since there was last action in the NHL. That was the day when the LA Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-1 in game six of the Stanley Cup Finals to win their first Stanley Cup. Since then players have been in dispute with the NHL owners over a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), causing most of this season to be cancelled.
Both parties spent over 15 hours yesterday in New York putting out new offers. Then at around 5am eastern time, both Don Fehr, executive director for the NHLPA and Gary Bettman commissioner of the NHL announced that a new “CBA framework was in place”. It’s believed the sides have agreed to a 10 season deal with an option at the eighth year for both parties to opt out of the deal. It’s believed the revenue will be split at 50/50. In terms of player contracts and salaries a player can not sign a new contract any longer than seven years or eight years if re-signing with the same club. According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, a players’ salary may not dip more than 35% year-to-year, nor can it drop a total of 50% below whatever it is at its highest point.
Some things are still being discussed as the sides have tentatively come to an agreement while they wait for the deal to be written up. The agreement is still to be written up and approved by both the NHL board members and NHLPA committee which is expected to be done by Tuesday. It’s believed that there’ll now be either a 50 or 48 game season played while training camp will begin next week with games to start on January 16. The length of the season is expected to be confirmed tomorrow during a press conference.
The agreement came one week shy of the deadline set by Bettman which was suspected to be the day the 2012-13 season would’ve been cancelled completely. Since the season was suppose to begin back on October 11 the NHL has cancelled 625 games. This included the Winter Classic, the annual outdoor game that takes place on new years day which would’ve been between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs. Also suffering from the lockout even though it’s not part of the season schedule was the 2013 NHL All Star Game which was suppose to take place in Columbus on January 26-27.
Watch the moment Gary Bettman and Don Fehr announced that the lockout was over below:
