After months of pathetic offers and less than constant negotiations, the NHL finally took its first real step toward a hockey season today. The owners surprised the union with a new offer that’s actually something the players should strongly consider, and if it’s accepted within the next ten days, a full eighty-two game season could actually be played.
Right now, the whole accepting part is still a big if, but considering almost no forward progress was made prior this offer, today should be considered an unquestioned success. According to ESPN, the union will spend the next few days reviewing the ins and outs of the proposal but would like to get back to the negotiating table sooner rather than later. The current offer is contingent on a full eighty-two game season being played; so, for the first time since the date that would have begun the season, there is a clear deadline on the table.
If the sources close to the negotiations are to be believed, this latest deal also includes provisions for the players to file for salary arbitration and will allow them some credit for future growth to alleviate their percentage of revenue that will drop from fifty-seven to a fifty-fifty split. That might seem like a huge dip regardless, but since basketball players recently accepted largely the same agreement, NHL players had to know they’d end up with something along these lines.
Hockey isn’t popular enough to sustain another lockout without longterm repercussions. Agreeing now is in everyone’s best interests. Here’s to hoping all involved put aside their egos and get the job done.
