The NHL is going nowhere fast with their lockout, and it it’s a possibility that the season can be lost if the most recent proposal is rejected. With a portion of the games canceled in the early part of the season it only jeopardizes the future games of the season. The NBA and NFL faced lockouts last year, and the players union and owners agreed on a collective bargaining agreement and play began for both sports.
Player unions are strong, but at the end of the day they cannot compete with the owners. Bargaining with the owner’s isn’t fair, because they have so much power. In recent news NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr challenged the proposal given by the owners(espn link ). The NHL proposed a 50-50 split to go along with a 82 game season. On the surface it sounds like a good plan, but there are other risk factors can affect the players. Changes in free agency and the salary cap were just a few areas that where they altered a bit.
Players have to remember that they are only players. A lot of these owners have multi-million dollar companies, and even some are billionaires. There is nothing wrong with standing your ground, but at the of the day it’s hard to make a stance with minimal leverage. The NHLPA needs to do like the player’s unions of the NFL and the NBA, and that is to take the offer given to them by the owners. It may not set in now, but when the checks stop rolling in people will come to their senses quickly.
Good luck to the NHLPA, and to the NHL fans around the world. We hope you get to see your favorite players grace the ice this season.
