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SPORTS Saturday 31 auguSt 2019

NHL informs union it won't terminate labor deal

By JOHN WAWROW and pics are in Beijing earlier The union's executive
STEPHEN WHYNO that year. board is scheduled to meet
AP Hockey Writers The NHLPA did not issue an in Chicago on Wednesday.
Citing what it called mo- immediate response. The league and union have
mentum from a sustained "Based on the current state been meeting through the
period of labor peace, of the game and the busi- summer and those discus-
the NHL said Friday it has ness of the game, the NHL sions are scheduled to con-
informed the NHL Players' believes it is essential to tinue.
Association it will not use its continue building upon the Escrow is a major concern
option to terminate the ex- momentum we have cre- for the players, according
isting collective bargaining ated with our players," NHL to a majority of union rep-
agreement next year. Commissioner Gary Bett- resentatives surveyed by
The league announced its man said in a statement The Associated Press and
decision two days before its issued by the league. "It Canadian Press last spring. In this Jan. 9, 2019, file photo, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman
deadline to notify the union is our hope that a contin- The current CBA has own- speaks during a news conference in Seattle.
whether it would reopen ued sustained period of ers and players dividing Associated Press
collective bargaining talks. labor peace will enable us hockey-related revenue
The union has until Sept. 15 to further grow the game 50/50, and if player salaries it or control it better for us can always identify issues
to decide on whether to and benefit all constituent exceed that split a certain just to know what to ex- they are unhappy with and
terminate the agreement groups." percentage is withheld in pect." would like to see changed,"
as of September 2020, two The players, however, have escrow to make it even. The league has countered Bettman said. "However,
years before the existing concerns, notably regard- Players have complained, by saying escrow is a func- our analysis makes clear
deal expires. ing the escrow issue, Olym- saying some have lost up- tion of the salary-cap sys- that the benefits of continu-
If the players opt to reopen pic participation and the ward of 10% of their pay to tem, with the amount of ing to operate under the
the CBA, it would set the split of hockey-related rev- escrow over the past seven money held back being terms of the current CBA —
clock ticking toward a po- enue. The NHL and NHLPA seasons. higher when the upper limit while working with the Play-
tential third work stoppage are in agreement on want- "I don't know if we're going on salaries is higher. ers' Association to address
in the sport since 2004. If ing more international to eliminate it," New Jersey On Friday, Bettman stressed our respective concerns —
the players choose not to competition and are in Devils player rep Cory Sch- a desire to have a coop- far outweigh the disruptive
terminate the agreement, talks about holding anoth- neider said. "Obviously we'll erative approach between consequences of terminat-
it remains in effect until er World Cup of Hockey as figure that part out. But at owners and players. ing it following the upcom-
2022. The next Winter Olym- early as February 2021. least some way to mitigate "In any CBA, the parties ing season."q