TORONTO, 11 December 2004 — National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman said a new proposal from the players union was an important step toward ending an 84-day labor shutdown but was less than optimistic about saving the season.

Exactly three months after their prior bargaining session, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and union boss Bob Goodenow mulled over a plan that included major concessions from players, notably a reported 24 percent rollback in salaries.

“The magnitude of the rollback is what you need to get our economics back in line as a starting point. In that respect I think it was constructive,” Bettman said. “I was candid in acknowledging the one-time element as an important step.

“The process that we are engaged in unfortunately isn’t about saving the season it is about saving this league and its 30 franchises long term. The essential element and priority has to be getting the right deal.”

NHL owners plan to make a counter-proposal at a meeting Tuesday either here or in New York. Should the rollback offer reach nearly 25 percent, as Sportsnet and other Canadian media reported, owners would save 600 million dollars in salaries whenever the season resumes.

“The union recognized our economics are out of sync... and there was a willingness to do a rollback to get them into sync,” Bettman said. “I think that’s important.”

The new union proposal reportedly includes a luxury tax of 60 cents on every salary dollar above $ 60 million for any club, an entry-level salary cap down to $ 850,000 from 1.2 million with limits on possible bonuses, new arbitration procedures and a possible roster cut from 23 to 20 players a team.

Union officials reportedly said only six clubs would currently have 40 million-dollar salaries and be hit by the luxury tax.

A bargaining roadblock began when owners demanded a salary cap and players vowed never to allow such a move. A shutdown feared for years became a reality in September and could reach its 100th day on Christmas.

Bettman stressed the salary rollback was a one-time thing that needed a proper framework to be totally effective, although in many ways it would negate salary hikes made in recent years by overzealous club general managers.

“(The rollback) is an essential ingredient to getting our economics back to a levbel we can afford,” Bettman said.