RALEIGH, North Carolina, 9 March 2005 — The troubled National Hockey League (NHL) and the players’ union plan to meet again this week in a bid to reach a labor agreement.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman asked the NHL Players’ Association to return to the bargaining table and union executive director Bob Goodenow agreed, Canadian newspapers reported in yesterday’s editions. No date or location for the meeting has been announced. Both Bettman and Goodenow are expected to participate.
The NHL canceled the season last month after it and the players’ union could not agree on a collective bargaining agreement. NHL owners want to resolve the labor issues as soon as possible so that they can begin planning for next season.
However, The Globe and Mail reported little progress was expected at this week’s meetings.
The newspaper said that since the players cannot earn another pay check until October, there would be no value to them to negotiate a new contract now. The owners would like a new agreement to save the 2005 entry draft and to salvage a television contract with the US cable network ESPN2, the paper said.
ESPN2 has until April 15 to decide whether to pick up its option on the 2005-06 season, The Globe and Mail reported.
