The little hope that existed for a full NHL season appears to be gone.
Shortly after the players’ association reached out to the league on Tuesday to restart stalled labor negotiations, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly rebuffed the union’s attempt.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said last week, in presenting the league’s most recent offer to the players, that if a new collective bargaining agreement was not reached by today, it would be impossible for a full regular-season schedule to be played.
No talks have been scheduled, and no last-minute discussions seem to be on tap.
“I don’t anticipate any taking place for the balance of the week,” Daly said in an e-mail to the Associated Press on Tuesday. “The union has rejected the proposal we made last Tuesday and is not offering another one. We see nothing to be gained at this point by meeting just to meet.”
The players’ association informed the NHL it was willing to meet yesterday “or any other date, without preconditions, to try to reach an agreement.”
“We hope to hear from them soon,” NHLPA spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon said.
The NHL’s response was not what the union had hoped to hear.
The sides have not met since the NHL turned down three counter-proposals from the union last Thursday, two days after the NHL’s offer, which included a 50-50 split of hockey-related revenue.
Now it seems that a full season, starting on Nov. 2, will not take place. The league has called off all games through next Thursday.
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