The IHL and the Professional Hockey Players Association are
close to agreeing on a new CBA and could announce a signed deal
as early as tomorrow in Cleveland. The IHL has been negotiating
with the PHPA since February, and the main issue has been revenue
sharing and a taxed salary cap -- the same issues the NHL has
been struggling with. Cincinnati Cyclones Player Rep Dallas
Eakins said that the labor negotiations have been "much more
civil" than those in the NHL: "We know we're not the NHL. We
want families to be able to afford to come to our games, so it
has to be a good working agreement" (Randy Oppenheimer,
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 10/21). Clevaland Lumberjacks Owner Larry
Gordon said the agreement would include provisions for career
counseling, a players' pension, revenue sharing and "other things
the players have never had before." One proposal still being
debated is the prospect of adding the union as the 18th league
team for revenue-sharing purposes. Gordon added that a clause in
the agreement will ensure that a minimum of 5,000 seats in each
IHL arena will cost an average of $10 or less (Amy Rosewater,
Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 10/20).
