While there's still "a long way to go before" the NHL's
CBA expires after the 2003-2004 season, "it's clear that
both sides have begun to hunker down," according to Michael
Felger of the BOSTON HERALD. Last week, a group of agents
met in Dallas "in an effort to unify the ranks. During the
meeting, the first of its kind, negotiation strategies were
discussed and teams' financial situations were
investigated." Agents said that, at the league's recent
owners meetings, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman offered two
scenarios on team economics: One, where "you do everything
you can to win the Stanley Cup and lose $10 million a year."
The other is where "you just try to finish in the middle of
the pack, win a round in the playoffs, maybe get lucky every
30 years and win it all," and make $5M a year. One agent
said that when some teams defended the first scenario,
Bettman said, "That's basically the problem, that's why
you're losing money." Most "expect the labor unrest that
existed this past summer," with many free agent holdouts, to
"repeat itself every year until the end of the agreement."
Bruins President & GM Harry Sinden, on a lockout in 2004-
2005: "It will depend on how we manage our business between
now and the end of the agreement." But one agent said, "You
can write off the 2004-2005 season" (BOSTON HERALD, 1/14).
HEAR THE EXPERIENCE: For the NHL's All-Star Weekend in
Tampa, 13 microphones will "be frozen into the ice to bring
the arena experience" to the home audience. The mics "were
previously used for the speed skating events at the Nagano
Winter Olympics (AP/CALGARY SUN, 1/14).
