The NHL "will issue a pledge" today that "no Canadian
team will seek relocation" to the U.S. until the CBA expires
after the 2003-04 season, according to Cam Cole of the
NATIONAL POST, who writes that it will be "in concert with
... efforts to control costs" plus a "continuation of
current Canadian and small-market assistance programs." In
exchange, the league is seeking a share in revenues from
provincial lotteries, which "took in more than" C$343M in
'96-97, "half of it from wagering on" NHL games. The league
is also seeking "some form of tax relief." Cole: "For the
first time, this is a fair proposal." For the NHL to make
its Canadian owners "stay put" for five seasons as
"incentive to get federal and provincial governments to
budge off their intransigent stand on financial assistance,
is an enormous concession. And an unexpected one. ... A
league willing to give up its greatest bargaining chip is a
league whose troubles deserve to be taken seriously." Cole
adds that with the pledge, the NHL is "implying" the a new
CBA and economic system "will allow" all teams to "survive
and be competitive" (NATIONAL POST, 9/17). In Edmonton,
Terry Jones writes that the offer is a step forward:
"There's way too much `trust us' from the NHL for their
part. No question. And there's also a disturbing tone of
`take it or leave us' in this position paper. But then
again, isn't that where we're at?" (EDMONTON SUN, 9/17).
SET TO REOPEN CBA? In Toronto, Allan Maki reports that
the "simmering tension" between the NHL and the NHLPA is
"expected to bubble over" now that the NHL "has asked" for
the CBA to be "reopened and renegotiated" before it is set
to expire in 2003-04. Maki cites sources saying that the
"already strained relations between the sides are destined
to deteriorate." One source said that the NHL is "so eager
to rework" the CBA that it would, "'rather fight now than
wait for 2004.'" Maki notes that the NHL asked to reopen
the CBA "during recent discussions" with the players
concerning their participation in the 2002 Olympics. Maki
adds that the NHL was "willing to sign off on all the
players' demands" for the 2002 Games, but only if the CBA
was "subject to a major revision within the next year or
two." Maki: "The players have yet to respond publicly, but
they are not likely to give up the gains they've made in the
past four years" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 9/17).
