NHLPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr has met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman since the All-Star Game, and they have "taken the first baby steps toward labor negotiations," according to Nicholas Cotsonika of YAHOO SPORTS. Fehr said, "We talked about a whole range of things, sort of from top to bottom, and how you get ready to talk. It was a good meeting. Gary and I talk not all the time, but regularly, and we’ll continue to do that." Cotsonika noted the players have "requested financial information, and the league plans to provide some soon." But that is "just a starting point," and neither side "wants to discuss it." Bettman said, "If I’m giving them anything, I’ll give it to them. This isn’t a subject we have any interest in discussing publicly" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/9).
CALLING FOR REPLAY: NHL Rangers coach John Tortorella in a pregame news conference Thursday said that he "wants hockey to adopt an NFL-style review system for the last minute of a game." ESPN N.Y.'s Katie Strang noted the Rangers "saw their late-game rally fall short in Tuesday's 1-0 loss to the Devils after a goaltender interference call against them negated what would've been the game-tying goal with less than four seconds to play." Tortorella said Thursday, "I'm not questioning the call, but it brings up a discussion and I think the NFL gets it right. In the last two minutes, it's a booth replay to get the call right. I haven't thought it all through. But maybe the last minute of an NHL hockey game, get that call right. Maybe you do have to go upstairs and make sure it's the right call" (ESPNNY.com, 2/9). He added, "We spend a lot of BS with the shootout and the little gimmicks in our game. I think it's more important to get the calls right in those situations" (N.Y. POST, 2/10).
