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NHLPA Announces CBA Negotiating Committee, Votes To Trigger 5% Salary Cap Escalator

The NHLPA yesterday announced the 31 players comprising the union's Negotiating Committee in upcoming CBA talks with the NHL. The union also will begin conducting regional meetings with players over the course of the summer to discuss key issues in the upcoming negotiations (NHLPA).

NHLPA NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE
Penguins RW Craig Adams Blues RW Jamie Langenbrunner
Coyotes D Adrian Aucoin Canucks C Manny Malhotra
Senators G Alex Auld Blackhawks D Steve Montador
Blues RW David Backes Sharks C Dominic Moore
Rangers G Marty Biron Blackhawks C Brendan Morrison
Sabres RW Brad Boyes Sharks D Douglas Murray
Canadiens D Chris Campoli Ducks RW George Parros
Blues RW B.J. Crombeen Senators D Chris Phillips
Canadiens LW Mathieu Darche Canucks G Cory Schneider
Islanders G Rick DiPietro Islanders C John Tavares
Coyotes RW Shane Doan Predators D Shea Weber
Rangers C Brandon Dubinsky Kings RW Kevin Westgarth
Rangers LW Ruslan Fedotenko Sharks LW Dan Winnik
Stars D Alex Goligoski Blue Jackets D James Wisniewski
Jets D Ron Hainsey Red Wings C Henrik Zetterberg
Flyers LW Scott Hartnell  

A NEW WAVE: The GLOBE & MAIL's Shoalts & Mirtle note the committee is a "cross-section" of the NHLPA's 725 members. The group "represents a new wave for the union, as none of the members of the bargaining committee were directly involved in the contentious labour negotiations" during the '04-05 lockout. There is a "liberal sprinkling of Ivy League grads on the committee," including a couple of Harvard products "and another Princeton alumnus." Shoalts & Mirtle note one thing "that will be different this time is that the players will be more involved in the negotiations." NHLPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr said that any player "is welcome at any negotiating session and the union will pay for the airfare and hotels of those who decide to attend." The bargaining committee "may also be expanded as Fehr said there could be a changing cast of players involved in the talks" (GLOBE & MAIL, 6/28). The union said that other players "would be added after regional meetings in Toronto, Moscow, Barcelona and elsewhere." In N.Y., Ben Strauss notes Fehr spoke "at a news conference at a downtown Chicago hotel Wednesday, accompanied by nearly 30 players." Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews said that it was an "important show of unity to have the players stand with Fehr, and the committee is evidence of the investment players around the league have in the negotiations." He said, "You have to be confident in each other and the players amongst themselves. We’ll have numbers, we’ll have names -- guys from every category you can describe" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/28). Fehr said that "'probably less than 10' committee members will attend each bargaining session on a rotating basis" (NORTHJERSEY.com, 6/28).

AN ENGAGED UNION: THE HOCKEY NEWS' Ken Campbell noted before the '04-05 lockout, the players were largely "a group of complacent and disengaged millionaires." But Campbell wrote, "You get the sense things will be different this time around. ... The early returns have been encouraging from the players’ point of view." A total of 53 players "took part in the three-day meetings" in Chicago this week, including Toews and Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin. Fehr made it "very clear" several times during his news conference yesterday that he "works for the players, not the other way around." Campbell: "It should make for an interesting dynamic if it holds. With the leadership not coming from the position of an omnipotent dictator, will the players be more willing to concede on issues in order to get playing hockey and collecting paychecks on time?" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 6/27). Meanwhile, the AP's Howard Ulman noted the '12-13 NHL season "could start without a new labor agreement if both sides agree to continue talks beyond the Sept. 15 expiration of the current deal." Fehr said that if there "is no agreement by the expiration date, work could go on under the old pact if management and players agree to that." The regular season "is scheduled to start on Oct. 11." Fehr yesterday "wouldn't predict how the talks would go, but said he hoped there would be no issues of trust between him" and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (AP, 6/27). NESN’s Andy Brickley said because the NHL and NHLPA “are working from an existing agreement, which was unlike the case the last time they were trying to get a deal done, that allows for a shorter period of time to be successful in getting to" a new CBA. However, he said that he was “curious about NBC’s involvement in this deal because they’re only in year two of a 10-year deal that did not exist ... the last time these two sides got together and that could be the tipping point” (“NESN Daily,” NESN, 6/27).

THE FIVE PERCENT
: THE HOCKEY NEWS' Campbell reported the NHLPA "has voted to trigger the five-percent escalator, which means a higher salary cap for next season along with the probability of higher escrow payments." That will put the salary cap between $70.2-70.3M (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 6/27). In Toronto, Kevin McGran notes the NHL "is expected to ask for clawbacks on the 57 per cent of hockey-related revenue that players currently receive, and to alter how the ceiling and floor of the cap are calculated." The players are also "expected to push for greater revenue sharing among rich and poor teams" (TORONTO STAR, 6/28).

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