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Sue · 03-17-2005, 02:05 PM

Here's the stort in case anyone doesn't wanna click

Quote:

The NHL and the Players' Association broke off labour discussions after a 2 ½ hour meeting Thursday morning in New York, but not before the league tabled two new proposals.

One offer included a $37.5-million US team salary cap with no "linkage," while the other proposal capped player costs at 54 per cent of league revenues. The $37.5-million cap is $5 million less than the final offer the league offered last month before officially cancelling the season.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow attended the meeting. Also in attendance were union senior director Ted Saskin, league executive vice president and chief legal officer Bill Daly, and outside counsel for both sides.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Goodenow released a statement saying the union is considering its next course of action after the league tabled two proposals.

"Today, Gary gave us two salary cap proposals. Both proposals were very similar to ones that we previously rejected several times. We will be determining our next steps and responding at the appropriate time," read the statement.

Daly briefly outlined the league's proposals in a released statement.

"The first proposal was based on the 'de-linked' salary cap framework that was on the table when the season was cancelled in mid-February," Daly said in the statement.

"We indicated that to the extent this was a framework that the union remained interested in pursuing, the league would be prepared to continue negotiations – provided an agreement could be achieved within the next several weeks.

"Alternatively, we proposed a negotiated relationship between total player compensation and league-wide revenues, which we made clear was our preference."

The two sides met last Friday in Toronto for 90 minutes and held informal talks over the current lockout before agreeing to meet again this week. It appears, however, the NHL has formed a backup plan in case this round of talks doesn't prove fruitful.

A league source told the Canadian Press that the NHL has called a board of governors meeting for April 20 where the issue of using replacement players will be examined.

"It would be to discuss results of homework assignments clubs were all given, and to make some decisions," said the source.

The two sides have struggled to find common ground on a new deal since the players were locked out last Sept. 15 by Bettman, who officially cancelled the 2004-05 season on Feb. 16.

By doing so, the NHL became the first of North America's four major professional team sports to junk a full season because of a labour dispute.

Next to go by the wayside could be the June entry draft at Ottawa, something the NHL is anxious to salvage by cutting a deal. Rimouski Oceanic forward Sidney Crosby is currently rated the top prospect.

Crosby leads the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in scoring with 163 points (65 goals, 98 assists) in 60 games.

fwiw, I hate the fact that everything's about friggin money. What the hell happened to the fans, the love of the game? It's all been forgotten and lost