No "Secret Meetings" Going on

[hockeyengineer]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050104/NHL04/TPSports/Hockey

Click to read more...

 

[struckmatch]

Just the fact that they would deny these allegations when the allegations themselves have not been that widespread tells me that they have communicated.

I don't believe anything either side says about having meetings, or proposals forthcoming, because its all posturing.

 

[Motown Beatdown]

Wonder if the emails Daly and Saskin sent to the Globe has the same IP Address

 

[kerrly]

The NHLPA denied that they were going to put forth a proposal right up to the day that they announced they were. They clearly were working on it for quite some time while everyone was denying the rumor. I don't believe what either side says about meetings and talks, because there is no reason to believe them. All one can do is guess what is going on, and my guess is that there are some talks happening, or either side would not be doing their job.

 

[TonySCV]

Isn't the whole concept of secret meetings that they are, in fact, secret? One would reason that by virtue of the fact that they are secret - others wouldn't know about them?

I would be VERY surprised if the lack of activity we seem to be witnessing today stays the same through January 14th. I would expect to see the players (or owners) make some sort of new proposal either late this week or early next.

- T

 

[misterjaggers]

What purpose would "secret" meetings serve? If the two sides were in discussion, why wouldn't they make that public?

Now, proposals are a different matter. It wouldn't surprise me if one or both sides were secretly preparing counter-proposal(s) while denying it.

 

[Bicycle Repairman]

The concept of negotiation through the media is passe. These guys may not be meeting in person, but you can bet there's a constant stream of communication going back and forth.

What's packaged for public consumption now is merely an exercise in PR and in no way indicative of what's really going on.

 

[Oilers Ent]

or is there?

Eklund's back with some tasty tabloid munchies:

http://hockeyrumors.blogspot.com/

 

[kenabnrmal]

The concept of negotiation through the media is passe. These guys may not be meeting in person, but you can bet there's a constant stream of communication going back and forth.

What's packaged for public consumption now is merely an exercise in PR and in no way indicative of what's really going on.

I took a collective bargaining class in my last year of college that had a complete section on how to determine exactly what and how communication with the media would take place. Basically, nothing you read or hear about a collective bargaining negotiation is gospel. Its all a production.

 

[Bicycle Repairman]

I took a collective bargaining class in my last year of college that had a complete section on how to determine exactly what and how communication with the media would take place. Basically, nothing you read or hear about a collective bargaining negotiation is gospel. Its all a production.

That's true, but today even moreso. Complicated documents can be zipped back and forth in seconds and be instantly analyzed in ways not possible by phone lines and faxes. Dissemination of information the same. The conventional press conference is little more than a quaint anachronism.

 

[misterjaggers]

The two parties can truthfully say they aren't holding discussions when communication is limited to, say, backdoor communication via third parties, if they define "discussions" as across-the-table between principals.

I think alot of it is semantic b.s.

 

[chara]

More labour negotiation rhetoric. Bluff, bluff, and more bluff waiting for the other side to blink first.

If the NHLPA have not restarted the process, Saskin and Goodenow are unprofessional morons who are doing a disservice to their clients.

 

[X0ssbar]

Eklund's back with some tasty tabloid munchies:

http://hockeyrumors.blogspot.com/

Yep.. very tasty stuff to chew on:

"- He has three unnamed sources: a "high up" Leafs exec, a player rep, and a current player, who is a Hall of Fame lock, who wouldn't play again if the season was cancelled;

- The NHLPA reps are meeting via conference call by the end of the week;

- The players will offer that player salaries take up 56% of league revenues and will not call this a cap. They'll find a way to spin it so as not to lose face. The league would be expected to try to argue it down to 54%. (Note from me: Quickie math based on the numbers from the NHL has player salaries that take up 56% of revenues equaling about a $37 mil cap).

- They would need to agree on one party to conduct end of the year audits and Simpson brought up Bill Wirtz's shuffling of numbers and concealing revenues by putting certain parts (ie, concessions) under the name of a different company and not the Hawks;

- He says the season will start January 24th and that some teams already have plans for a seven-day minicamp in the works. The season would be 48 games (provided the league could start up by the 24th), with intraconference only play, with the Cup Final wrapping up by the third week of June,""

 

[Motown Beatdown]

Yep.. very tasty stuff to chew on:

"- He has three unnamed sources: a "high up" Leafs exec, a player rep, and a current player, who is a Hall of Fame lock, who wouldn't play again if the season was cancelled,""

I think we all know who that player is. Yzerman has pretty much said he doesn't think he'll come back if the season is cancelled.

 

[struckmatch]

Those rumors make sense, although they'll be rumors until I see any action in that direction. Goodenow and Saskin must be able to see by now that they are better off negotiating cost certainty right now, rather than having their clients lose even more wages before eventually agreeing to it.

 

[TonySCV]

I think we all know who that player is. Yzerman has pretty much said he doesn't think he'll come back if the season is cancelled.

He's notthe only one. I'm sure several veterans may consider calling it quits - Robitaille, Hull, etc.

 

[struckmatch]

Trevor Linden would call it quits if this season was lost.

 

[BLONG7]

Trevor Linden would call it quits if this season was lost.

Don't worry about Trevor, I'm sure his buddy Goodenow will have a job for him...besides, Trevor will be busy digging himself out of Goodenow's a$$, which will take quite some time...

 

[me2]

Trevor Linden would call it quits if this season was lost.

That'll save the Nucks some money.