  The NHL board of governors convenes on Tuesday in New York for the first time since commissioner Gary Bettman cancelled the season last week. (Toronto Sun/Fred Thornhill) |
Hockey talk in March usually revolves around trades and the run to the playoffs.
But three separate meetings next week involving owners, players and agents will have a much different agenda this year and likely won't suffer for lack of spirit and content.
The NHL board of governors convenes on Tuesday in New York for the first time since commissioner Gary Bettman cancelled the season last week.
QUESTIONS
While flagship franchises such as Toronto, Detroit, Philadelphia and Colorado publicly backed Bettman last week, there will be questions as to whether the small-market teams held too much sway in the critical days leading to the decision to pull the plug.
A few of those teams could have lived with the players' framework of a $49-million US cap, while the league refused to go below $42.5 million, on both Feb. 16 and Feb. 19, when a last-ditch meeting attended by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux failed to see any new proposals introduced by either side.
"(Tuesday's meeting) is open to alternate governors as well, which most of the general managers fall under," Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford told the Canadian Press yesterday. "I would expect people would have different questions relating to their own situations."
Bettman will also have to give the board some idea of future plans and an exit strategy, such as whether the league has a strong enough case to impose its own collective bargaining agreement next year with replacement players.
The league would be arguing that talks are at an impasse, but the players could challenge that to the National Labour Relations Board in the U.S. It's expected Canadian teams would wait to see that ruling before deciding on using replacements themselves.
That touchy subject will also come up a meeting of about 100 players in Toronto on Tuesday, after a union-sponsored dinner the night before.
First, however, the players will want an explanation of what happened in New York last Saturday.
Executive director Bob Goodenow's leadership appeared in trouble before that meeting as Gretzky and Lemieux looked poised to usurp his influence on the talks, but with the breakdown and matters back to Square 1, he's still in control.
It's expected the union executive, as well as those player reps not in Europe, will be in attendance. Goodenow and NHLPA officials will update the player agents on Wednesday.
Agent Pat Morris hopes a few things are cleared up.
"I think everybody's frustrated a deal hasn't been reached, but at the same time not all the information is on the table as to why that is," Morris told CP.
"There has been lots of innuendo in comments behind the scenes from varying people and I'm sure the air will get cleared."
Agent Don Meehan told Rogers Sportsnet on Tuesday that reports of separate peace initiatives organized by a group of agents were untrue.
Owners, players and agents will also have questions on such issues as the dispersal of junior talent in the absence of a CBA and amateur draft.
