NHL Labor Talks Produce Another Collective Shrug

The protagonists are starting to look familiar. After each meeting, the NHL vice president makes hopeful noises, while his counterpart at the Players' Association insists that there is nothing to be optimistic about.

So it was on Wednesday, as negotiations resumed in search of a new collective bargaining agreement.

When it was over, NHL VP Bill Daly revealed that the league has made six different proposals on a new salary structure. "They are all systems that would provide the league with the element of cost certainty we need," Daly told reporters, sprinkling his comments with happy phrases like "substantive talks" and "good candid dialogue."

Ted Saskin, VP of the Players' Association, was unmoved. "They call it cost certainty, we call it a salary cap."

"We're not interested in negotiating a salary-cap system. So we didn't make any progress in that regard."

So did yesterday's bargaining session represent any kind of progress? An optimist would point out that they didn't call each other names and agreed to meet again, on August 4.

On the other hand, all practical signs suggest an inevitable lockout in September. Just ask employees at NHL offices, many of whom received layoff notices this week. "He (NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman) told us that the lockout could last 18-24 months," one employee told TSN.ca.