NHL Collective Bargaining: It's the Players' Move

Emerging from two-and-a-half days of meetings, the NHL and its players had little to report on Thursday morning.

League vice president Bill Daly says there were no negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement. Instead, the meetings were used to assist the Players' Association in its study of the finances of each team.

"We're dubious as to the value of the process," Daly told reporters, though he did not opt for the rhetorical heat he displayed after last week's negotiating session. "We'll take them to their word that it was meaningful from their perspective.''

As far as the NHL is concerned, the next move is up to the players. "League awaiting proposal," says a statement at NHL.com.

"Specifically, we are anxious to see how a new Union proposal would ensure the elimination of the hundreds of millions of dollars in losses that we are presently incurring under the current CBA, and cannot afford," says the statement, attributed to Daly. The hint of sarcasm in that missive can hardly be considered a good sign.