Faint Hope for an NHL Season: Collective Bargaining Resumes

The NHL and its players have agreed to talk. Now the question becomes, do they have the good sense, determination and creativity to find a solution?

The NHL has accepted an invitation from the Players' Association to meet next Thursday (December 9). A statement from the NHLPA says it is "working on a new proposal which it believes should provide the basis for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and thus end the owners’ lockout."

It will be the first bargaining session in three months, with pressure mounting to save the 2004-05 NHL season. But given the recent public statements by both sides, it could be a very short meeting.

The NHLPA proposal will almost certainly include a luxury tax and revenue sharing system, addressing the owners' concerns about runaway salaries. But the NHL is on record as saying a luxury tax is not enough to get a deal done.

"It depends on what else it comes with," NHL exec Bill Daly told the Hockey News. "I know a luxury tax by itself will not be acceptable to us, but let's take a look at how serious they are about addressing the issues and maybe we can formulate a response that moves us closer."

So the door is open, just barely. Perhaps the negotiators can jam a foot in the crack and keep pushing. On the other hand, the meeting might be little more than a formality, an exercise both sides must endure so they can look into the cameras and say, "we tried."

At least the December 9 summit provides a measure of certainty. If it breaks off with no progress, as all other bargaining sessions have, the 2004-05 NHL season is dead.