NHL Blinks on Replacement Players

The NHL is backing off on the worst idea in hockey history: the threat to begin next season without real NHL players.

''If we don't have a new CBA so that our players can start the season with us in October, we will not open on time,'' commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters after today's board of governors meeting.

"The feeling in the room was that we're getting closer to a deal with the players," said Jim Lites, president of the Dallas Stars. The optimism is over the players' latest proposal: a system that would reportedly set team payrolls at a minimum of $30 million and a maximum of $50 million, adjustable based on league revenues. The owners hate the numbers but like the idea.

''Two weeks ago when we met, we said to the union that this was a concept we could work with,'' Bettman said. ''The fact of the matter is, if you want to tweak the concept we can still work with it. I think this is really now just about dollars and cents."

Which all sounds dandy, except that the latest collective bargaining session ended about 24 hours ago with much harrumphing of "no progress" from everyone involved.