Specter of collective bargaining hovers over All-Star weekend
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OTTAWA -- Beyond the usual housekeeping issues -- Columbus landed the 2013 All-Star Game, and the NHL awards ceremonies will remain in Las Vegas for at least the next three summers -- there was not a lot of bang coming out of the league Board of Governors meetings Saturday.
Even with the collective bargaining agreement between the league and players expiring in September, a few teams for sale and/or enduring financial hardships and ongoing concerns over concussions, there apparently were no hot-button topics.
"It was kind of a non-eventful meeting," Penguins president and CEO David Morehouse said after team executives convened for a couple of hours at the Chateau Laurier as part of All-Star weekend.
Concussions have been a front-burner topic in recent years, and, in the past couple of years, the league has adopted, then strengthened Rule 48 which outlaws many hits to the head. There was no movement on that issue this time, but Morehouse said the mood has changed.
"I think there's definitely more of an openness to discuss [ways to reduce concussions]," he said. "It was not a popular thing to talk about a couple years ago. I think there are definitely more pragmatic views on how we should try to reduce and move toward eliminating these injuries."
The Penguins have been one of the leading advocates of outlawing all hits to the head and finding other ways to reduce brain injuries. Several Penguins have missed time because of concussions over the past couple of seasons, most notably team captain Sidney Crosby, a perennial All-Star who is not participating in All-Star weekend because of recurring concussion symptoms.
Hockey officials are considering such options as softening shoulder pads, strengthening helmets, and perhaps putting a soft cap on the edges of the boards.
"There's a lot of discussion about equipment," Morehouse said.
"No one wants to slow the game down. What you need to do is to make it safe otherwise."
Veteran All-Star Jarome Iginla of Calgary said players want safety from concussions and will adjust to whatever rules or changes are implemented.
"Because the game is quicker, one way to cut back on that risk is limiting hits to the head," Iginla said. "When I broke in, it was almost a way of hitting. You just finished your check, and you didn't think so much about whether it was a head or a shoulder.
"I think we will catch on as players, as we have caught on to some of the other rules."
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said fighting is down 25 percent from last season, "and I think it may be among the three lowest years of fighting in the last 25."
But he denied that has a relationship to concussions, saying those injuries are coming from other plays.
The surest way to avoid concussions is to cancel games, something that could happen if a new CBA cannot be hammered out.
Earlier this season, the NHL Players Association vetoed a realignment format that had been passed by the league.
"I hope that what the union did with realignment isn't representative of what we will be dealing with in collective bargaining," Bettman said. "I don't mean to put the onus on them. I would have preferred that the union approved it, and we moved on. That wasn't the case, so we took a step back and said we'll deal with this at another time in a different environment."
The last time the CBA expired, a work stoppage wiped out the 2004-05 season. When the deal was reached, it was revolutionary. A salary cap was added and free agency was revamped.
The league went further, enforcing rules in a way that accentuated speed and skill.
Since then, Donald Fehr, who formerly headed the baseball players union, has become the NHLPA's executive director.
"I don't have anything bad to say about what's gone on in the past, but I think Don has brought some different leadership in a short period of time," Iginla said. "I think he's come and brought some stability, a lot of experience and a lot of success in growing and being part of baseball, for the players and the game.
"We have had opportunities as players to meet [among ourselves] and meet him and talk about different issues. Not all just about negotiations, but also the state of the game."
The NFL and NBA have had tumultuous negotiations, with work stoppages, in the past year, although the NFL did not have to cancel any regular-season games.
Bettman is calling for something completely different.
"My hope is that we can get together and that collective bargaining will be painless and quiet and quick," he said.
"That would serve everybody's best interest."
First Published January 29, 2012 12:00 am
