With six days left to go before the current NHL CBA is set to expire, the NHL and NHLPA are doing a bunch of things behind the scene to try and bolster their standing among public opinion.
– The NHLPA have filed injunctions with the labor boards in Quebec and Alberta to stop the NHL from locking them out. What this really means is that if the labor board sides with the NHLPA, the league cannot lockout the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Montreal Canadiens. It doesn’t mean however that the league would actually play with three teams while locking out the other 27.
– The NHLPA is meeting in New York with all of the players on Wednesday and Thursday to bring everyone up to speed while the NHL Board of Governors is meeting on Thursday to do the same on their side.
– The Flames players cancelled the team’s golf tournament on Thursday because all of the players want to attend the NHLPA meeting. The Sabres were fortunate enough to have theirs yesterday.
– The NHL and NHLPA have not scheduled any meetings as of yet and both sides are claiming that they are waiting for the other to restart negotiations.
All in all, this is just going to be a long week of he said/they said. All we know is that hockey probably won’t start on time.