For the first time since this excruciating process began, there seems to be unanimous optimism on the NHL’s labour front.
The much talked about Players and Owners session went extremely well last night, with Penguins owner Ron Burkle and Captain Sidney Crosby apparently bridging what at times seemed like an insurmountable gap between the two sides. The same group is expected to continue discussions today.
Initially it was reported they would meet prior to the league’s Board of Governors meeting scheduled for 11:00 AM but both sides decided to push that until this afternoon. It’s not entirely clear where negotiations go from here but according to a tweet from Nick Kypreos this morning, the NHL is expecting the NHLPA to make a proposal.
With optimism abound, all the experts continue to preach patience. There is obviously still work to be done between the two sides before a new CBA is signed, sealed, and delivered. The expression “don’t get too excited” has been repeated multiple times by both the NHL and the NHLPA.
You know what? Screw that.
I’ll get as excited as I want to get. Maybe I'm setting myself up for disappointment but as someone who has followed the CBA process closely, I'm used to it. And really, the owners and players should be happy that there are still fans that are excited about the recent progress. The league has given its fans so many reasons to be upset over the past few months, that some are willing to cling to this glimmer of hope.
More news is expected over the course of the afternoon. Will pass along updates on this post and in the comment section below.
In the meantime, how do you feel about the latest developments? Excited or still skeptical?
- In some non-CBA related news, today is Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray’s 70th birthday. Murray and Melnyk are both in New York City today for the Board of Governor’s meeting.
