Lockout cold war continues

NHL Players’ Association is playing a waiting game. While the players are interested in an invitation from the owners to meet with them without the presence of NHL commissoner Gary Bettman and union executive director Donald Fehr, the NHLPA hasn’t accepted the invite yet. The two sides spoke Saturday but were exchanging ideas on what the ground rules would be.
Sources say if the players do agree to sit down with the owners, they want input on who is going to be in the room and they aren’t going to allow the league to make any requests of which union members are involved. Bettman proposed the idea after a meeting with officials from the Federal Mediation and Concilliation Service broke down Thursday in New Jersey. The NHL is desperate to try to find some kind of solution to get the season started.

“The owners don’t get to choose which players are in the room,” said a league insider Saturday. “If the owners want to talk, the players will listen, but I’m not sure the NHL is going to like what they hear back.”

It’s believed the union will request the meeting not be a bargaining session. That means there can only be ideas exchanged between the two sides on how to bridge the gap with the lockout at Day 78 Sunday. As reported by the QMI Agency Saturday, the players will likely request New York Rangers owner James Dolan be part of any discussions. The New York Post reported that Dolan - considered a dove - wants to be in the room. He wouldn’t be alone. The union would also like Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson as part of the talks because he’s also considered to be moderate. Not all players are on board. Sabres’ captain Jason Pominville told the Olean Times Herald in suburban-Buffalo he doesn’t like the idea.

“Gary’s been there for 18 years,” Pominville said. “Now we have Don who’s a solid representative. He knows what he’s doing, and we’ve worked hard to get him to where we’re at now. Why would we want to meet without him there? I’m not totally for it. But if it can help, might as well try it. But I don’t know if it’s the best way to do it.”

The NHL’s board of governors will meet Wednesday in New York so it’s possible the meeting could take place Tuesday.