The NHLPA maintains it had no choice but to withhold its consent to the league’s radical realignment plan.
According to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun, the union was concerned about the extra travel the plan would necessitate, as well as the fairness of the new playoff structure.
The union was willing to keep discussing the issues, but the NHL set a deadline of today for schedule-making purposes. When the deadline arrived and there were still unresolved issues, the union withheld its consent.
And here we are.