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Report: Flyers owner Snider pushing to solve labor strife

National Museum of American Jewish History opening gala hosted by Jerry Seinfeld and Bette Midler

PHILADELPHIA - NOVEMBER 13: American Chairman of Comcast Ed Snider speaks onstage at the National Museum of American Jewish History opening gala hosted by Jerry Seinfeld and featuring Bette Midler at National Museum of American Jewish History on November 13, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for National Museum of American Jewish History)

Mike Coppola

Is Ed Snider supportive of the league’s position regarding the lockout?

According to one report, not any more.

The Philadelphia Daily News claims Snider has emerged as a key figure in a significant attitude change among the NHL’s Board of Governors.

“If this is the deal we are going to get, what’s the point of dragging this out?” a source familiar with Snider’s thinking told the Daily News.

Reportedly, Snider wasn’t initially against the lockout, but now has “strong discontent” for Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, who is believed to be one of the big supporters of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s position.

Oh, and here’s a twist -- one of the franchises Snider might align with is Philly’s biggest rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Here’s more, from the Daily News:

Despite their on-ice rivalry, there seems to be some thinking that the Flyers are interested in teaming up with the midmarket but high-revenue Pittsburgh Penguins to sway more governors toward a swift resolution. The Rangers are also viewed as anti-lockout.

At the very least, if the Flyers are changing their view, two important questions arise: Which other teams have shifted? Where is this whole thing heading?

While some of the smaller-market teams have been interested in a greater percentage of “hockey related revenue” to help get back in the black, there is a growing sentiment that any lingering effects from this lockout could wipe out a franchise in Columbus, Florida, Nashville or Tampa Bay entirely.

According to a source, the Flyers’ top-level executives presented their own proposal for the collective-bargaining agreement nearly 3 weeks ago. It remains unclear whether their proposal was the engine behind the league’s progress last week, when they strung together lengthy bargaining sessions in 7 out of 9 days.

This all comes after Snider publicly stated last week that he’s “awfully disappointed that we’re not playing hockey, but there’s not a thing I can do about it.”

It looks like that might have changed.

At the same time, we have to mention that TSN’s Darren Dreger was told Snider “remains strongly in Bettman’s corner.”