The players are still voting to determine if they should give the NHLPA executive committee the authority to file a disclaimer of interest, but Detroit’s Daniel Cleary doesn’t think the results will even be remotely close.
Cleary will be disappointed if anything less than “99.8%" of players vote in the affirmative, according to ESPN.
Edmonton Oilers captain Shawn Horcoff seems equally confident.
“Guys are going to be pretty highly in favor of it,” Horcoff said. “I’ve been in conference calls with 200-300 players. We just feel at this point the union has done everything they can for us and we’re not getting anywhere. It’s time for us to go in a different direction.”
That direction might be court. In anticipation of the union dissolving, the NHL has already filed a class action complaint. U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer has been assigned to the lawsuit.
It’s also possible that the two sides will be motivated to agree to a new CBA now rather than risk letting this matter get settled in court. That being said, things have been quiet on the negotiation front lately.