NHLPA boss Donald Fehr addressed the media following a brief meeting with the NHL, and left those in attendance with a pessimistic message:
Thursday wasn’t a good day.
Flanked by Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, Fehr spoke about a players’ union that appears to have lingering issues -- and a lot of resentment -- stemming from the last collective bargaining agreement.
Among the highlights (if you can call them that) of Fehr’s address:
-- Players are still upset about what they lost during the 2004-05 lockout, and aren’t prepared to lose the things they gained.
-- The union wants all contracts honored. Fehr made specific mention of the ones “signed within the last few months,” likely referring to the flurry of deals inked just prior to the Sept. 15 CBA expiration.
-- Fehr claimed the NHL has failed to explain or justify why it wants a “better” deal than its previous one, other than the fact NBA and NFL owners received one.
-- In terms of negotiations, the union was told the NHL would only “tweak” its last offer. Ergo, the NHLPA bringing three separate proposals to the table didn’t fit within the owner’s framework for bargaining.
Here’s Fehr: