BY NICK PHILIPS, Executive Editor
The National Hockey League (NHL) experienced its third lockout (a shortened 48-game 1994-95 campaign and a full cancellation of the 2004-05 season) in the last 18 years when the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the NHL owners and the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) expired after the completion of the previous season. With the CBA expiring, a lot of animosity, trust and games were lost until a new CBA was agreed upon in early January with another shortened 48-games late of games announced to start Jan. 19.
According to Sports Illustrated, under the last CBA that expired, the players owned 57 percent of the league’s revenue sharing. The owners wanted a bigger piece of the pie and offered a 54/46 revenue share in the owners’ favor. However, the players and NHLPA executive Donald Fehr thought that an 11-percent dip in their revenue sharing was a bit much. The owners did not, thus creating animosity and struggling in the negotiations to get a new CBA solidified. Different proposals were offered, but there was no deal agreed upon. As training camp and the 2012-13 season began to loom, the sides seemingly grew farther and farther apart as offers from both the owners and NHLPA became “embarrassing” and other negative adjectives.
Sept. 19 featured all September preseason games getting canceled. On Oct. 4, the NHL canceled the rest of the preseason first two weeks of the regular season (through Nov. 1). The next day, Chicago Blackhawks captain and center Jonathan Toews blasted off on Bettman.
“It’s [the canceling of the first two weeks of the NHL’s regular season] another disappointing but expected move from the league. This seems to be our commissioner’s bread and butter; it’s almost like he is excited to take away hockey from the fans and the players just because he can,” Toews said.
Toews was not the only player to sound off on the NHL. “If the whole season is cancelled and that its return looks uncertain, I’m going to look toward Europe or maybe just simply retire,” Montreal Canadians forward Erik Cole, who signed a four-year deal worth $18 million last summer, said at one point.
The 2013 Winter Classic, scheduled for the Jan. 1 at the “Big House”, which seats over 100,000 people, at the University of Michigan between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings, was cancelled Nov. 2. The Winter Classic was a money-making machine for the league when it came down to the fact that Winter Classic attendance was usually, at minimum, double a normal NHL game’s attendance and had different merchandise released. Games through Dec. 14 were canceled on Nov. 23. The Nov. 23 cancellations also wiped out the 2013 NHL All-Star Game in Columbus, Ohio. Negotiations continues, sides were separated, they filed disclaimers of interest and hope from owners, players and fans dwindles as games through Dec. 30 were canceled Dec. 10 and games schedule through Jan. 14 were canceled Dec. 20.
After a 113-day lockout, finally, on Jan. 6, a 16-hour negotiating period resulted in the agreement of a new CBA between the NHLPA and the owners. This agreement was ratified three days later by the NHL Board of Governors. The NHLPA’s website states that Hockey Related Revenues (HRR) will be an even 50/50 split amongst the players and owners. The new agreement is a ten-year deal. Hockey was back on Jan. 19. This season, there will be a total of 48 games and no inter-conference teams.
“This was a long, an extremely difficult negotiation, one that took a lot longer than anybody wanted. I know it caused frustration, disappointment and even suffering to a lot of people who have supported the National Hockey League,” Bettman said.