NHL, union will resume labor talks Wednesday

NEW YORK – The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association are set to resume labor talks today at the league offices in New York.

Total revenue of the league’s operations is the biggest sticking point, and it’s an important one. The players like their cut right now. The owners don’t.

The sides met last Friday in another round of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement before the current one expires on Sept. 15.

There were multiple reports coming out of the last round of talks that the owners’ offer included players’ hockey-related revenues get slashed from 57 percent to 46 percent. It also was reported that players would be forced to wait 10 years before becoming unrestricted free agents and that contracts would be limited to five years – a major change considering Zach Parise and fellow free agent Ryan Suter decided to sign matching 13-year, $98 million contracts with Minnesota.

NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly are among those meeting today. The sides have regularly met since opening talks June 29 in a bid to reach a new CBA.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said after Friday’s session, “We’ve got a lot of work to do in a relatively short period of time.”