Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Learning To Negotiate

01/01/2013 at 7:18am EST

from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,

If there is one thing that you, I and Gary Bettman have all learned about a collective bargaining agreement in which the players are fronted by Donald Fehr, it’s that this will be a negotiation.

It will not be a walkover.

The National Hockey League has had their blowout. It happened in 2004-05, and the league wasted it with a CBA full of holes, one that was fully exploited by the down-and-out union. Now, with a rebuilt NHLPA under Fehr, the NHL's "take it or leave it" approach will no longer fly.

You could see that realization in Commissioner Gary Bettman's eyes Monday, some four weeks after he'd blown his cool on the podium. A month ago, the NHLPA had shown the temerity to counter-offer, rather than simply agree to the latest NHL proposal in whole. Gary was uncharacteristically apoplectic, and could not have liked how he looked on Connected that day.

On Monday he was Reserved Gary. Not Eyeballs Bulging, Seething Gary.

continued

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About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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