What does Donald Fehr have up his sleeve as the decertification dance winds down? I don’t know, but I do know that the players may be voting as a negotiating tactic, but the vote isn’t counted as a tactic. It is counted as a vote to dissolve the Union as a bargaining entity. It cuts the players out of any informal talks and it gives Donald Fehr a mandate to blow up the league if he thinks real decertification is in the best interest of the players.

Gary Bettman might like his chances in court, but I wonder if his eye is on the right ball. I’d be worried about the power the players are about to give to Don Fehr. How will Gary feel about (the impossible to deal with and entirely unpredictable) Donald Fehr having the power to kill the season and turn Gary’s league on its head?

-Tom Benjamin of canuckscorner where you can read more on this process.