HERE IT IS!

FROM THE Associate Press.....(all rights reserved)

AP-NHL: Lockout-Proposal

Key points of union's six-year proposal to N-H-L
Here's a look at the key points of NHL Players' Association
six-year proposal to the NHL:

SALARY ROLLBACK: Immediately cuts 24 percent off all existing
contracts. NHLPA says that will save teams $270 million in the
first year and $528 million over three years. The previous offer of
Sept. 9 offered a 5 percent rollback.
SALARY RESTRAINTS: Would restrict rookie contracts to $850,000
a year for three years, down from last season's $1.2 million level.
There would also be reductions in qualifying offers to restricted
free agents, and would give clubs the chance to elect arbitration
in a system similar to one used in baseball.
The union estimates clubs will save $400 million over the next
six years and reduce the aggregate qualifying offers due to
restricted free agents by $285 million over three years.
LUXURY TAX: Would penalize teams 20 cents for each dollar they
spend between $45 million and $50 million. The penalty would
increase to 25 percent the second year and 30 percent in the third.
Teams spending between $50 million and $60 million would be
taxed 50 cents on the dollar the first year, 55 cents the second
year and 60 cents the third. Those with payrolls above that would
have to pay 60 cents for every dollar the first year, 65 cents the
second, and 70 cents the third year on each dollar over the
threshold.
Includes a revenue-sharing plan to bring the bottom 15 teams
within 30 percent of the revenues of the top 15 teams.
JOINT PLAYER-CLUB COMMITTEES: Committees would be designed to
ensure improvements in the game, its marketing and its revenues.
The players proposed to play in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics.

 

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called one of the aspects of the players' proposal "significant", and said that the two sides will sit down and meet again next Tuesday, at which time the league is expected to present a counter offer.

"I think it's fair to say that this proposal touched more topics," said Bettman. "Which is again a reason that I can't respond to it until we've been able to digest everything that's in there."

While there was cautious optimism because the offer was enough to warrant another meeting, that could be wiped out in a hurry next week if the NHL comes back with a counter-proposal that includes the link between player costs and league revenues.

Bill Daly, the NHL's executive vice-president and chief legal officer, said the league was taking the new offer seriously.

"They made a serious proposal, which I would suggest was the first one in this process," he said. "But it is a serious proposal and certainly they showed a recognition of the economic problems that the game is facing and certainly we're appreciative of that. We now need to work together with them on systemic elements to make sure the economics of the game stay in-synch going forward."

Thursday's meeting, which came three months to the day of the last negotiating session Sept. 9, began at 11:23 a.m. and ended around 3:20 p.m., with both sides squeezing in a lunch break at 1:45.

It was the first official meeting between the sides since Sept. 9. The lockout, which reached its 85th day Thursday, has forced cancellation of 382 regular-season games plus the 2005 all-star game.

The NHL says it lost $1.8 billion US over the 10-year run of the last collective bargaining agreement, including $273 million for the 2002-03 season and $224 million last season. The players dispute those figures.

The new NHLPA proposal is touted to save owners well over $200 million next season.

 

I think thats a pretty generous offer from the players, more than I expected. I dont think thats going to do the trick in the long run though. The owners need a cap to protect them from hurting themselves, otherwise we will be in the same spot a couple years down the road.

Anyone have a link to a list of the team's salaries, or can someone give me an estimate of the average and the upper and lower extremes? What size cap were the owners wanting?

I think this only works when there is revenue to share

 

I am not surprised the focus of the negotiations has turned to revenue sharing and a luxury tax. All I ever hear from people is a desire to stifle the teams that can afford to pay their players, and give money to cities that are so incapable of supporting themselves they shouldnt have a team in the first place. What's next, giving every team a trophy so noone's feelings get hurt? The NHL has over-expanded. There would be no labor dispute if we simply contract the small market teams that are weighing the league down. It won't be the popular choice, but it is what needs to be done to same the league.

 

I don't know if the Luxury Tax is the way to go.

Wouldn't it push potential Investors away from the the Game?

 

Reports I've seen say the owners are turning down the NHLPA's offer. Looks like anything less than a salary cap is a deal-breaker. Barring an unforseen miracle this hockey season has been laid to rest imo...