Gary Bettman infuriated players across the table from him at NHL headquarters on Thursday and, by extension, NHLPA membership by claiming that a number of general managers had told him they regret some of the contracts theyd previously handed out and would welcome the opportunity to dismantle their teams in order to meet the steep drop to the leagues proposed $60 million cap for 2013-14, sources have told The Post.
The players responded with a mixture of anger and skepticism, demanding to know the identity of these alleged GMs. Bettman refused to name the straw men in seeking to counter the players position that adopting a $60M cap even with two amnesty buyouts would be punitive against big-market, big-spending franchises.
The union believes the leagues stance changed after PA executive director Don Fehr decided against filing a disclaimer of interest at Wednesdays midnight deadline that would have sent the dispute into court. The PA believes the NHL pulled a bait and switch in the immediate aftermath of Fehrs continued commitment to the collective bargaining process.
The NHL, were told, attempted a late change in the language regarding penalties for clubs caught hiding Hockey Related Revenue (HRR) through audits by the NHLPA.
The previous CBA, and previous proposals, stipulated that clubs in violation of HRR-reporting requirements would be fined $1M plus the loss of one first-round draft pick for a first offense, with a second offense carrying a fine of $5M plus three first-round picks.
The NHL on Thursday attempted to change that so that Bettman himself would decide all the penalties. The league withdrew the changes when the PA objected.
And in one that is all but impossible to believe but has been confirmed by several sources, the NHL also has proposed that it be allowed to re-open the CBA if an arbitrator confirms an NHLPA audit that the league is hiding a substantial amount of HRR, with the amount pegged at 2-percent.
It is as unclear whether that proposal remains on the table as it is whether it is meant to be taken seriously, Rest assured, however, the players took it very seriously, adding to their perception that the NHL had pulled a bait-and-switch on them once the disclaimer deadline passed.
The union has responded by authorizing yet another vote to empower Fehr to disclaim.
The PA and NHL are meeting separately with a federal mediator Friday morning. It is possible that bargaining between the parties will resume this afternoon, the league having established a Jan. 11 deadline for reaching an agreement to save the 2012-13 season.
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