NHL and NHLPA consider long-term labor peace during shutdown

We have to see some positive in the NHL shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and on Tuesday, James Duthie and Pierre LeBrun reminded us that some good might come out of all this. 

During the segment of Insider Trading on TSN, LeBrun explained that while the NHL and the NHL’s Players Association have put an end to the CBA discussions since the start of the pause, both parties are considering a long-term labor peace might result from this pandemic and the impact on the league. 

“Certainly that’s what everyone hopes and it’s interesting. Donald Fehr last week when I chatted with him, a little hint from him. He said listen, he hopes that’s the case in terms of a positive frame of mind for when CBA talks resume and what he said is sometimes when you go through adversity with the other side there are bonds that suddenly form. It was an interesting comment from Don Fehr, who we know went toe-to-toe with Gary Bettman in the 2012 lockout. And the conversations that I’ve had with player agents and team executives around the National Hockey League over the last week, that’s the growing sentiment is that instead of just focusing on some transition rules that’ll get both sides over the hump over the next 12 months in terms of the salary cap, escrow, July 1, all these things that we just talked about. Is there a bigger picture solution? Could there be a long-term CBA extension? Some long-standing ideas that bring stability into what will be a very difficult situation for the NHL business. Who knows what the revenues look like on the other side of all this through this COVID-19 crisis? So I know it’s something that even at the PA and the league that they’re starting to talk about internally. Not with each other, mind you, CBA talks are on hold, but hopefully that could be the solution out of all of this is a way for both sides to find long-term stability.”

That would be some great news out of this ugly situation at the moment. Let’s focus on the positive!