Ice Hockey: * NHL lockout for dummies *

The NHL and the players' association will return to the bargaining table next Tuesday, a source close to the negotiations said Wednesday. The sides will get back together in New York for the first time since a seven-hour meeting on April 4, the source told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

It is expected that a new idea will be on the table during this next round of talks that could help bridge the divide on whether player costs should be linked to league revenues. The NHL has maintained that it prefers a direct relationship that ties player costs to league revenues, while the union has mostly rejected that idea. This new, mixed plan would appear to incorporate elements from both concepts.

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There never going to get anywhere. I think that there WILL be replacement players because a lot of players are too greedy. I find that things could be done for the better than for the worse. :loudhorn:

The NHL and the players' association held small-group discussions for more than 10 hours Wednesday, again working on a review of revenue measurement and financial reporting issues. The meetings lasted from about 11 a.m. until approximately 9:30 p.m., and will continue with a larger group Thursday as the sides try to find common ground on team revenues and how to associate them to a salary cap in a new collective bargaining agreement. Both sides have agreed that a salary cap model with an upper and lower limit will be the centerpiece of a new agreement, but have labored through the financial review in order to tie revenues to the moving cap figure.

Bill Daly, the league's chief legal officer, declined to comment about the meeting, saying in a statement that he wouldn't talk about any of the matters discussed until after Thursday's session. He also said rumors of an imminent agreement were "untrue."

Wednesday's session was the 17th meeting since the season was canceled Feb. 16.

Link... FoxSports.com

The NHL Players Association denied a report that the NHLPA and the league have agreed on a salary cap system, effectively eliminating the biggest stumbling block to ending the lockout and starting next season on time, according to USA Today.

"The NHLPA and NHL discussions this week continue to cover a range of issues such as controls on team salaries, revenue sharing, Olympic participation, the amateur player draft and player retention rights," NHLPA spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon reportedly told the newspaper.
"While the parties continue to have discussions to reach a common ground, no agreements have been reached."

According to a report in the Globe and Mail, however, the two sides in the NHL labor dispute have agreed on a formula for a salary-cap system based on team-by-team revenue. While the salary cap issue has been the most contentious during the negotiaions, the report is quick to point out that this agreement does not necessarily mean a new CBA is imminent. The two sides will still need to negotiate terms of salary arbitration, free agency, qualifying contract offers and other issues, any of which could lead to much longer delays.

Rest of story...FoxSports.com