Bettman and Fehr Not Talking Yet

OTTAWA -- Although Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr will meet next week, both sides say it does not signal the beginning of collective bargaining. With hockey fans anxiously hoping next season won't be in jeopardy, the kickoff of formal CBA talks still has no agreed start date.

"I don't know yet, there will obviously be some preliminary discussions to set things up and talk about things," Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players' Association, told assembled media Saturday. "Obviously, my preference will be when we get to the real significant sessions to do it at a point in time, which is rather more likely to have players present easily than less. But we'll know sometime in the next few weeks how that's going to play out."

The league reiterated again Saturday that it is ready whenever the players' union wants to sit down and talk. http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/7513724/gary-bettman-donald-fehr-no-start-date-cba-talks-yet

Shacks' Take: I'm scared.  I'm very scared.  Donald Fehr is the most antagonistic labour leader in the history of sport.  He was never interested in  a working partnership in baseball, only in squeezing every penny out of the owners.  Baseball is the only North American pro-sport without a salary cap because of Fehr.  Great if you're a Red Sox or Yankee fan bad for almost every one else.  Ask Blue Jay fans what they think of  competing in their division.  I hope for the best in these negotiations, you would think the NHL knows it's not popular enough to withstand a long strike.   I think Fehr cares little for what's best for the game, only how to shake those extra nickels out of the owner's pockets. With the owners insisting the current system is killing small markets and Fehrs total disregard for helping grow smaller markets, this could get ugly