Union has clause for concern
Opting out of labor deal could only hurt players
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The fine print of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, crafted just three summers ago following the painful lockout of 2004-05, allows the players to terminate the deal after the upcoming season. With the rank and file guaranteed at least $1.22 billion in wages in 2008-09, the chance of a quick exit, stage left, is probably on par with someone in the rank and file breaking Wayne Gretzky's season scoring mark of 215 points.
But if that lockout taught us anything, it's this: Anything is possible.
"I haven't heard any strong opinion at this point from the players," said NHL Players Association boss Paul Kelly, asked what the sentiment was among the troops. "That said, I don't want to prejudge anything. We'll discuss it, and let the facts speak for themselves."
Nonetheless, Kelly in October will start his tour of the NHL's 30 clubs, and the CBA's termination clause will be front and center in the meetings. All players will be asked to fill out a confidential ballot, whether to strike the deal dead or extend it three more seasons. The final tally will be forwarded to the NHLPA's executive board.
"Ultimately, it's the board that makes the decision," noted Kelly, reached on vacation as he was about to embark on some sea kayaking off Cape Neddick in Maine. "They're not bound by the vote, per se, but if the numbers are significant one way or the other, it certainly would be an important factor in the minds of the board members."
The entire voting process, said Kelly, will be "as democratic and confidential as humanly possible."
If it decides to terminate the deal, the NHLPA must notify the league of that intention by May 18, 2009. According to Kelly, he plans to wrap up his 30-team tour by late November and then promptly hand over the voting results to the board for review in December. On or about Jan. 1, some 4 1/2 months prior to the deadline, the NHLPA plans to inform the league whether it will opt out.
"We'll notify the league as soon as possible," said Kelly. "We don't want to drag this out."
Unlike the contentious days leading up to the 2004 lockout, and the many months of vitriol and rancor that followed, union members have voiced little opposition to the salary cap system in place now for three seasons. The cap figure for the upcoming campaign is $56.7 million, some 50 percent higher than where it was set for the first season, 2005-06. In 2008-09, in fact, clubs must spend at least $40.7 million on payroll, which is $1.7 million above the $39 million cap of 2005-06.
Life is good. The players know it (and with proper guidance from their leadership, they should have been able to figure that out prior to the last lockout). Leaguewide gross revenues, pegged to be $1.8 billion for that first year out of the lockout, reached some $2.7 billion last year. Their wallets, like the game itself, have some momentum, in part because they hit the jackpot within the CBA by winning huge free agency concessions from the owners as part of the lockout settlement.
Is the deal perfect? No. But that's the nature of all CBAs, whatever the industry. Bosses and laborers have had their differences dating back to when Adam worked for Eve.
If it's perfection they seek, the players should be reminded that they felt they lived in a perfect world four years ago, in the free-market salary system. That bit of brainwashing had hockey on its knees, and ultimately killed it for one season.
To trigger that course of action again would bring, at the very least, equal devastation and bludgeon fan confidence and excitement that rebounded faster than anyone could have reasonably expected.
Bruins expect everything to be in place, from A to 'Z'
According to general manager Peter Chiarelli, the Bruins should start training camp Sept. 19 with everyone set to go, including team captain Zdeno Chara, who had offseason shoulder surgery.
"Yeah, 'Z' will be there, although he may start slowly, not play in every preseason game," said Chiarelli. "He's right on track, but he may need some time to feel his way into it."
Chara's agent, Matt Keator, said the towering defenseman remains on vacation, and is continuing his rehab, in Slovakia. According to Keator, Chara will be back just after Labor Day, and no doubt will join a large contingent of his teammates in informal workouts at the Ristuccia Center beginning the first week of September.
Defenseman Shane Hnidy, who also had surgery to fix a troublesome knee, is a "little behind" in his recovery, said Chiarelli, but is expected to be fit for the start of camp.
"He had to have a few things done, the knee cleaned out," said Chiarelli. "It turned out he was hurt most of last year, which is pretty remarkable."
The rehabbing likes of Patrice Bergeron (concussion), Manny Fernandez (knee surgery), and Chuck Kobasew (fractured tibia, compliments of a Chara slapper) all are close to 100 percent, said Chiarelli.
And again, contrary to an Internet report from Sweden, prized prospect Carl Soderberg does not intend to be here for training camp. He is in Malmo's training camp right now, and by Sept. 19, the Redhawks already will have played their opening game of the season.
"I talked to him, and he says he's not coming," said Chiarelli. "If he shows up, hey, I'll be excited. It will be gravy as far as we're concerned. But he told me he is going to stay over there, and I believe him."
To retain their contractual rights to the 6-foot-3-inch pivot, the Bruins will officially suspend Soderberg when (if?) he does not report to camp.
The list
If teams exceed the new salary cap figure of $56.7 million for the upcoming season, they have until their opening night to get under the threshold. As of today, a half-dozen clubs will have to do some pruning (payroll figures from nhlnumbers.com):
1. Philadelphia $61.217 million
2. San Jose $59.926 million
3. Chicago $59.208 million
4. Washington $58.955 million
5. Calgary $58.179 million
6. Anaheim $58.013 million
And the half-dozen lowest payrolls to date:
25. Columbus 44.927 million
26. Nashville $42.873 million
27. NY Islanders $42.339 million
28. Phoenix $39.067 million*
29. Atlanta $37.719 million*
30. Los Angeles $27.756 million*
* Clubs must be within $16 million of the maximum cap figure, so Phoenix, Atlanta, and Los Angeles must "spend up" to $40.7 million.
The number
120
ECAC on-ice officials who will be at the Iorio Rink in Walpole today, tuning up under the eye of Paul Stewart, the former NHL referee who is now the ECAC's director of officiating.
Speak up
"I was just like everybody else who made a mistake. I was treated like everybody else. I was afforded a lot of humility. I think I'm a better person for it."
- Toronto forward Mark Bell, who pulled weeds, cut grass, and picked up trash for 11 weeks under the direction of the Santa Clara County Corrections Department. Working with the highway crew allowed Bell, sentenced to six months for hit-and-run and DUI charges during his days in San Jose, to have his sentence commuted.
Etc.
Change of heart: Joe Colborne, the Bruins' top pick in the June draft, will head to Denver next weekend to begin his freshman season at the University of Denver. His roommate will be David Carle, brother of NHLer Matt Carle. The younger Carle, who learned just days before the NHL draft that a heart condition would force him to retire from hockey, has been assured his Denver scholarship will be honored and he will stay involved as a student assistant coach. He reported to the NHL combine in June, but a heart test there led him to further tests at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Final diagnosis: thickening of the heart (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM), the same condition that claimed the life of Celtics forward Reggie Lewis in 1993. Knowing that Carle would have to retire, the Lightning still opted to draft him in the seventh round (No. 203), a gesture co-owner Oren Koules said was a tribute to the young man's character and accomplishments.
Coady goes coed: Sean Coady, head of pro scouting for the Bruins in the days when Mike O'Connell was general manager, has left the pro ranks (he was last with San Jose) and hitched on with Brown University, where he will be an assistant coach with the women's hockey team. "Home every night, and doing what I love," said Coady. "Better for me, and better for my family."
Garden exit: Ex-Bruin Don Marcotte, a familiar face in the Garden Club for more than 20 years, will not return to work at the Causeway Street eatery. In a letter to club patrons, the 61-year-old Marcotte said he enjoyed his many years on the job and explained that the club's directors preferred to go in a new direction.
City life: Newest Bruin Michael Ryder has decided to purchase a downtown condo, continuing the trend of players eschewing green suburban lawns for bright city lights.
The Russian front: Ladislav Nagy wasn't asked back by the Kings and opted to sign a one-year deal in Russia (at upwards of $3 million, tax-free). "Russia's becoming a more viable option for some guys," said agent Matt Keator. "Nagy is going to be in Cherepovets, and that's hardly Chicago, but he can go there and make good money, show he's not injured, and at age 29, if he has a good year, he has a chance to come back to the NHL, if that's what he wants." Ex-NHL goaltenders John Grahame and Ray Emery are also undergoing career rehab in Russia for 2008-09.
Nagging headache: Fall River's Brian Pothier, a key member of the Washington backline, is still suffering from postconcussion symptoms, and the Capitals don't expect him to be ready for the start of training camp.
Chinese checkers: The China Sharks, the Asian Hockey League club sponsored by San Jose, will have ex-NHLers Wade Flaherty (G) and Steve McKenna (D) in the lineup for 2008-09. Their main goal: to prevent the lopsided scoring deficiency that last season had the Sharks score 63 goals while allowing a whopping 159 in only 30 games. Flaherty also will double as goaltending coach for China's national team prospects. The idea of Chinese players flooding the NHL talent pool may seem laughable today, but the Beijing Olympics underscored the commitment of the nation's athletes. And the NHL, unlike the Games, doesn't have a minimum age requirement. Phew.
Meeting is scheduled: The Bruins will hold another preseason town meeting, "The State of the Bruins," on the Garden's event floor on Wednesday, Sept. 10, from 7-8:30 p.m. General manager Peter Chiarelli, other key members of the front office staff, and a smattering of players will be on hand to take questions from the audience. Only season ticket-holders are invited. No dunk tanks. No Zamboni rides. And the all-you-can-eat "Hungry for Hockey" section will not be open.
When in Rome: In early July, NHL Players Association boss Paul Kelly flew to Rome and chaired a two-day union meeting attended by some 200 players. "It's a great, focused environment for the guys to hear about legal and medical issues - and rule changes," said Kelly. The Players Association held a North American version of the meeting earlier in the summer, but it did not bring the same numbers, which could lead it to consolidate to one meeting next year, perhaps again in Europe. The Rome excursion included a guided tour of the Forum and a private tour through Vatican City. Kidded that it had to be a Boston College connection that led to the group's VIP treatment at the Sistine Chapel, etc., Kelly, a BC alum, said, "Uh, I forget what the connection was . . . but whatever it was, it was great."
Devil and the details: The Devils, creeping close to the $56.7 payroll max, placed Russian defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski on waivers Friday, only a year after signing him to a three-year deal worth $5.4 million. It was reminiscent of the Devils in recent years ditching the likes of Alexander Mogilny and Dan McGillis to the minors. If no one takes Vishnevski, and he is assigned to the minors, another NHL club can take him at a 50 percent discount if the Devils try to call him back to the varsity. Potential subplot: Rather than face two years in the AHL, perhaps Vishnevski will seek employment in Russia. The NHL and the Kontinental Hockey League had an agreement in place not to raid respective rosters, but all that may be moot if Alexander Radulov doesn't honor the one year left he has on his deal with Nashville.
Dialing for assistants: Chiarelli this week expects to begin interviewing assistant coaching candidates to aid Rob Murray, who last week was named to replace Scott Gordon as top coach in Providence. "We've got two or three guys in mind," said Chiarelli, "and all of them can easily make the move." In other words, no contractual hindrances.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at dupont@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.
