While it’s still not clear if there’ll be hockey this summer, labour peace for the next few seasons is near.
Various reports Thursday had the National Hockey League and its players association cobbling a three-year re-working of the collective bargaining agreement designed to get through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
While players stand to lose some money in the curtailed 2019-20 season and up to 30% of salaries next year according to The Hockey News, they now know what the worst case scenario is and will have a portion of the cutbacks repaid through the life of the new deal. They can also get out of playing in the proposed 24-team playoff tournament this summer if fearful for their health and can look forward to NHL Olympic participation in the 2022 and ‘26 Games.
The two sides seek a deal through the 2024-25 season. Among the most important points was confirmation of earlier reports this week that the salary cap will be set at $81.5 million US for the next two full seasons, ending in ’21-22. It then bumps up to $82.5 million, another million in ’23-24, then will be de-linked from revenue, with 2024-25’s revenue allocation to be determined.
Escrow, the portion of players’ salaries held back while annual revenues are tabulated, will not exceed 20% next year, preceded by a 10% deferral of compensation, including signing bonuses in ’20-21. But it’s to be returned in equal instalments, subject to escrow, beginning in ’22-23 through ’24-25.
Escrow cap for the second year of the deal is 18%, then 12%, down to 9% nine in ‘23-24.
While the numbers were being crunched (the picture would look brighter if this summer’s tournament goes ahead and revenues are realized), teams are eyeing the start of training camps for the playoff table.
That was to be July 10, but could be pushed back to July 13, with much COVID testing and physicals to be done before getting into the meat of on-ice workouts.
There is no date set for the games in the proposed hub cities of Toronto and Edmonton, but they’ll begin with eight best-of-five series involving clubs which weren’t at the top of points percentage standings when the schedule was halted March 12. There will be a concurrent round robin for the eight top teams in both conferences.
In another twist, one of the eight teams that loses that opening round will get the first pick in the entry draft, whenever its held, based on last week’s lottery.
Other matters being cleared up in the next day or so will be determining the critical dates in the NHL calendar for ’20-21. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported Thursday that Nov. 1 will be the new free agent shopping day, an indication the league hopes to be starting a full 82-game season about a month or so later than usual.
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