McKenzie: "Signs point to deal in next 4-6 weeks"

Posted May 20, 200519 yr

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=125442&hubName=nhl

McKenzie: Marathon meeting a positive sign

TSN.ca Staff

5/20/2005 2:48:07 AM

I get the real sense that this is the first week that the NHL and NHLPA actually started truly negotiating through this entire process that's been going on for more than nine months.? I think we'll know better on Friday morning as to what's going on exactly here, because the word coming out of the meeting simply was ''we'll know more in the morning.''?

What that suggests to me is that there are some things they have to sleep on - proposals being made one way or the other.? That response ultimately will let us know what direction we are headed in - whether they'll continue to meet and get some momentum going or whether things are going to take a step back again.? Do understand this:? When they've met as much as they have this week, I've got to believe that there is at least some momentum going here and that is a good thing.

You would have to think that there is enough pressure on both sides now that they can't afford not to have meetings like this.? There has got be more where that came from.? They could have 14-hour meetings every night for a week and they still could be far away from getting a deal done.?

There is a lot to be done here.? People think this is a simple process, but it is not.? There are huge issues here - it is not just a salary cap number, it's not just a payroll range.? There are all sorts of transition issues like the fate of Sidney Crosby, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards and restricted free agents.?

There are hours and hours and hours of work to be done, but having said that they are not going to get that done if they don't sit for a long time in the room.? They did that on Thursday and I think they are going to do that a lot more in the future, but that doesn't necessarily mean we're going to snap our fingers and within a week say ''great, the game's back on next fall for sure.

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Everything points to a deal possibly being done within the next four to six weeks, but it's going to take an awful lot of hard work. We'll have lots of peaks and valleys and there may be a valley on Friday if the response comes back negative from one side or the other.

Definatley a good sign -- but with the ups and downs these idiots have gone through throughout this process -- I remain skeptical. For all we know, the meeting could be yet another ploy by Goodenow against the owners. That being said -- McKenzie usually has a really good grip of whats going on with the NHL -- I'd go as far as saying he's one of the most credible reporters in all of sports -- so hopefully they finally get this done and we have hockey back in the fall

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