NHL owners and players will meet Tuesday in New York City as the sides try to find common ground amid collective bargaining talks aimed at ending the lockout.
The league proposed to the NHL Players’ Association last week a meeting without commissioner Gary Bettman or NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr in attendance. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed in a statement Sunday afternoon that the meeting will take place “some time on Tuesday afternoon in New York.”
Ron Burkle (Pittsburgh Penguins), Mark Chipman (Winnipeg Jets), Murray Edwards (Calgary Flames), Jeremy Jacobs (Boston Bruins), Larry Tanenbaum (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Jeff Vinik (Tampa Bay Lightning) are the owners expected to be in attendance.
Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis is on the league’s negotiating committee. As of Sunday evening he was not on the list of owners who will be at the Tuesday meeting in New York. Jacobs and Edwards are the owners from the negotiating committee set to be there.
“The NHLPA has agreed to a meeting on Tuesday in New York that should facilitate dialogue between Players and Owners. Neither the Commissioner nor I will be present, although each side will have a limited number of staff or counsel present,” Fehr said in a statement. “There will be Owners attending this meeting who have not previously done so, which is encouraging and which we welcome. We hope that this meeting will be constructive and lead to a dialogue that will help us find a way to reach an agreement.”
It was not immediately known which players would take part.
“We will provide further details when available and as appropriate,” Daly said.
