The National Hockey League (NHL) has had on going labor disputes over the past 20 years; with the 1992 strike, the ’94-’95 lockout, the ’04-’05 lockout, and now, the 2012-2013 lockout. The NHL has once again made its way to the headlines. The 2012 Lockout is an continuous disagreement amongst the league that began September 15, 2012 following the expiration of the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The CBA is the process of negotiations between the NHL team owners and the NHL Players Association aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions. The owners of the league’s franchises, led by commissioner Gary Bettman declared a lockout of the members of the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) after a new agreement could not be reached before their deadline, or the start of the season. The 2012-2013 season has been shortened from about 1230 games to about 625 games, cutting back playing time by 50.8%. Gary Bettman considers 48 games per team a minimum number for a shortened season; deputy commissioner Bill Daly has stated that the season is expected to start “sometime in mid-January”. During the lockout, many NHL players went to other leagues in North America and Europe. Many businesses in Canada have lost money due to the delay of the season. Many of the players have gone to play for other hockey leagues such as KHL (Russian) and Swedish leagues, just to keep busy, yet they have come to like them and may not return, presenting another issue altogether. The lockout has been under constant debate, and an overall compromise will be reached.
Early Sunday morning, the NHL and the NHL Players Association declared the 113-day lockout over. The sides, which had been meeting in New York, announced they had come to a preliminary settlement on a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement. The NHL would have canceled the season Friday had an agreement not been in place. “We’ve got to dot a lot of I’s and cross a lot of T’s. There’s still a lot of work to be done,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters at the Sofitel Hotel, where the players had been staying during negotiations. “But the basic framework of the deal has been agreed upon. We have to go through a ratification process. The board of governors has to approve it from the league’s side. Obviously, the players have to approve it as well.” The NHL will work to win back their fans and keep their players happy, but hopefully this is the last of the problems amongst the hockey league.