The situation has so deteriorated that the first thing now is to get the NHL and the Players Association simply talking, at least, about the lockout.
The sides’ deputies, Bill Daly for the league and Steve Fehr for the union, spoke yesterday in Toronto, but only about the rate of refund of last season’s escrow.
They did not discuss the issues of the lockout that has already caused the cancellation of exhibition games, prevented the start of training camps and launched a player exodus to Europe.
The NHL has remained steadfast in its position that it is up to the union to respond to its last proposal.
The league is asking that player compensation be sliced some 17 1/2 percent, after an initial 24 percent reduction demand. The union is proposing a raise from the current $1.87 billion to $2.1 billion in total player compensation over three years.