NHL Lockout: Hurricane Sandy Just Another Delay

Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

Hurricane Sandy came into New York like a lion and left like Godzilla. In her damaging wake were the loss of lives, millions in damages and power outages for much of the city that never sleeps. There was also another victim of Superstorm Sandy: the NHL lockout negotiations.

On Monday, the NHL league offices on 6th Avenue in New York City were closed due to Sandy’s pending arrival. Naturally, no one can blame the NHL for closing their doors on the world–and the NHLPA–as there always comes a time where safety comes first. While the league offices were closed in spite of the hurricane known as “Frankenstorm,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly had this to say to National Post in Canada: “But we are all working.”

Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

Working on what? The cancellation of more games? Lining up sandbags on the shore? The NHL continues its own path of destruction as Hurricane Gary already announced on Friday that he would be canceling all games through November. This brings the grand total of games lost to 326 due to the owner’s choice to lock out their players in September, the third work stoppage under the NHL Czar Gary Bettman’s regime.

The PA has made it perfectly clear that even in spite of hurricane Sandy, they would sit back down at the negotiating table ANY time, ANY place if the NHL was willing to continue negotiations. However, Daly does not see the point as the union “made it clear to us that they have very little interest in the proposal we made last Tuesday. They also told us they have no intention of making a new proposal. I’m not sure what we would be meeting about.”

It sounds like the NHL is now operating in “take-it-or-leave-it” mode and not willing to negotiate their October 16th proposal any further. This is a dangerous approach and could put the entire season in flux. For the fans, there is nothing left to do but wait and see which which the wind blows–or hot air, if you will.