At least that is what the Vancouver Province reported last week after commissioner Gary Bettman and union reps got together.
This is how it went, the paper said:
The players made two proposals, which included several givebacks, the most notable being an added year to the entry level, meaning players would be under the rookie salary cap for four years. The owners stressed their $31-million cap is $13-million less than this season's league average payroll.
Owners also presented some financial details to show how deep their money pit is. One team reportedly had an $800 loss on parking. Detroit's Brett Hull didn't buy it and said, "There's not much overhead on pavement."
Players, as you might imagine, were not amused.
"Here we had put together what we thought was a pretty serious attempt to address some of the problems they complained about and it wasn't even taken seriously," Vancouver's Trevor Linden said.
Said Hull: "We'll fight when treated like that."
We don't need no stinkin' agents
Lightning coach John Tortorella had a few choice words for agents who call the team to complain about their clients' ice time or their demotions to the minors.
Asked if such calls bother him, the coach said, "You're damn right it does. My team and I have had this discussion, and just recently. It hurts you with this coaching staff if I have to listen to an agent whine about it.
"We're men. We're in a locker-room setting. That should be in the locker room and talked about in the locker room. (The players) know this coaching staff is willing to listen and talk it out. We don't need to hear nothing from people outside the locker room."
Five Questions with Capitals defenseman John Gruden:
Q : Anyone call you Chucky?
A: No they don't call me Chucky. Well, a couple of guys do, yeah.
Q : Ever try the eyebrow thing?
A: I could have put on a Bucs hat and dyed my hair and tried to work on the eyebrows. Maybe next year I can do that as a Halloween costume.
Q : Ever try to pass yourself off?
A: We were in Las Vegas and trying to get into (a restaurant), and I said, "You have a reservation for John Gruden," and they assumed he would be the only one. He said, "We'll put you on the A list."
Q : When did you become aware of him?
A: I'm from Minnesota. When he was (assistant) coach for Green Bay, I had never heard of him. He's such a young guy. He's the most talked about coach since Bill Parcells. It's kind of fun.
Q : As a Vikings fan, I don't suppose you have any advice for him?
A: I got no comment.
Around the league
Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash scored eight of his team's first 22 goals. ... It appears the Flyers and Sharks are most interested in unsigned Oilers center Mike Comrie. ... Thrashers star Dany Heatley still hasn't addressed the media about the crash that killed teammate and friend Dan Snyder. But general manager Don Waddell told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Heatley, who suffered multiple injuries, could play as many as 30 games if the team goes to the second round of the playoffs. ... Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice got a vote of confidence from GM Jim Rutherford. But with three victories in Carolina's first 12 games, Rutherford told Raleigh's News and Observer he was "very concerned." ... After flopping with the Canadiens, Mariusz Czerkawski (nine goals, 14 points in his first 12 games) is making a nice comeback with the Islanders. Most interesting thing about him is he is Polish and considered a national hero. A writer from the Polish newspaper Kurier Ludelski covers his every move. ... After the Red Wings lost Henrik Zetterberg for four to six weeks with a broken bone in his right foot, they signed 40-year-old Steve Thomas. That gives Detroit five players over 38 - Thomas, Hull, Dominik Hasek, Chris Chelios and Steve Yzerman - and 17 over 30. ... Was it any surprise Canucks goalie Dan Cloutier was in the middle of a pregame taunting scrum with the Blues?
Quotable
"I think I got up at 6:15 so I could be on the road. I've never been down here this early, so I didn't know what traffic would be like."
- Flames center Craig Conroy, arriving for the team's 8 a.m. practice Wednesday, the day after a loss to the Red Wings.
- Compiled by Times staff writer Damian Cristodero from personal interviews and information from other news organizations.
