Hockey

Union calls math into question

By wire services
Published December 17, 2004

NEW YORK - The NHL Players' Association disputed claims by the league that the union's latest collective bargaining agreement proposal would generate severe losses.

Using a 3-year projection based on league numbers, the NHLPA said on Thursday that its offer - which featured an across-the-board 24 percent salary rollback - would produce a $275.5-million profit for teams as opposed to a $568.5-million loss, as stated by the NHL.

"That constructs a wholly misleading, illusory and unsupported picture of the NHLPA's proposal," union head Bob Goodenow said in a conference call.

The sides broke off talks Tuesday after a 31/2-hour negotiating session in which each side rejected a proposal aimed on reaching a new deal and putting an end to the lockout.

With no new negotiating sessions scheduled, the NHL is coming close to becoming the first North American sports league to lose an entire season to a labor dispute.

: Goalie Dominik Hasek and the World Stars team of NHL barnstormers lost 6-1 to Swedish Elite League club Farjestad in Karlstad, Sweden. The World Stars are 4-2 on their 10-game, seven-country trip during the NHL lockout.

[Last modified December 17, 2004, 00:07:19]