Hockey

Talks set to resume Monday

By wire services
Published March 31, 2005

The NHL and players' union will meet Monday at an undisclosed location, The Canadian Press reported.

The sides haven't met since March17 in New York, when the union was presented two proposals. The first was a team-by-team $37.5-million salary cap that did not link league revenues to salaries. The second was based on linkage, with player costs to account for no more than 54 percent of league revenues.

The union has previously rejected linkage, not wanting to tie salaries to a business that has suffered damage because of the lockout and season's cancellation.

The league gave the union an April8 deadline to negotiate on the unlinked proposal or else it will be pulled from the table and only the second proposal will remain.

If a deal isn't reached soon, the league could open next season with replacement players. That option will be discussed when owners gather for a meeting April20 in New York.

The Lightning's big three likely won't be available for Canada in the upcoming World Championships in Austria.

Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis are not expected to play. Lecavalier is the latest to become unavailable. He will have arthroscopic surgery to correct a nagging injury in his left knee.

Lecavalier's agent, Kent Hughes, confirmed Canadiens team doctor Eric Lensczner will perform the surgery on Lecavalier, hurt during the Stanley Cup playoffs nearly a year ago.

The injury was not serious enough to keep him from playing four months in Russia, but while in Kazan, he said he likely would need surgery after the season.

"It has been bothering me for a while," Lecavalier said. "It's not a major thing. It just feels a little weak sometimes. I just need to get it cleaned out."

Lecavalier returned to Tampa on Friday and had his knee examined. After picking up his Stanley Cup ring Monday, Lecavalier returned to his native Montreal.

Meantime, Richards is recovering from surgery in January for a tear in his abdominal wall. He hasn't officially rejected Canada's offer, but it's likely he won't be able to play.

St. Louis is definitely out. His wife, Heather, is in the final month of what has been a difficult pregnancy.

The absence of the Lightning stars will be a significant blow to Canada. Lecavalier was the MVP of last summer's World Cup. Richards was the MVP of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs, St. Louis the regular-season MVP.

The tournament is April 30 to May 15.

- TOM JONES, Times staff writer

CANADIEN RIPS PROPOSED NETS: Montreal goaltender Jose Theodore criticized the idea of bigger nets, which the league is considering, according to the Hockey News.

"This is junk, and I hope it's not serious," Theodore said from Sweden, where he is playing in the Elite League. "I was drafted as a goalie who has spent his life, since I was 7, learning to play the angles. And now all of a sudden, they're thinking of doing this?"

Tuesday, the Hockey News reported the league developed two prototypes for bigger nets. TSN in Canada reported the league is reviewing three designs. NHL senior vice president Colin Campbell said the league will present the ideas to general managers at their upcoming meetings.

"Basketball has its three-point play, which rewards teams for taking risks on offense," Campbell said. "We need to find a way to reward teams for taking chances on offense to encourage coaches to coach a more offensive style."

The league has been looking at ways to increase scoring. Other changes being considered include smaller goaltending equipment, which Theodore also criticized, and the use of shootouts to break ties.

"Goalies are just getting really good technically," Theodore said. "And guys are playing better defensively within a system."

[Last modified March 31, 2005, 01:28:16]