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Lightning GM Rick Dudley describes the first meeting with his agents as ''good.''
By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 4, 2001
The meeting between the Lightning and representatives of holdout center Vinny Lecavalier took place as scheduled Wednesday at the Ice Palace.
There will be another meeting today.
"We had a good meeting, at least two hours," general manager Rick Dudley said. "We've agreed to talk again."
The subject was a new contract for Lecavalier, a restricted free agent and Tampa Bay's 21-year-old captain.
In attendance were Dudley, Lightning president Ron Campbell, assistant general manager Jay Feaster, Lecavalier agent Kent Hughes and Mitch Frankel, president of Impact Sports, the Boca Raton firm that represents Lecavalier.
Dudley was not supposed to attend, but thought the meeting so important he cut short a scouting trip in Canada.
"If you're still talking, it's probably a good sign. It's better than the alternative," Dudley said. "I think each side articulated their position. Both sides understand what they're thinking, which is more than we had before."
Hughes could not be reached for comment.
Publicly, the sides are very far apart. The Lighting has offered three years, $6-million. Lecavalier's side has proposed three years, $9.45-million.
"I'm not going to pretend a deal is imminent because it's not," Dudley said. "But clearly, both sides want to get a deal done. They wouldn't be here if they didn't.
"We had enough talks today that everyone agreed it's a good thing to talk again. We didn't leave it like there was no hope, that's for sure."