Gary Bettman ‘not looking for a fight’ with Players’ Association
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Gary Bettman has found his new favorite refrain, so prepare to hear it over and over again in the coming months as the commissioner and his owners try to iron out a new collective bargaining agreement with the Players’ Association.
“The discussions have been cordial and constructive, even though they’re preliminary. We’re not looking for a fight,” Bettman said Friday afternoon at All-Star weekend.
The hope is that the league and the PA can come to a new agreement before September, when both sides have a chance to reopen the current CBA, which runs through the 2020-21 season. That would be the beginning of a process that could lead to a lockout in 2021-22, which would be the fourth under Bettman’s stewardship.
“We obviously understand the difficulties we’ve had in the past,” said Bill Daly, Bettman’s longtime deputy commissioner. “I think both parties have acknowledged that. I think the fact that we’re sitting down and having constructive dialogue on open issues at an early date is very positive.”
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The main issues the players have are with escrow and being denied the chance to participate in the Olympics. The owners probably would want shorter term limits on contracts, but if it were up to them, they would likely just want to keep the league running smoothly as profits have soared.
“We’re in a place in our relationship where we communicate very well, we have constructive and candid dialogue,” Bettman said. “The players financially, and the league financially, has never done better. And everybody is going to take a good hard look in terms of what’s important and what they may or may not have to have.”
Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist won the “save streak” part of the skills competition Friday night, stopping former Islanders captain John Tavares to take the title. In total, stopped 12 breakaways in a row from the Atlantic Division shooters.
Bettman acknowledged what The Post reported two weeks ago, that the final decision rests with him for where the Islanders might play their home playoff games.
As far as if they might move full-time back to the Coliseum next season and leave Barclays Center in the past, Bettman only said, “We haven’t focused on where the games will be played next season.”
He also said the new arena at Belmont Park was on schedule, and that they were hoping “to have a ground-breaking in May or June.”
Islanders center Mathew Barzal finished third in the fastest skater competition, which was won by the Oilers’ Connor McDavid for the third year in a row.
The league will put tracking devices on players’ shoulder pads and in the puck full time starting next season. The hope is that it will create a more comprehensive and accurate collection of statistical data.