NHL Board Meeting Cancelled

A meeting of the National Hockey League’s Board of Governors scheduled for January 14 has been cancelled, NHL executive vice-president and chief legal officer Bill Daly announced. The meeting was scheduled on December 22.

Daly cited a lack of developments in collective bargaining as the reason for the meeting’s cancellation.

“After canvassing each of the 30 clubs, and in light of the lack of developments or a new offer from the union, the clubs were unanimously of the view that there is no need for a meeting at this point in time.”

The Board of Governors last met on September 14 when the lockout was announced. It was widely speculated that the result of the January 14 meeting would be the cancellation of the season.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman can cancel the season at any time, without first calling a meeting of the Board, so the season may still be cancelled in mid-January.

There was also speculation that the meeting was simply to put pressure on the NHL Players’ Association. The NHLPA wouldn’t comment on the meeting.

“The cancelling of the board of governors meeting is a league matter and not something the NHLPA will comment on,” NHLPA senior director Ted Saskin said in a statement.

The meeting’s cancellation could validate the latter theory or could be a sign that the two sides are in negotiations that would require that the season not be cancelled.

Thus far, both sides have denied that a new offer is in the works.