Players’ Association Invites NHL to Meet

The National Hockey League Players’ Association confirmed today that they are officially inviting the NHL back to the bargaining table. NHLPA Executive Director Bob Goodenow sent a letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman inviting the league’s negotiating committee to Toronto next week for a meeting with the NHLPA Executive Committee and senior NHLPA officials.

The two sides have not met since September 9, one week before the lockout began.

The letter also confirmed that the Players’ Association is working on a new proposal to the league, something that has been rumored to be in the works for the past week. The NHLPA believes that what they are working on “should provide the basis for a new collective bargaining agreement and thus end the owners’ lockout.”

“Almost three months have passed since the players made their last proposal and we have yet to receive a counter-offer from the league. We have been working hard at other creative solutions and believe our new proposal will provide a basis to end the owners’ lockout and resume NHL hockey,” Bob Goodenow, NHLPA executive director.