New York, NY

The NHL has confirmed that it has submitted a "comprehensive proposal for a successor CBA" to the NHL Players Association, including a revised offer on players' contracts from five years to six years.

In a statement, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the offer was delivered to the union but did not discuss the details of the proposal.

"We are hopeful that once the union's staff and negotiating committee have had an opportunity to thoroughly review and consider our new proposal, they will share it with the players. We want to be back on the ice as soon as possible," Daly said in a statement.

A source said there was no scheduled meeting between the sides set Friday and the NHLPA needs time to review the approximately 300-page detailed offer from the league to formulate an appropriate response.

The NHLPA has scheduled an internal conference call Friday to discuss the offer and determine its next move.

According to ESPN.com sources, the league has revised its five-year offer on players' contracts to six years and seven years if you're re-signing your own player.

The five-year limit has been a major sticking point with players, who countered Dec. 6 with a willingness to limit deals to eight years.

The new offer also includes year-to-year salary variance moves from 5 percent (NHL's previous offers) to 10 percent.

Each team will be also allowed one compliance buyout before the 2013-14 season that will not count against the salary cap but will count against the players' share while the Make Whole provision stays at $300 million.

The proposed CBA would remain a ten-year deal (through 2021-22 season) with a mutual opt-out option after eight years. The rules for the Entry Level System, Salary Arbitration and Group 3 Unrestricted Free Agency also remain unchanged.

The league also proposed a $60 million salary cap, beginning in 2013-14 and procedures and protocols for player discipline, a joint NHL/NHLPA Health and Safety Committee and an expansion of player drug-testing.

Other elements that would be new to the NHL: the creation of an "interview period" for unrestricted free agents, like the NBA, and the implementation of a weighted draft lottery expanded to all non-playoff teams.

The two sides last met Dec. 13 but mediators failed to produce any progress. Since then, the NHL has canceled games through Jan. 14. In total, 50.8 percent of the regular-season schedule has been scrapped.

Earlier, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman suggested that anything less than a 48-game season would not be acceptable.

 

 

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NHL Confirms Comprehensive Proposal to Players Union