Sides Find Some Agreement in NHL Negotiations

The NHL Players Assn. made two concessions Thursday that might help move negotiations toward a resolution of the three-month-old lockout.

During an eight-hour session in Chicago, players--who had agreed to a rookie salary cap--lowered their requested limit for first-round picks to an average of $1.25 million from an average of $1.5 million, the Canadian Press reported. Owners are seeking a limit of about $750,000 a season for players’ first three seasons.

The news service also said the sides have agreed in principle to unrestricted free agency for players who are 28 and have 10 years’ professional experience or eight years’ NHL service. Players dropped their opposition to each club designating a “franchise player,” and retaining the right to match free-agent offers made to those players.

However, owners want the designation awarded to the highest-paid player on each club, and players propose that it be any player earning the average of the top 26 salaries in the league, or about $3 million. Clubs would be permitted to keep franchise players three years beyond their 28th birthdays.

They have yet to agree on whether salary arbitration will be non-binding, as owners are asking. The NHL also wants to limit the number of players eligible for arbitration to two per club per season.

The lockout has wiped out 347 games and has reduced each club’s schedule to 60 games, from 84. Players and club executives have generally agreed that an agreement by mid-December would be necessary to play a schedule of 50 or more games.

Edmonton Oiler General Manager Glen Sather, who has taken a hard-line approach in advocating salary controls, joined the talks, which will continue today.

The players’ delegation included Marty McSorley of the Kings.

They did not discuss the league’s proposed payroll tax, which has been the most contentious point throughout the negotiations.