Latest news with #BillDaly
New York Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Russian hockey teams remain banned from 2026 Olympics. What does it mean for NHL players?
The NHL is not expecting Russian participation in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Wednesday in a news conference before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. His statement came on the heels of the International Olympic Committee confirming last week its stance that both Russia and Belarus should be barred from fielding teams of athletes. Advertisement The IOC Executive Board recommended sanctions for Russia after the country invaded Ukraine in February 2022 with support from Belarus, its eastern neighbor. The recommendations to international sports federations were first announced in 2023, leading to Russia and Belarus missing out on the 2024 Paris Olympics. The IOC requested an Olympic hockey schedule and groupings from the International Ice Hockey Federation in early May, IIHF president Luc Tardif recently told reporters. The IOC then reaffirmed its recommendations in a statement at the end of the month. Neither the IOC nor the IIHF have released official decisions on Russia's involvement in the 2026 Olympics, which will be held next February. But the recommendations are not expected to change, as Daly's comment indicated. The chances of a Russian team taking the ice for the Olympic hockey tournament are slim, if not zero. Here's a look at the situation and its particular impact on the men's hockey tournament, which will see active NHL players competing in it for the first time since 2014. There has been a long history of countries not being allowed to compete at the Olympics. In the wake of World War II, Germany and Japan were not invited to the 1948 Olympics. The IOC barred South Africa from the Olympics from 1964 until the 1992 Games due to apartheid. Yugoslavia didn't have a team while under sanctions in 1992 for military aggression against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Olympics historian David Wallechinsky said that historically, the IOC has banned countries on a case-by-case basis that has not always been consistent. He mentioned that the U.S. did not get sanctioned when it went to war in Vietnam. The idea didn't even come up. 'If you look at South Africa and Russia, it took outside pressure to even get (the IOC) to act seriously,' Wallechinsky said. 'They do have this philosophy, long-standing: Don't punish athletes because of the actions of their government. They'll kind of bend over backwards to allow that. But if there's enough outside pressure, like South Africa and Ukraine, then they act.' Advertisement Russia is a traditional Olympic power in men's hockey. The Soviets won gold seven times, as did the 1992 Unified Team (a group of athletes from Russia and four other former Soviet states) and the 2018 Olympic Athletes of Russia. The NHL hasn't sent players to the Winter Olympics since 2014, when Canada defeated Sweden to win gold in Sochi, Russia. The Russian men's team did not medal on home ice, a source of national embarrassment so bitter that some players from that team did not attend the closing ceremonies. NHL stars Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Artemi Panarin, all of whom are at least 30 years old, have never competed in the Olympics. With the IOC's recommendations intact, it's possible they never will. The exclusion of Russian teams also means Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin might never play in the Olympics together and both of their decorated careers could end without an Olympic medal. Russia hasn't reached the podium with active NHL players since taking bronze in 2002, before either star was on the team. Before the sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine, Russia faced discipline for what the IOC referred to as 'systematic manipulation of the anti-doping system.' But while the IOC banned the Russian Olympic Committee, athletes from the country were allowed to participate at the 2018 Winter Games under the Olympic flag and a new name: 'Olympic Athletes of Russia.' That year, in Pyeongchang, South Korea, a team of Russian players won gold in men's hockey. At the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo (which were delayed until 2021 because of COVID-19) and the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, meanwhile, Russians competed as the Russian Olympic Committee — rather than as Russia — because of continued fallout from the doping scandal. At the latter Olympics, the Russian Olympic Committee men's hockey team took silver. Advertisement Multiple Russians who play in NHL and KHL, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Russian Federation did not approve their comments, said they would not want to compete in the Olympics under these altered titles in Milan Cortina. 'We are Russian,' one of those players said. 'If we play it's Russia flag, Russia name. Like other countries.' At the 2024 Paris Olympics, 32 individual Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to participate under the title 'Individual Neutral Athletes.' There are set to be neutral athletes again at the 2026 Games with the same recommendations as 2024 in place, including that athletes who actively support the war or who are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military cannot compete. But, as of now, there will not be a men's or women's hockey team with a neutral name. 'It is based on the fact that, by definition, a group of Individual Neutral Athletes cannot be considered a team,' the IOC said in a statement. 'We take note that the IIHF has confirmed that it will follow this recommendation.' According to the IIHF website, 'The decision whether Russia participates in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games will remain under the International Olympic Committee's jurisdiction.' The IIHF Council did, however, announce in February that Russia and Belarus would not be reincorporated into its championships in the 2025-26 season, which includes events like the World Championship and World Juniors. 'As the current security conditions do not allow the necessary requirements for the organization of tournaments guaranteeing the safety of all, the IIHF must maintain the current status quo until further notice,' it said in a statement. Tardif, speaking at world junior championships in January, said he wants Russia back in competitions as soon as possible. Advertisement 'It will mean the war will be over,' he said. '(Russia) is missed for any competition. But let them come too early, that's not going to be good.' The Russian Ice Hockey Federation said in a statement that it hopes the IOC's recommendations will be revised. A spokesperson said the federation cannot appeal recommendations but 'as soon as we receive a specific decision, we will be able to decide on our possible actions against it.' Based on recent precedent, a successful appeal seems close to impossible. In July 2022, the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed Russia's appeal of FIFA and UEFA's decisions to ban Russia from national and club competition. Beyond the Olympics, the Russian federation also disagreed with the IIHF's decision not to reincorporate Russia into its 2025-26 events, taking objection to the IIHF citing security concerns as its primary reason. 'The successes of Russian athletes in the NHL, AHL, NCAA and other leagues in various countries, the attention they receive and the friendly atmosphere around them prove that we do not pose a security threat, as many federations state, and that sport can still exist beyond politics, despite the position of individual sports officials,' the Russian federation said in its statement. If the recommendations remain in place, France will replace Russia in both the men's and women's hockey tournaments. Russia is currently second in the IIHF men's rankings and sixth on the women's side, while France is No. 14 and No. 15, respectively. At the most recent men's world championships, the French roster included St. Louis Blues forward Alexandre Texier, Washington Capitals goalie prospect Antoine Keller, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who played 700 NHL games before going to the Swiss league this season. It was the only team at the tournament that failed to win a game, though it picked up a point for an overtime loss. Advertisement The French were not at the 2025 women's world championships. The Russian NHL and KHL players who spoke to The Athletic said they are not surprised by the recommendations remaining in place but remained hopeful a resolution could be reached. One player, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Russian Ice Hockey Federation did not approve his comments, said that he's received 'hidden support' from non-Russian NHL players citing Russia's status as a historic rival to many Olympic countries — specifically Canada, the U.S. and Czechia. 'If you ask the athletes, we want to play the best,' one non-Russian NHL player said. 'I think that's in any sport. But they're not asking us what we want. I think these decisions have nothing to do with the hockey or other sports. It's not about the players, the athletes. It's above us.' That feeling is not universal. Hall of Fame goalie Dominik Hašek, who is from Czechia, has been adamantly opposed to Russia competing in the Olympics, recently tweeting approval for the IOC's stance. (Photo of Russian players celebrating their 2018 Olympic gold medal: Geoff Burke / USA TODAY)
National Post
18 hours ago
- Business
- National Post
NHL commish bullish on bargaining and new barn for Flames
The NHL and the players' union have a little more than a year to shake hands on a new collective bargaining agreement. And talks are going well, said league commissioner Gary Bettman ahead of the first game of the Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place Wednesday. Article content 'No comparison,' answered Bettman when asked how the current negotiation process stacks up against previous CBA talks. 'I think we are having a very constructive, professional dialogue. We started a little bit later than we had anticipated for a variety of reasons on both sides, so I don't have an announcement to make today that we have a deal. But we have more than a year to go, and I think we're in really good shape, having really good discussions.' Article content The league has had relative labour peace since 2012-13, when a lockout wiped out about half of the regular season. Article content There have been some rumblings that the taxation disparities between the various provinces and states could become a CBA issue, as some franchises (cough, Montreal) have to pass on higher tax bills to their players than teams that play in relative tax havens for professional sports (cough, Florida). Bill Daly, the league's deputy commissioner and head legal counsel, said that it's not really a major blip on the NHL radar. Article content 'Certainly it's an issue that some of our franchises have raised as a concern,' said Daly. 'I guess what I'd say at this point is that we don't share the level of concern that they have, and what I'd say on top of that is that these imbalances have existed forever. There's nothing new here.' Article content Daly said there are so many factors that play into where free agents decide to sign, from a team's winning culture, the coaching staff, to the facilities and the club's reputation when it comes to how players are treated. See, Detroit Red Wings of the 1990s and 2000s who had no trouble attracting free agents to a city that was in an economic freefall. Article content And to take the analogy just a little bit further, but who in the world sees Manchester as a luxury destination? Last time we looked Manchester City had a roster filled with international superstars. Article content Article content Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito spoke to this ahead of Game 1. He bristled when asked if Florida's advantageous tax rate gave the Panthers a skate up on other teams. He pointed instead to the US$65-million new practice facility that opened in 2024, the commitment from ownership to build a winner, year in and year out. Article content 'I think the players have understood just how much we've been empowered by ownership to try to do the right things,' Zito said. Article content Bettman big on Calgary Article content With Bettman doing his state-of-the-league talk in Edmonton, there is no escaping the comparisons between Rogers Place and the Ice District to the plans down the highway in Calgary. Construction has begun on Scotia Place, which is set to host Flames games starting in 2027-28. The province contributed $330 million to the project, the City of Calgary is throwing in $537.3 million.
Edmonton Journal
19 hours ago
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
NHL commish bullish on bargaining and new barn for Flames
Article content The league has had relative labour peace since 2012-13, when a lockout wiped out about half of the regular season. There have been some rumblings that the taxation disparities between the various provinces and states could become a CBA issue, as some franchises (cough, Montreal) have to pass on higher tax bills to their players than teams that play in relative tax havens for professional sports (cough, Florida). Bill Daly, the league's deputy commissioner and head legal counsel, said that it's not really a major blip on the NHL radar. 'Certainly it's an issue that some of our franchises have raised as a concern,' said Daly. 'I guess what I'd say at this point is that we don't share the level of concern that they have, and what I'd say on top of that is that these imbalances have existed forever. There's nothing new here.' Daly said there are so many factors that play into where free agents decide to sign, from a team's winning culture, the coaching staff, to the facilities and the club's reputation when it comes to how players are treated. See, Detroit Red Wings of the 1990s and 2000s who had no trouble attracting free agents to a city that was in an economic freefall.
New York Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
What we learned in annual ‘state of NHL' availability: CBA won't tackle state taxes, plus LTIR, more
EDMONTON — At the outset of a Stanley Cup Final featuring a Florida-based team for the sixth straight year, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told reporters that there will be no changes included in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement to account for any of the perceived advantages teams based in tax-friendly jurisdictions enjoy. Advertisement While Daly acknowledged that some of the league's clubs have raised that as an issue, he said the NHL's head office doesn't 'share the level of concern that they have.' 'These imbalances have existed forever,' Daly said Wednesday. 'There's nothing new here. There are so many reasons why a player may choose to play in a particular location, for a particular team, for a particular coach that have nothing to do with the tax situation in that market. 'So, I don't think it's anything we're going to address proactively as part of this collective bargaining negotiation.' The topic has taken on a life of its own since the Florida Panthers clinched their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final. That came on the heels of the Tampa Bay Lightning representing the Eastern Conference in the Final for the three seasons before that. Speaking on Tuesday, Panthers general manager Bill Zito said he believes the team only sees a 'marginal' advantage in attracting players to a market with no state income tax, citing everything from the weather to strong ownership to a successful culture as things that have made his organization a destination. Just like the league, the NHL Players' Association isn't convinced there's an issue in need of addressing when it comes to tax benefits. 'From 2008 until 2020, who ran this league? Pittsburgh, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit for a brief amount of time, Boston,' said Ron Hainsey, the NHLPA's assistant executive director. 'Certainly (Brad) Marchand and (Patrice) Bergeron and (Zdeno) Chara could have made more money somewhere else. They didn't. They chose to stay. They were a good team and made it to the Final a bunch of times. Pittsburgh, I'm certain Sid (Crosby) or (Evgeni Malkin) or (Kris) Letang could have made more money somewhere else. They stayed there the whole time. Why? Good team. Liked where they lived. Didn't want to move. Do the same thing in L.A. Advertisement 'What do they all have in common? They all have a different tax situation than Florida. That was 12 years. Now we've had six years of Tampa, Tampa, Tampa, Florida, Florida, Florida — just going off the previous 12, I guess we've got to wait six more years to see if there even is an issue. 'To react this way out there because Florida and Tampa are having their moment here where the players, good teams, took less to stay. It's the same thing that's happened the previous 12 years, right, with all of these other things? 'When we talk about, 'Is it really an issue?' I'm not certain that it is. I don't know if we could expect Florida and Tampa to not be great at some point in the cycle here. That's really where we're at at the moment.' All indications are that the NHL and NHL Players' Association are getting closer on a CBA extension, but Bettman wasn't ready yet to say it's close to done. Bettman last fall at the Board of Governors meeting in New York suggested that if all went well, he could have a new CBA to announce at this Cup Final. But it's not there yet. 'We are having very constructive, professional, cordial dialogue,' Bettman said. 'We started a little bit later than we had anticipated for a variety of reasons on both sides, so I don't have an announcement to make today that we have a deal. 'But we have more than a year to go (before the CBA expires in September of 2026), and I think we're in really good shape, having really good discussions.' The sides began officially negotiating in early April and have stayed at it pretty consistently. They will have more CBA sessions during the Stanley Cup Final. 'We're having good, ongoing conversations,' NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said after Bettman's news conference. 'This time of year's hard because we have the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Stanley Cup, but it's moving steady. It's moving forward. I feel good with where we are, and we'll see what happens. It gets complicated at certain times, any collective bargaining agreement, but it's not where it was in the past here, where you're seeing national disputes between organized labor and companies.' Advertisement Are we looking at a matter of days or weeks for the deal to be complete? 'I can't answer that,' Walsh said. 'We didn't start till April, so a slow start there, so I'm not going to give any timeline on that.' Bettman reiterated that the league won't have anything to say on the five players on trial in London, Ontario, until those proceedings are over. He was asked what the league would do if all five players are found not guilty. 'We have said continuously that we are going to not make any comments about what's going on, we're going to let the judicial process do what the judicial process has to do and at that point will decide what, if anything, we need to do,' Bettman said. 'We want to respect the process.' But before moving on, Bettman added, 'But we will make one thing continuously clear every time I've ever been asked about this: What has been alleged is abhorrent, disgusting and shouldn't be tolerated.' Bettman probably knew the question was coming, but he once again downplayed any notion that he will step down anytime soon as NHL commissioner or that he has a succession plan in place. 'The rumblings seem to all emanate from you,' Bettman said in a playful dig at me (LeBrun), which goes back to asking him about it after the GM meetings in March, as well. 'There's nothing new to report. I can continue to love what I do. I continue to be energized, and I do acknowledge that age at some point, I suppose, can become a factor. But as I sit here today with you, it's not. Sorry to disappoint.'' Well, to be fair, we did not start the rumblings on his future. One of his owners, Craig Leipold, did, back in January. As Daly noted in a Q&A with The Athletic two weeks ago, the league doesn't anticipate opening a traditional expansion process as much as continuing to listen to interested parties and perhaps acting on it from there at some point in time. Advertisement 'We've gotten a lot of interest in people and markets who want to host NHL cities, and we take a lot of meetings about them,' Daly reiterated Wednesday. 'We've decided we're not going to engage in a formal expansion process, but if someone wants to essentially apply for an expansion franchise and has all the requisite elements that we would look for in an expansion franchise, we would raise with the Board of Governors and see if they have any interest.' It certainly appears that it's just a matter of time before Houston and Atlanta get a look. 'There are some people that we've talked to more than others, but there's a lot of interest, which I think we're gratified by,' Daly said. Daly also revealed during the Q&A with The Athletic two weeks ago that the league and the NHLPA have agreed to tweak the long-term-injured-reserve loophole when it comes to no salary cap in the playoffs and how some teams have taken advantage of that. Hainsey confirmed that it was a matter of high importance to the league, as well, and is being addressed in the next CBA. 'I don't want to get too into one item or another, but obviously it's an issue that the league has made a priority for them, right?' Hainsey said. 'And we continue to discuss a mechanism to deal with that, right? And I think there is some evidence that it's being used more and more, right? When it was like one every couple years, that was one thing. So it has come up with the players, certainly at different times, either publicly or privately.' Asked about Russia and the Olympics, Daly had a pertinent update. 'As of right now, and I don't expect it to change, the IOC and IIHF have made an announcement that there won't be Russian team participation in the Olympics. At this point in time, we don't expect Russia participation.' (Top photo of Gary Bettman and Bill Daly: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Progress on NHL postseason salary cap, expansion, concussion protocol and more: Bill Daly Q&A
No news is good news when it comes to the ongoing talks between the NHL and the NHL Players' Association on the collective bargaining agreement extension. That's where I started my phone interview Friday afternoon with longtime deputy commissioner Bill Daly. Here's what I found out about the CBA and other issues facing the league. (Note: This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.) I'd like to start with an update on collective bargaining, knowing both sides have been keeping a low profile on it. We know CBA talks officially started back in early April. There's lots of time before the current CBA expires in September 2026, but commissioner Gary Bettman has been hopeful all year of a deal getting done as early as the Stanley Cup Final. Where do talks sit at the moment, and can you update a potential timeline for an extension getting done? Well, we're well underway. I think we've made good progress. I think both sides have been able to put proposals on the table and exchange views on those proposals. So I think it's progressing well. I don't have any timetable for you, but I would like to think that we'll have a successful conclusion at some point in the not-too-distant future. Advertisement We won't have to wait until September 2026, then, it sounds like. That would be well beyond the window that I'm thinking. It is my understanding that finding a potential solution or tweak for LTIR (long-term injured reserve) and the fact that there's no salary cap in the playoffs has been discussed as part of these CBA talks. I know you can't get into specifics, but is that accurate that both sides are looking for a potential tweak in that area? Yes, that's been discussed across the table (with the NHLPA). Is it your sense that it will happen? Or just that it's been discussed? Nothing's done until it's done, but I would tell you that I think we've made progress toward getting to a good resolution on that issue. I guess there's no point asking what that will look like? No. OK, so the NHL has a decentralized draft on tap for late next month. Teams voted overwhelmingly to switch to this format, but now, already, I'm hearing a lot of teams complain they want to go back to the traditional draft format. What are the chances this decentralized draft is a one-off? You know what, it's hard to handicap that, right? Until we go through the decentralized draft, we won't know what it looks like and what it feels like and how the clubs respond to it. I agree that I've heard people from clubs have kind of taken a different position now than their club may have taken when we originally looked at this. But again, I'm not sure it's important yet because we haven't seen what the alternative looks like yet. Look, on an issue like this, we would follow the will of our clubs. And if a large majority of our clubs want to go back (to the traditional draft format), I'm sure we would consider going back. But I think that is premature to speculate at this point. The commissioner was recently quoted about Atlanta possibly getting a third chance to have an NHL team, and we know Houston has been speculated as a front-runner market. The commissioner was also clear that there wasn't anything new, as far as a formal expansion process. But it sure feels like the league is inching closer to reopening an expansion process. Do you agree with that? No, I don't, only because I might quibble with what an expansion process is defined as. I think what the commissioner has said, and I'll echo, is that if the right opportunity for expansion came along and all the boxes were checked, we would bring that to the Board (of Governors) on some basis. We'd bring it obviously to our Executive Committee first, and then, if appropriate, the (full) Board, and kind of take their temperature on whether it's something they want to pursue. I think what Gary is clear about is, there is no current intention to open up a formal expansion process and invite bids. It's much more of a one-on-one conversation and relationship we have with various potential owners. So, no timeline on any of those situations, either? No. If and when there is expansion, what would you say to people concerned about the talent pool being watered down with more teams? It is a fact, to be sure, that there has been growth all over the world in terms of the number of people playing the game. Do the numbers back that up in Europe and the U.S.? Well, that would be my answer to it — that would be my response to it (the growth of the game). That is a concern that I would have had when I joined the league — and was a concern. I'm not going to say it was a valid concern, but when we expanded by four clubs in the late '90s, I think some people felt that on a worldwide basis, we didn't have enough elite talent to adequately stock teams to that degree. Advertisement I think the world has changed dramatically in the last 25 years in terms of elite-level hockey development, where the players come from, how broad a scope that is. I'll use rough numbers, but Canadian content (player makeup of NHL) is in the low 40s, U.S. content about 30 percent and European content is about 30 percent. There was significant growth in both the United States and Europe. So we have more than enough talent, from my perspective. That's not even a minor concern. Speaking of Europe and switching gears to international hockey, any update on where things stand with the IIHF and its involvement in the February 2028 World Cup of Hockey? We're continuing to have discussions. Actually, we and the Players' Association will have representation (this) week in Stockholm (at the World Championships). I'm flying to Stockholm on Sunday night, and I expect that we'll have some meetings relevant to the World Cup while we're over there. As a follow-up to that, and I can't imagine I've missed this, but there still hasn't been any official announcement of an Olympic deal between the NHL, NHLPA, IOC and IIHF for Italy next February? That's correct. Any concern with that? My level of concern or optimism on that issue hasn't changed over the course of time. We're going to be going to Milan, is what I'll say — definitively. So this is about dotting the i's and crossing the t's, then? Yes. Look, there's still some things in the agreement that can't even be signed off on as of yet, just because of the timetable of where we are. I don't think there's anything fundamentally holding this up other than logistics. And just to reiterate, the plan, as it stands, is best-on-best hockey with NHL participation at the Olympics next February in Italy, then a World Cup of Hockey in '28, then the Olympics in France in 2030, then another NHL-NHLPA World Cup of Hockey in 2032? So, best-on-best hockey every two years from here on in? Yes. That's the plan. Advertisement Switching gears, I would imagine the league has kept tabs on the ongoing criminal trial in London, Ontario, involving the five players from the 2018 Canadian World Juniors team. What do you anticipate the league saying at the conclusion of that trial? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the league said it would have more to say on its own investigation once it was appropriate from a legal perspective, right? Yes, I think that's fair. And since I have no idea what's going to transpire in that criminal trial, I think we're still at the same stage. I don't think there's anything that's really been changed from our perspective in terms of process. We'll wait to see how those proceedings end, and we'll make appropriate decisions at appropriate times in terms of how it affects or doesn't affect those players' rights and their status vis-à-vis the NHL. And just to be clear, all five players are NHL free agents, but what is their status otherwise in the league's eyes right now? They're free agents. They're not under suspension per se. I don't want to play the hypothetical game (in terms of what might happen after the trial). They're all free agents, technically, in terms of their status under our CBA. … I don't want to get ahead of the process. On to a subject I know you've spent a lot of time on over the years: the league's concussion protocols. I covered a game in the first round where Dallas Stars defenseman Lian Bischel crashed into the boards and was down and out for quite a while. He left the game but returned next period, which I found surprising. And more recently, Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz took a wrist shot to the head in Game 1 against the Florida Panthers, which knocked his mask off, then in the second period took an elbow to the head and sprawled to the ice in discomfort. He later left the game after vomiting near the bench during a break in play. Both instances gave me pause as far as the league's concussion spotter and how that worked. I know you get updated on these things. What's your sense of that, and is your belief that the system is working properly? I'll start with the second question first. We do believe the system is working properly. We've gotten really no indication that it's not. I'm not going to get specific with respect to specific incidents, but it won't surprise you that there is follow-up done in cases where there's reason to ask questions. Those questions are asked. And to this point, I will tell you, clearly with respect to every incident in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, those questions have been answered satisfactorily from our perspective. There's no debate that the playoffs this year have been very entertaining. But I still come back to the current playoff format. I know the commissioner told me at the March GM meetings that he strongly believes in the current format and doesn't want to change it. But I wonder if the league and NHLPA would consider, as part of CBA talks, tweaking the format? The context would be having a series like the Dallas Stars-Colorado Avalanche in the first round, which is a conference-final-level series. Yeah, so the way I would answer that is at any point in time on any issue, there can be discussions between the NHL and the NHLPA, but I will say that with respect to this particular issue, it hasn't even been raised or discussed as part of our (CBA) discussions with the Players' Association. Look, we have our own view with respect to the merits to the current system. There does not appear to be agitation on the players' side about that format. Well, that's like a knife right in my heart. (Laughs) And finally, and you knew this was coming based on us having this running conversation for many years, but is there any world at all in which the league (and the NHLPA) would consider starting the regular season earlier and awarding the Stanley Cup earlier in June? I understand the complexities of satisfying the U.S. TV rights-holders who don't want hockey in the first week of October, and perhaps some U.S. Southern markets and teams who don't want a busy October, but I'm not sure having the Stanley Cup end in late June a few days before the draft like we had last year is that practical, either. Where are you on the issue of the NHL calendar? I think we do recognize the hardships that come along with tight schedules. Having said that, there are a lot of things and initiatives that we're packing in that we want to accomplish that we think are good for the sport and the profile of the sport. As with anything else, it's a balance. Do I foresee in the relatively near future a regular season that starts in September? No. Having said that, and you and I have talked about this before, we certainly have looked at the possibility of moving the start of the regular season earlier and trying to accommodate everything that we need to do over the course of a regular season and a two-month playoff period. And so, the best way for me to answer that question is that it's an ongoing issue that's kind of monitored and is debated and ultimately, at the end of the day, we make decisions because we think they're the best decisions in the interest of the sport. That'll continue to be our process. Well, that gives me hope, then. That's what I get out of that answer. That gives me hope of eventually having the season end earlier. OK, there you go.
