So much for optimism
cbc.ca - Trevor Linden and Vincent Damphousse, two key members of the NHLPA executive committee, all but pronounced the NHL season dead on Friday.
Speaking at a news conference, Linden, president of the NHLPA, stopped just short of declaring that the 2004-05 NHL campaign is over, but did say the ball is in NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's court in terms of ending the current lockout.
"It's crystal clear what they want. It's all or nothing, and that's unfortunate," Linden said. "Gary will decide when to cancel the season.
"This is a critical point. If it goes past this, it could go on for a year from now. It's Gary's lockout and we can only do so much."
Damphousse was much more blunt in his pronouncement.
"I think the season's done. All the guys that are waiting to see what's going to happen before going to in Europe should go over there and play," Damphousse told CBC News on Friday.
"Same for next year. I don't see how this can be resolved by next September. The [NHL's] strategy is to break the will of the union and impose a salary cap and I don't think that's going to work."
Detroit Red Wings senior vice president Jimmy Devellano is on the other side of the labour dispute than Linden and Damphousse, but he agrees there won't be hockey played in 2005.
"The season's done," Devellano told the Detroit Free Press. "There's no chance that the right deal can remotely be done in the next little while. There's too much work to be done. There's too many I's to dot and T's to cross. You are not going to get this collective bargaining agreement done in two days, three days, one week or two weeks. It's over."
The remarks by Linden and Damphousse come one day after representatives for the NHL's owners and players engaged in 4 1/2 hours of labour talks in Toronto. ...
Speaking at a news conference, Linden, president of the NHLPA, stopped just short of declaring that the 2004-05 NHL campaign is over, but did say the ball is in NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's court in terms of ending the current lockout.
"It's crystal clear what they want. It's all or nothing, and that's unfortunate," Linden said. "Gary will decide when to cancel the season.
"This is a critical point. If it goes past this, it could go on for a year from now. It's Gary's lockout and we can only do so much."
Damphousse was much more blunt in his pronouncement.
"I think the season's done. All the guys that are waiting to see what's going to happen before going to in Europe should go over there and play," Damphousse told CBC News on Friday.
"Same for next year. I don't see how this can be resolved by next September. The [NHL's] strategy is to break the will of the union and impose a salary cap and I don't think that's going to work."
Detroit Red Wings senior vice president Jimmy Devellano is on the other side of the labour dispute than Linden and Damphousse, but he agrees there won't be hockey played in 2005.
"The season's done," Devellano told the Detroit Free Press. "There's no chance that the right deal can remotely be done in the next little while. There's too much work to be done. There's too many I's to dot and T's to cross. You are not going to get this collective bargaining agreement done in two days, three days, one week or two weeks. It's over."
The remarks by Linden and Damphousse come one day after representatives for the NHL's owners and players engaged in 4 1/2 hours of labour talks in Toronto. ...
