The NHL and NHL Officials Association are meeting in Toronto to start working on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, according to TSN’s Renaud Lavoie.
The NHL and the league officials will meet in Toronto tomorrow. Referees are looking for a new CBA before the start of the season #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) August 12, 2014
Once an agreement is reached, the new CBA will be subject to approval by the NHL’s Board of Governors and the members of the NHLOA.
Referees discussing the play on the ice; now off the ice discussing their CBA with the NHL in Toronto
Their previous deal ran from 2010-2014. Last time around, both parties negotiated until three days before the start of the regular season before coming to terms, with referees and linesmen working the entire 2010 preseason without a contract. Negotations had reached the point where the NHL had even explored the possibility of bringing in minor league officials to work NHL games. Thankfully, everything was resolved prior to the start of the 2010-11 season.
Related: Down Goes Brown took a look at some of the
possible sticking points in the last NHLOA CBA negotiations.
With seven weeks to go until the start of the 2014-15 season, there should be plenty of time to finalize a new contract for the best officials in the world.
I wonder if the new CBA will allow for referees and linesmen to have Twitter accounts. Tim Peel has his fingers crossed.
Updated 8/29 with a status check from Sportsnet’s John Shannon:
Very quietly,the NHL and the Officials Union are negotiating a new CBA. Talks are described as "ongoing" at this point.
— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) August 29, 2014
Take note, last time around, the labour agreement with the Officials went down to the eve of the regular season before it was settled.
— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) August 29, 2014
Follow @scoutingtherefs on Twitter, where our CBA does allow us to Tweet
