Sports

The commissioner feels as though the owners made a substantial push toward the players Wednesday night -- a proposal (now off the table) that included a 10-year CBA, five-year contract limit, five-percent variance in contracts and a "make-whole" increase to $300 million. Instead, the NHLPA was "shockingly silent" and sent a counterproposal Thursday rather than a "yes" or "no," which included infuriated the league and its owners. According to Bettman, the NHLPA sought the $300 million in "make whole," but also an eight-year CBA along with other moves toward the players. "The key for all of us is to have a long-term agreement. ... [The four new owners] virtually put a new $100 million on the table to show that they wanted to get the game back and play as soon as possible. ... Clearly the union doesn’t want to make a deal."