CP) - The National Hockey League Players' Association wrapped up a three-day meeting with its executive committee Thursday at a Pebble Beach resort in California under a shroud of secrecy.
The meeting ended around 9:45 p.m. EST. The location of the meeting remained secret until word finally leaked out Thursday that the NHLPA executive was gathered at Pebble Beach. A phone call to one of the hotels at Pebble Beach confirmed the union members were staying there.
The NHLPA was presented two proposals by the NHL last week, the first a team-by-team $37.5-million US salary cap deal that did not have a fixed link between player costs and league revenues - which had been termed linkage.
The second offer was based on linkage, with player costs to take up no more than 54 per cent of league revenues.
The union wants no part of linkage, not wanting to tie players' salaries to a business that has suffered immeasurable damage with an entire season cancelled.
But the "de-linked" salary cap offer has a short life span, with sources telling The Canadian Press that the NHL has given the NHLPA until April 8 to react to it, or else it would be pulled off the table. That would leave linkage as the only option.
The league privately understands the union won't accept the $37.5-million cap offer, but hopes the union will come back next week with a counter-offer based on a salary cap figure both sides can live with.
If not, it gets even uglier with the NHL going ahead with plans to open shop using replacement players in the fall. That subject will be on the table when owners gather again for a board of governors meeting April 20 in New York.
NHLPA president Trevor Linden was joined at this week's meetings in Pebble Beach by executive committee vice-presidents Bill Guerin, Vincent Damphousse, Bob Boughner, Arturs Irbe and Trent Klatt. Also present was NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow, senior director Ted Saskin, associate counsels Ian Pulver and Ian Penny, director of business relations Mike Gartner and outside counsel John McCambridge.