The NHL lockout has been an endless series of threats and ultimatums that started after the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement on September 15 and has continued to escalate a war of words between the two sides. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Wednesday suggested a two week moratorium in negotiations, hoping that it would calm the rhetoric and perhaps send a signal to the NHL Players Association that time is running out and that soon the only move left will be the “nuclear option”; cancellation of the entire season for the second time in eight years, something that will cause people to question the future stability of the league.
In looking for a historical reference that might give us a clue of what will happen next, my search takes us far from professional sports to an international crisis that occurred half a century ago and brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
In late 1962, the Soviet Union installed nuclear ballistic missiles in Cuba, primarily as a way to protect the Communist Castro regime from being overthrown by the United States. The move was the brainchild of Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, who years earlier threatened the Western capitalist democracies with the boast “We Will Bury You”.
That sentiment is likely being echoed towards Bettman and the owners by NHLPA head Donald Fehr, who is attempting to protect the integrity and strength of the union after predecessor Bob Goodenow lost to the owners eight years ago, with the implementation of “cost certainty” and a salary cap.
Once the installations were discovered by American spy planes in October 1962, the Kennedy Administration debated the tactics to use in response to the threat posed by having nuclear missiles 90 miles from their shores. One option was to negotiate a trade of American missiles in Italy and Turkey for the Cuban bases, while the other option was bombing and invading Cuba. The diplomatic option was considered weak and would have been perceived as an invitation for more provocative acts in the future, while bombing and invading Cuba would have drawn a Russian counterattack somewhere in the world and escalated the conflict to a possible Third World War.
Late last week, the NHL looked to have two possible avenues. They could either accept an agreement with a 50/50 split of hockey related revenue phased in after two or three years, with little or no concessions on length or front-loading contracts, entry level deals and free agency or they could remain steadfast in demanding that Fehr compromise on these issues.
If Bettman capitulated and agreed to a deal it would not only cost him his job, but more importantly it would infuse Fehr and the PA with the confidence that the league would fold in future labor impasses. If the owners continue to demand concessions from the players on the other issues and Fehr remained intractable, the continued threat to cancel the season might result in the players dumping Fehr to get a deal done, but at some point both sides will run out of time to get a 50 to 60 game schedule played and cancelling the season will be the only option left.
50 years ago, the Americans found a middle ground to solve the crisis. They initiated a naval blockade of Cuba, which showed the Russians that the US would address the situation militarily if necessary, but it also bought time for both sides to take stock of the situation, negotiate using back channels and reach an accommodation.
The middle ground in the lockout may have come on Friday, with the two week moratorium announced by the league. There was little or no progress being made during the meetings last week and the suggested respite floated by Bettman was a response to Fehr being unwilling to budge. The announcement riled players and drew more fire towards Bettman, but it also resulted in a conversation on Saturday between Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and PA rep Steve Fehr and the resumption of talks on Monday.
At a crucial moment in the crisis, Khrushchev sent a letter to President Kennedy, realizing the danger of the situation and appealing for an agreement to be reached.
“You and I should not now pull on the ends of the rope in which you have tied a knot of war, because the harder you and I pull, the tighter the knot will become.”
Hopefully the two sides in this labor struggle reach an accommodation that will provide stability and financial health for both sides going forward, otherwise the knot will be tied so tight that no one can untie it.
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The Toronto Marlies won their sixth victory in their last seven games Sunday afternoon with a 5-0 shutout of the Abbotsford Heat.
Ryan Hamilton, Nazem Kadri, Nicolas Deschamps, Matt Frattin and Will Acton scored for the Marlies and Ben Scrivens made 24 saves for his first shutout of the season.
With the victory Toronto improves to 9-5-0-1 and is tied for second place in the AHL’s North Division, four points behind Abbotsford.
The Marlies embark on a four game road trip, beginning on American Thanksgiving in Binghamton against the Senators.
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