For hockey fans hoping the NHL’s 2020-21 season will start on January 1, the latest report from The Star is not encouraging.

According to Kevin McGran, the NHL and the NHLPA haven’t had any serious negotiations about the 2020-21 season for over a week. This comes after the league asked the players to re-open the recently signed collective bargaining agreement that was signed in July.

The NHL is looking for $300 million in additional concessions for next season as the coronavirus pandemic rages out of control in the United States and Canada. Fans are not expected to be in arenas for much of next season, complicating the economics of next season.

McGran summarized his report in this Twitter thread.

There have been no serious negotiations between NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players Association executive director Donald Fehr for more than a week, a playbook both sides used in the 2012-13 lockout.https://t.co/cmlJORJxiW

— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) November 30, 2020

Back then, it took them 13 days from getting a deal to get the season going. In the pandemic, it will take longer for quarantining. Predicting a similar timeline: a deal reached early January for a season starting early February and wrapping up late June.https://t.co/cmlJORJxiW

— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) November 30, 2020

It would probably cost each team at least around $150 million to operate without fans for a season, factoring in payrolls, travel costs, team employees, league dues. It’s believed some have told Bettman they would be financially better off not playing.https://t.co/cmlJORJxiW

— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) November 30, 2020

Players spent the summer and fall thinking they'd get 72 per cent of their salary this season. Now they face the prospect of going as low as 55% – based on Bettman’s last ask – or even getting as little as 32% if the salaries are prorated.https://t.co/cmlJORJxiW

— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) November 30, 2020

Bettman seems to have the hammer: Article 5 of the CBA gives says the league is within its “rights … to determine when, where, how and under what circumstances it wishes to operate, suspend. …”https://t.co/cmlJORJxiW

— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) November 30, 2020

Older players, and players with big contracts would find it in their interest to play now, “defer” salary+escrow repayments. Younger players expecting big contracts in a few years would find it in their interest for players to take the financial hit now.https://t.co/cmlJORJxiW

— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) November 30, 2020

NHL insider John Shannon later confirmed the news.

Sources from both the NHLPA and the NHL confirm there have been discussions, but no progress on re-visiting the terms of this summer’s Memoradum of Understanding on the CBA extension.

— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) November 30, 2020

The most maddening part of the report is that it appears some owners did not read the NHL’s memorandum of understanding for the CBA before signing it and now are taking issue with some of the points after the fact.

{unconsciously screaming} pic.twitter.com/FlwawEKI05

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) November 30, 2020

It’s unclear exactly how these issues will be resolved. While there’s been labor peace over the last eight years, Bettman has presided over two shortened seasons and one lost season during his tenure.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB