As the NHL lockout drags on, there will be (and indeed, already have been) many concepts of what a collective bargaining agreement solution could look like. I think it ought to be one that is fair to both sides - by which I mean a deal that includes concessions from both players and owners.

Right now, all the NHL owners are asking for are player concessions, making this (as a former NHLPA executive told me recently) more of an extraction than a negotiation. In response, the players have dug in their heels, leading to the extended staredown the league now faces.

That said, here’s my 11-point plan for a new NHL CBA:

Duration Of Agreement: Seven years.

1. Players’ Hockey-Related Revenue split drops one percentage point in each season of the CBA.
Rather than demanding drastic and immediate clawbacks that make the players’ association bristle, the NHL could allow players to slowly ease into a 50/50 split over the life of the labor deal. The bite of the reduction will sting NHLers less significantly, while still getting the owners their obsessed-over halfsies.

2. Dollar-For-Dollar Luxury Tax implemented, with all funds directed to improving revenue-sharing for small-market teams.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/article...daily_20120928