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Bettman: Owners aren't 'looking for a fight'

SAN JOSE, Calif. — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday the owners aren’t “looking for a fight” when it comes to collective bargaining negotiations with the players.

The current CBA runs until 2022, but the league and players each have the option this September to terminate it effective Sept. 15, 2020. Bettman said at a news conference at All-Star weekend that the owners are mostly satisfied with the last two negotiations that instituted a salary cap and then provided an even split of hockey-related revenues between players and owners.

“There’s no question that the league is healthier now dramatically,” Bettman said.

NHLPA special assistant to the executive director Mathieu Schneider agreed that the tenor of discussions has improved in a sport that has had one strike and three lockouts since 1992, but that players want to recoup some of the losses they suffered in the last two negotiations.

Another potential sticking point is international play. Players were upset the league didn’t allow them to participate in the 2018 Olympics.

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