Lockout over: NHL owners approve new labor deal

NEW YORK (AP) _ The NHL lockout that canceled last season came to an end Friday when the owners of the league's 30 teams unanimously approved a labor deal that clears the way for play to resume in

Friday, July 22nd 2005, 8:44 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ The NHL lockout that canceled last season came to an end Friday when the owners of the league's 30 teams unanimously approved a labor deal that clears the way for play to resume in the fall.

``Today our board of governors gave it's unanimous approval to a collective bargaining agreement that signals a new era for our league,'' commissioner Gary Bettman said at a news conference. ``An era of economic stability for our franchises, an era of heightened competitive balance for our players, an era of unparalleled excitement and entertainment for our fans.''

It also begins the era of the salary cap _ the very thing the union vowed not to accept when the lockout began. But a majority of players supported the six-year agreement in balloting Thursday, with 464 of 532 (87 percent) voting in favor.

Under the new deal, players are guaranteed to receive 54 percent of league-wide revenues _ projected to be between $1.7 billion and $1.8 billion next season. A portion of every player's salary will be held in escrow if it is determined that revenues are smaller, resulting in players receiving more than 54 percent.

Approval by the league's board governors Friday brings labor peace at last to the league, which has already lost one season, and turns the focus back to the ice.

``Let's drop the puck on a fresh start and a wonderful future for the National Hockey League,'' Bettman said.

Talk can now shift from debates over money, salary caps and escrow to a discussion of how good Sidney Crosby will make his new team next season.

Still widely unknown in the United States, Crosby is a 17-year-old Canadian juniors phenom who will likely be the first player taken in a makeshift NHL draft later this month in Ottawa.

In an unprecedented lottery Friday, every team has a shot to land him when a backdoor pingpong ball selection is held in New York. Teams that were weaker in recent years will have as many as three pingpong balls in the hopper.

The draft order will be announced in a televised program, and Crosby's first NHL news conference will take place an hour later.

That will be the precursor to a frenzy of free-agent player movement starting Saturday. And the flurry of signings won't really calm down until training camps open in September.

Some teams only have a handful of players under contract, and many big-name stars will soon go free. Beginning Saturday, teams will have six days to buy out players to make payrolls more cap friendly.