CBC SPORTS ONLINE - NHL Hall of Famer Ken Dryden believes time is running out to save the season.
More than 300 games have been lost since the lockout began in September, and if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't hammered out soon, Dryden feels the entire season will be lost.
"If the urgency doesn't pick up in the six weeks or so, there won't be a season at all," said the former Montreal Canadiens goalie.
"And I think while the public has been and is extremely patient about the loss of half a season, the attitudes and stakes change entirely when it's the thought of a full season."
With the lockout in its third month, Dryden, who is now the federal minister of social development in Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberal government, feels league commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA chief Bob Goodenow have a tough job to find a solution to the labour impasse.
"They've had an incredibly easy ride up until now. But that's until now. And the ride will be a lot rougher and rockier and it should be for the next six weeks," said Dryden.
"The difficulty now is that when you have those lines so clearly firmly drawn in the sand there's almost no area of conversation."
The last formal bargaining session took place Sept. 9, when the NHL rejected the union's latest proposal because it contained a luxury tax rather than a cap on player salaries.
No talks on a new collective bargaining agreement have been scheduled.
The NHLPA plans to hold a meeting in Toronto with more than 200 players in December to talk about the current labour impasse.
More than 300 games have been lost since the lockout began in September, and if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't hammered out soon, Dryden feels the entire season will be lost.
"If the urgency doesn't pick up in the six weeks or so, there won't be a season at all," said the former Montreal Canadiens goalie.
"And I think while the public has been and is extremely patient about the loss of half a season, the attitudes and stakes change entirely when it's the thought of a full season."
With the lockout in its third month, Dryden, who is now the federal minister of social development in Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberal government, feels league commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA chief Bob Goodenow have a tough job to find a solution to the labour impasse.
"They've had an incredibly easy ride up until now. But that's until now. And the ride will be a lot rougher and rockier and it should be for the next six weeks," said Dryden.
"The difficulty now is that when you have those lines so clearly firmly drawn in the sand there's almost no area of conversation."
The last formal bargaining session took place Sept. 9, when the NHL rejected the union's latest proposal because it contained a luxury tax rather than a cap on player salaries.
No talks on a new collective bargaining agreement have been scheduled.
The NHLPA plans to hold a meeting in Toronto with more than 200 players in December to talk about the current labour impasse.
