This is not something we are taking lightly. Given what happened, would we revisit our policy? I would never say never.

['] 'We are excited about being the big fish in the small pond for the short term, and that smaller pond is going to get bigger, ... 'In the immediate term, we are going to get the attention, devotion and coverage that we want. The exposure will be good for us.

The talks were cordial and informative, but revealed that there remain significant differences that need to be discussed and resolved by the parties,

We still believe that the framework we have had in place for the last 10 years now has served the sport of hockey well.

In terms of the effect of, for lack of a better term, capping minor-league salaries at $75,000, that was clearly not the intent of the provision but I suppose I'm not surprised by the impact of the provision,

The union's proposal was intended merely to preserve a status quo that promises escalating ticket prices, competitive imbalance, bankrupt franchises, hundreds of millions in team losses and 20 teams losing money - all of which imperil the future of our game,