Well, Don Fehr has repeatedly said that he wouldn’t be ready until after the All-Star [weekend]. My guess is that at some point in the next few weeks, we’ll probably sit down—assuming the union is comfortable doing that. There’s a pretty steep learning curve in terms of the business from the union’s standpoint, what the players are focused on, and we’ve been respectful of that process. So whenever they’re ready, we’re ready. We’ve been ready.

Bettman shared his thoughts with the media while in Anaheim recently (see more of his comments starting at the 4:48 minute mark in the video below).

With the current CBA expiring September 15, 2012, the fear in the hockey world is that another work stoppage may be on the way. Although Boston Bruins player representative Daniel Paille tells NESN’s Douglas Flynn that he remains optimistic both sides can reach an agreement without another hockey season being canceled.

I am still optimistic. I feel that we should have learned our lesson the first time and realize there’s a lot more at stake. It’s not just about us. It’s about everyone around us. I feel optimistic about it. That’s just my personal opinion, and hopefully everyone in the league sees that as well.

Bettman, however, has a different view of the situation.

I’m not sure it’s about learning lessons, because the lesson that everybody knows – and it’s not one you have to learn – is that you want to not have work stoppages. They’re not fun. They’re counter-productive. But if, if you’re in a situation as we were where there were fundamental problems that had to be addressed, you have to address the problems. Because you can’t live with a dysfunctional system.

Many thought that the first shot in the new CBA negotiations was fired when the NHLPA rejected the League’s proposed realignment plan.

The response from NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly was combative at the time, stating that the PA may have violated the League’s rights.

It is unfortunate that the NHLPA has unreasonably refused to approve a plan that an overwhelming majority of our clubs voted to support. We believe the union acted unreasonably in violation of the league’s rights. We intend to evaluate all of our available legal options and to pursue adequate remedies, as appropriate.

The PA responded that their concerns weren’t considered, and the League was not interested in discussing changes suggested by the players’ union.

The issue doesn’t appear to have left a lingering bad feelings for some players, as Paille tells NESN.

I don’t think so. I think there’s a bigger picture here and this small setback shouldn’t affect us in the future. There’s a lot more different categories to worry about and bigger problems for us to fix.

Bettman’s comments in Anaheim about the realignment debacle appear to be somewhat more conciliatory than Daly’s were back in early January, though they could still be interpreted as fighting words.

The most significant thing I can say about that is the governors were overwhelming in support of the plan. It’s something that we, as a league, thought was the right thing to do for our fans, for the team, for the game. But we made the decision based on the position that the union was taking to try not to be confrontational right now. Ultimately, our goal will be to be to implement the will of the board [of governors].

Can the NHL and NHLPA avoid another lockout in 2012? They better hope so.

With the mess that has become the National Basket Association labor negotiation, it looks as though the National Hockey League may not suffer the crippling effect of another lockout.

The NHL Players Association and owners have been more pro-active this time around. The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) isn’t set to expire until September 15 of next year which means there is still plenty of time for the two sides to discuss the new deal.

One of the issues with current deal is not a salary cap itself, but the floor that all teams must meet. In the warmer climate cities, it is hard to garner the support to generate the necessary to keep the team afloat. Of the options on the table, the most appealing to both sides would be increasing the space between the ceiling and floor from the current $16 million gap to a $20 million or higher one. Another enticing offer would be freezing the floor and ceiling so it remains the same throughout the new CBA.

Another issue is the unilateral control on relocation. The owners rarely involve their NHLPA counterparts in the decisions on expansion/relocation. This issue will most likely go unresolved as the owners like to keep teams in their markets as much as possible (with Winnipeg/Atlanta being an exception).

Perhaps the largest issue is the loophole that allows for front loaded contracts. Most GM’s use this as a way to circumvent the salary cap to lure the top players to their teams. This is beneficial to the teams that sign the young stars to long-term deals. If a player signs a 10-15 year deal before his 35 birthday and retires, the contract comes off the books. The main detractors however aren’t the players, but a few of the GM’s in the league. The leader of this charge is Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke.

These issues should be resolved over the next few months as the league tries to capitalize on the NBA lockout. After suffering through the 2004-05 locked out season, the owners and players do not want any part of another labor struggle this close to the blow up that occurred.