With talks between the NHL and NHL Players’ Association set to ramp up for a new collective bargaining agreement, the NHLPA on Wednesday announced its 31-member negotiatiating committee. It includes no representation from the Washington Capitals.
Captain Alex Ovechkin and Troy Brouwer were the two Caps players in attendance in Chicago this week for executive meetings. Brooks Laich is still the player rep.
The current CBA expires March 15, and though commissioner Gary Bettman during the Stanley Cup Final tried to downplay negative buzz about the possibility of a lockout, NHLPA head Donald Fehr made it clear than, as he did this week, that the 2004-05 negotiations haven’t been forgotten.
“They recognize that they made enormous concessions in the last round and that that is part of the backdrop that leads us into this round of negotiations, along with a lot of other things,” Fehr said May 30. “The players know what happened last time.”
Here’s a look at the negotiating committee, in alphabetical order. Nineteen of 30 teams are represented:
Craig Adams (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Adrian Aucoin (Phoenix Coyotes)
Alex Auld (Ottawa Senators)
David Backes (St. Louis Blues)
Marty Biron (New York Rangers)
Brad Boyes (Buffalo Sabres)
Chris Campoli (Montreal Canadiens)
B.J. Crombeen (St. Louis Blues)
Mathieu Darche (Montreal Canadiens)
Rick DiPietro (New York Islanders)
Shane Doan (Phoenix Coyotes)
Brandon Dubinsky (New York Rangers)
Ruslan Fedotenko (New York Rangers)
Alex Goligoski (Dallas Stars)
Ron Hainsey (Winnipeg Jets)
Scott Hartnell (Philadelphia Flyers)
Jamie Langenbrunner (St. Louis Blues)
Manny Malhotra (Vancouver Canucks)
Steve Montador (Chicago Blackhawks)
Dominic Moore (San Jose Sharks)
Brendan Morrison (Chicago Blackhawks)
Douglas Murray (San Jose Sharks)
George Parros (Anaheim Ducks)
Chris Phillips (Ottawa Senators)
Cory Schneider (Vancouver Canucks)
John Tavares (New York Islanders)
Shea Weber (Nashville Predators)
Kevin Westgarth (Los Angeles Kings)
Dan Winnik (San Jose Sharks)
James Wisniewski (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit Red Wings)
