5 Questions: Will new NHL salary cap hurt Canadian teams?

In the latest edition of our 5 Questions series, we tackle more NHL labour issues, including the impact that a potential lower salary cap could have on Canadian-based clubs.

Want a question answered? Post it in the comments section below and we'll do our best to get you an accurate response.

1. Is there a hard date by which a deal needs to be reached in order to have a season?

For the first time in this three-month lockout, there appears to be a deadline to get a deal done. In its collective bargaining proposal sent to the players on Dec. 27, the NHL set a Jan. 12 cutoff to open training camps in time for a Jan. 19 start or risk losing the entire season.

This start date would allow the league to proceed with a 48-game regular season, the same length as the delayed 1994-95 campaign.

For this to happen, both sides would need to agree on the terms of the new CBA by Jan. 11.

2. If the salary cap drops to $60 million US, as the NHL reportedly is proposing, which teams would have to shed the most salary to get under the number?

Owners are willing to play under a prorated $70 million cap this season. Under the proposed deal from the league, the salary cap would drop to $60 million next season. Such a cap would severely limit a player's flexibility on where they can play, the NHLPA argues. They are asking for a cap around $65 million.

If the cap does fall to $60 million, NHL general managers will face a lot of tough decisions next season. According to capgeek.com, 11 teams already have more than $50 million committed to salaries for 2013-14, leaving them less than $10 million to fill their rosters.

The Montreal Canadiens are the only team over next year's league-proposed cap, with $60.2 million spent on 16 players. That number doesn't even include what is sure to be GM Marc Bergevin's first priority when the season resumes: signing restricted free-agent defenceman P.K. Subban.

Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis might have the biggest challenge juggling a $60 million cap. With the likes of the Sedin twins and Ryan Kesler under contract, the Canucks have $55.4 million committed to 13 players.

The Ottawa Senators look like they are in the best shape of the Canadian teams, with 13 players signed and $20.9 million cap space.

Of course, the above figures come with a caveat. Some of these big salaries might not exist in October. The Habs could buy out Scott Gomez's $7.35 million salary next year, freeing up some cap space to obtain other players.

3. What about players who are still free agents? Will they end up getting less money than they expected?

In terms of high-profile unrestricted free agents, there aren't a lot out there. Players like Zach Parise and Ryan Suter signed with teams before the start of the lockout.

According to capgeek.com, some of the biggest-name UFAs still seeking employment include Brian Rolston, Kristian Huselius and Mike Knuble.

After the last work stoppage in 2005, free agents found work tougher to find as many general managers opted to use their younger players already under contract. If the salary cap drops to $60 million, expect a similar scenario.

It's not known how a new CBA would affect restricted free agents such as Subban, Ryan O'Reilly and Michael Del Zotto. All three are still highly valued assets on their teams, so a good bet for them is still a healthy pay raise.

4. If there is a settlement, will any exhibition games be played?

It's not known if there will be any exhibition games, but the players are in favour of it.

The league is calling for a 10-day training camp before the start of the season, so there is a small opening for a couple of exhibition games.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said he would like to see two or three pre-season games to help get players prepared for a compressed schedule.

5. Many players are in Europe. Will they have any trouble leaving their teams to rejoin the NHL if a deal is reached?

No. NHL players have an open clause in their contracts allowing them to leave their European clubs.

Actually, the exodus has already begun, with the likes of Jason Spezza, Tyler Seguin, Patrice Bergeron and Patrick Kane announcing to their overseas teams during the Christmas break they wouldn't be returning in January.

21.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

NHLers begin voting again on 'disclaimer'

Less than a day after letting a self-imposed deadline pass to declare a "disclaimer of interest," NHL players began voting to restore their executive board's authority to dissolve the union.

A 48-hour period for the NHLPA's membership to cast ballots opened at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, according to a source.

The first vote, held over five days last month, passed overwhelmingly. Should at least two-thirds of players return a positive vote again and the NHLPA decide to notify the league it is disclaiming, it would open the door for players to file antitrust lawsuits.

The opening of a new disclaimer vote was part of a busy Thursday that saw much more action away from the bargaining room than in it. The NHLPA also filed its statement of defence with the district court in New York, arguing that the lawsuit filed by the NHL last month should be dismissed because it was brought forward for "strategic reasons."

"The NHL is using this suit in an attempt to force the players to remain in a union," it claimed.

The league had asked the court to rule on the legality of the lockout in a move considered to be a pre-emptive strike to a potential "disclaimer of interest" declaration from the NHLPA. The union had until Jan. 7 to make a response and elected to file its paperwork with the court a few days early.

Against that backdrop, the sides only met in small groups on Thursday — a departure from the frequent large group sessions they held in recent days. NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr led a group of players and staff into an early afternoon meeting while an even smaller group returned in the evening to discuss the pension plan.

Both the league and union spent time meeting independently with U.S. federal mediator Scot Beckenbaugh, who rejoined talks this week, and were scheduled to gather together with him again on Friday morning.

Producing some progress

A good stretch of bargaining this week has produced some progress toward ending the labour dispute, including an apparent agreement between the sides to allow each team up to two compliance buyouts prior to the 2013-14 season. Those would allow teams to terminate player contracts without being penalized against the salary cap, although the buyout amounts would count against the players' overall share in revenue.

'We've come off our stance [of $67.5 million] and offered a $65-million cap to bring that number down. But a $60-million cap would just mean guys who ordinarily wouldn't be bought out or traded would be bought out or traded.'—Vancouver Canucks forward Manny Malhotra

"That is quite the concession from players … proof that NHL was going to hold firm on money being 'outside the system.'" Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada tweeted Thursday morning.

The sides had also discussed a 20 per cent yearly salary variance in contracts, an improvement from the NHL's previous demand of 10 per cent.

However, the salary cap range for the 2013-14 season — the first full one under the new CBA — remained a significant hurdle, according to sources. The union is seeking a $65-million cap and a $44-million floor while the league has proposed an upper limit of $60 million and a lower limit of $44 million.

The biggest concern for the NHLPA is that lowering the cap from its current position of $70.2 million while transitioning to a 50-50 split of revenue will force a huge dispersal of players throughout the league.

"It's an arbitrary number that they've come up with," Canucks forward Manny Malhotra said Thursday in Vancouver. "Logistically, there's no sense to lowering it that much. We've come off our stance [of $67.5 million] and offered a $65-million cap to bring that number down. But a $60-million cap would just mean guys who ordinarily wouldn't be bought out or traded would be bought out or traded.

"So you're messing not just with the system, but you're messing with guys' lives. Guys have to move around, move families around, that normally wouldn't have to. It's really a non-starter for us. It doesn't make any sense whatsoever."

There is also lingering disagreement over who would shoulder the financial liability in a switch to a defined benefit pension plan for players.

'Complicated issue'

"It's a very complicated issue," commissioner Gary Bettman said early Thursday morning. "The number of variables and the number of issues that have to be addressed by people who carry the title actuary or pension lawyer are pretty numerous and it's pretty easy to get off track.

"But that's something that we understand is important to the players and if we can get the issues resolved we're hopeful we can satisfy the players on that issue but that's still a work in progress."

With no agreement in sight, the financial losses are mounting for both sides.

The league was hoping a 52-game schedule could be squeezed in if a deal was reached this week and training camps opened over the weekend. Bettman has set a deadline of Jan. 11 to preserve a 48-game season, the minimum he says the NHL is willing to consider playing.

The difference in those two potential formats alone would cost the average player $120,000, based on an average yearly salary of $2.4 million and the gap between their projected pro-rated salaries. The combined loss of 60 extra events in buildings around the league would be even more for owners.

Clearly, it's something for both to think about. But with the lockout about to reach its 111th day, there was still no deal yet in sight.

With files from CBCSports.ca

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Friedman: A wasted day in NHL labour talks

As I write this at 6:20 pm (ET) Thursday, this looks like a wasted day in NHL labour talks. A lot of you have pointed out on twitter that these have been four wasted months. Touche. But this is poor form because it poisons the water so close to the end of the process.

After a difficult Thursday in the CBA negotiation game, here's where it looks like things stand:

You've heard that both sides disagree on the cap for the 2013-14 season. The NHL wants $60 million US, the players $65 million. They disagree on contract length, with the NHL at six years for someone else's free agent, seven years for your own. The NHLPA wants eight years overall.

The players are determined to get their pensions as previously agreed to. The league unveiled some new concerns this week, involving shortfall responsibilities and what happens after the next CBA is completed.

According to several sources, here are two other issues:

• Both sides accept a 10-year term, but the league wants the mutual out after eight seasons. The players want it to be seven. According to the NHL's proposal, anyone wanting to use the opt-out has to notify after Year 6. I didn't realize it, but the league wants the expiration date to be June 30, instead of Sept. 15 (The NHLPA would like it to stay the same). That would prevent another spending orgy right before pleading poverty.
• Variance: various reports have had it bouncing around from 10 to 20 to 25 per season. Whatever the case, one source outlined the league has proposed 30 per cent, but that no year in any multi-season contract can be lower than 60 per cent of the highest-paid year. That kills the Kovalchuk/Luongo/Weber cap-buster. I can see the benefit for both the NHL and the NHLPA, since those deals hurt escrow, but allows for flexibility in the "middle-class," which will please a lot of the membership.

Wasted day

As I write this at 6:20 pm (ET) Thursday, this looks like a wasted day. A lot of you have pointed out on twitter that these have been four wasted months. Touche. But this is poor form because it poisons the water so close to the end of the process.

The players were angered this morning because the HRR package received from the NHL was "missing" some key language. The critical part involved penalties for teams hiding HRR. In 2011, the two sides had a dispute over what was reported by Washington and Nashville, and with such erosion of trust right now, you can imagine the reaction to this. 

This led to a meeting where the NHL restored the penalties. All I try to do when analyzing this process is consider how I'd feel in each sides' shoes. If I was a player, I'd be supremely annoyed. Even the moderate guys were cheesed, believing this to be proof the NHL is not serious about making a deal right now.

Ultimately, strong leadership and cooler heads will prevail, because the alternative is worse. But it adds an extra, unnecessary, layer of trouble. 

'Disclaimer of Interest'

This is why the NHLPA will vote again on the 'Disclaimer of Interest,' and the interesting thing will be what date is used as a deadline to file. Will it be Jan. 11, coinciding with what appears to be last possible day to save a season? 

Whatever the case, can't imagine the players going through this process a second time and not doing it. Would make them look really weak.

Compliance buyouts

Finally, Wednesday, at the NHLPA's request, the NHL agreed to a second compliance buyout for the 2013-14 season. That's two per team. (Some of you have asked if players can be bought out right away if there is hockey this month. I'm under the impression the answer is no, because the concern is those bought out would be unable to find new work so quickly).

On its face, I understand why the players would want this. The more flexibility under the cap -- and the league is pushing hard for $60 million per team next season -- the more player movement there can be. But, in order for the NHL to accept, players had to agree that, while the buyout numbers would not count against a team's cap, they would count against the players' share of HRR.

That is not good for the NHLPA, which is already worried about escrow payments.

There's no guarantee that 60 players actually will get bought out. But, buyout money plus any new contracts those players receive expands the overall escrow burden. It shows two things: how concerned the players are about freedom of movement; and that the league was not kidding about keeping players' salaries "inside the system."

This is one case where the union believed Gary Bettman was not bluffing. That's a win for him.

Over the past couple of weeks, most players named escrow as their number one concern in the new CBA. Clearly, movement is a huge issue, too.

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Wharnsby: Many reasons for Canadian juniors' semifinal flop

Canada extended its gold-medal drought at the IIHF World Under-20 Championship to a fourth year with a lacklustre 5-1 loss to the rival United States in the semifinals on Thursday in Russia.

The gold-medal drought for the Canadian junior team at the IIHF World Under-20 Championship was extended to a fourth year with Canada's 5-1 loss to the United States in the 2013 semifinals on Thursday.

But even more disconcerting for Hockey Canada should be the way its junior team was thoroughly beaten by the United States. Canada was dominated in every area of its game. This was arguably the most disappointing result for the Canadian junior program since its embarrassing 6-3 loss to Kazakhstan in the seventh-place game in 1998.

While the NHL lockout angers hockey fans, work stoppages in the pros have historically been a good thing for the Canadian juniors. They went a perfect 7-0-0 en route to a gold medal in 1994-95. Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron and the 2004-05 Canadian Dream Team had an ultra-easy time piling up six consecutive victories to claim the championship in Grand Forks, N.D.

Even this time, Canada skated through the round-robin portion of the tournament with little difficulty to extend the win streak in NHL lockout years to 17 games. But the combination of the the U.S. juniors finding their groove after back-to-back losses to Russia and Canada last weekend and the Canadians coming out rather musty after a two-day layoff added up to a semifinal loss for Canada for the second straight year.

When there is no NHL lockout, excuses can be made for the Canadian junior team. Usually, there are a few junior-aged Canadians playing in the NHL and thus unavailable. But with the exception of injured Everett Silvertips defenceman Ryan Murray, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, Canada had all its top teenaged talent on board.

Here are five observations from Canada's one-sided defeat.

1. I've found in a short-term tournament like this, involving the fragile confidence of junior-aged talent, the Canadian juniors often do not perform well when they face adversity or intense game situations for the first time in the playoff round. I've witnessed on many occasions in this event Canada piling up victories with relative ease in the round robin, only to get knocked out when the going gets tough in the games that matter.

Need some examples?

• In 2004, Canada cruised through the round robin, beat the Czechs 7-1 in the semifinals and looked good against the Americans in the gold-medal final. The Canadians had a 3-1 lead and almost scored another with an excellent chance from Ryan Getzlaf early in the third period. But all of a sudden the U.S. turned the tide. Canada completely fell apart when goalie Marc-Andre Fleury banked a clearing attempt off the shin pad of teammate Braydon Coburn that wound up in the Canadian net for the game-winning goal.
• In 2010, Canada had outscored its opposition 41-7 in its first five games. In the sixth outing, however, Canada failed to prevail in a tight gold-medal final against the U.S., losing 6-5 in overtime.
• Last year was similar to this time around. Canada never trailed in round-robin wins over Finland, the Czech Republic, Denmark and the U.S. But in the semifinal versus Russia, the Canadian juniors found themselves behind 5-1 after 40 minutes. A valiant four-goal comeback attempt in the third period fell short in a 6-5 loss.

2. I'm not buying the argument that a two-day layoff hurt Canada. Some have brought up the fact that three of the last six world junior champs played a quarter-final game.

But you can spin statistics any way you want. When Canada won five gold medals in a row between 2005 and 2009, it had a bye to the semifinals and a two-day rest in four of those five occasions. It certainly didn't hurt Sweden in its dramatic 3-2 shootout win over Russia in the other semifinal.

The Canadian juniors simply did not start well and could not get on track on Thursday. The U.S. was playing its third must-win game and continued to thrive under the pressure. U.S. goalie John Gibson also was on his game, and any good scoring chance Canada had in its comeback attempt was snuffed out by Gibson, until Ty Rattie's shorthanded goal early in the third period.

We should mention that the playoff format will change at the world junior next year. There will be four quarter-final games instead of two (no semifinal byes) with eight teams qualifying for the playoff round instead of six.

3. It's easy to point the finger at Canadian goalie Malcolm Subban, who allowed four goals on 16 shots before he was pulled midway through the second period. But Subban alone can't be blamed. This was a horrible performance from top to bottom for Canada, including head coach Steve Spott's failure to have his team ready for the speedy U.S. attack.

Sure, it would have been nice for Subban to make an early sensational stop or two. But he could not be faulted for any of the first three goals.

Some people will look at the performance of Subban's replacement, Jordan Binnington, who stopped 25 of 26 shots. They will question whether Binnington should have been given the starting role and conveniently forget how well Subban played in victories over the U.S. and Russia on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

4. There were two areas that were so important for the Canadian juniors in this game against the U.S. They had to stay out of the penalty box. They didn't, taking seven minor penalties (eight if you include Griffin Reihart's cross-checking infraction at the end of the game).

Canada also had to keep a watchful eye on the U.S. defencemen in the Canadian end of the rink. Why? Because the U.S. defencemen were a big part of their team's offence. They had scored eight of the U.S.'s 26 goals entering the semifinals.

What happened on the first two U.S. goals? A defenceman, captain Jake McCabe, scored twice because he was left uncovered thanks to some sloppy defensive zone coverage from the Canadians.

Canada had its top defence pairing -- Dougie Hamilton and Scott Harrington -- on the ice for the opening goal as well as its shutdown forward line of Boone Jenner, Brett Ritchie and Phillip Danault.

But also, where were big guns Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Mark Scheifele, Jonathan Drouin, Jonathan Huberdeau and Ryan Strome? Huberdeau was a minus-4 for the game. Strome was minus-3. Nugent-Hopkins didn't have a shot on goal until the second period and put only three on Gibson in the entire game.

5. Canada still can salvage a bronze medal on Saturday by beating the Russians for a second time in this tournament. If I was Spott I would hammer home the fact that Canada has a 14-year streak of winning a medal at the world junior tournament and only twice in the past 24 years -- in 1992 and 1998 -- has Canada not returned home with a gold, silver or bronze medal.

Sometimes there is nothing like a little fear factor to get a team chugging in the right direction. Unfortunately for the Canadian juniors, they didn't have enough of that fear factor on Thursday.

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Friedman: Bitterness grows during NHL labour waiting game

People are never going to forget this NHL work stoppage. Not the fans. Not the sponsors. Not the league. Not the players, no matter if they are NHLers now or being assigned their first Shakespeare play in Grade 10. And not the media.

Couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a former player. He said he'd heard the NHLPA wanted a short-term CBA because the union was worried a 10-year term would allow everyone to forget this disgraceful work stoppage.

The next day, I ran into two active players who believed the same thing. "People will forget," they said. "And it will give the owners licence to do the same thing in 10 years."

I told them then what I'm writing now. That's wrong. People are never going to forget this. Not the fans. Not the sponsors. Not the league. Not the players, no matter if they are NHLers now or being assigned their first Shakespeare play in Grade 10. And not the media.

We don't need any more days like Thursday. Whether you believe the NHL tried to screw the players or Donald Fehr manufactured a controversy to rally the group, all it did was increase the disgust everyone feels towards both parties.

If you believe Fehr's goal was to make owners realize that continuous lockouts would come with a severe price, he has achieved that. What is one more week going to prove?

It's ok for the NHL and NHLPA to feel passionately about their positions. There is nothing wrong about feeling strongly about something you believe in. But look where we are now.

Cap: League wants it to be $60 million next year, and Commissioner Bettman is trying keep it low to protect the floor from being too far from the ceiling. The players want $65 million for freer movement.

Contract length: League wants six years (other team's free agent) or seven (your own). Players want eight overall.

Pensions: Players are determined to get what was previously agreed to. And they should.

CBA length: Both accept 10 years. League wants opt-out after eight, as long as intention to do so is after Year 6. And the CBA ends June 30. Players want opt-out after seven, with the CBA ending September 15.

Variance: League has offered a 30 per cent difference per season, but also that no season in any multi-year deal can be more than 60 percent lower than the highest-salaried one.

Buyouts: There will be two compliance buyouts per team before next season, although both will count against the players' share of Hockey Related Revenue.

It can get worse

I know how this works. You have to get to a deadline before this gets done, and that deadline is at the end of next week. But what is either side really accomplishing by waiting another seven days? Is there something the two sides are so far apart on that this CBA shouldn't get done?

Sorry, but I just don't see it.

You could make a real good argument that it's already too late. Well, what's done is done. But look at where we are right now and imagine what the final deal is going to look like in approximately a week.

Is it going to be so much better than what it looks like now that it's going to be worth it? And, if this season actually gets cancelled, is whatever happens in six to 10 months actually worth it? Because, if you don't think the damage and hatred from the fans and sponsors and media won't get exponentially worse in the next seven days, you're wrong.

You want to fight each other? Fine. You want to argue passionately for your positions? Fine. Get in a room and do it.

This isn't a popular position, but there are good people on both sides who've given large chunks of their lives to the game and care passionately about it.

You've proven your point. Don't be remembered as the guys who've destroyed it. Because if you think this is bad now, wait one more week.

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Russell: A slice of hockey heaven

It was that kind of New Year's Day. Beautiful and blue and where I live, which is down by the lake, snow lay all around. I scrambled to the basement and dug out my skates. I had on a wool hat with the big, blue "M" of the St. Michael's Majors on it.  I was appropriately dressed for shinny. 

It was that kind of New Year's Day.  Beautiful and blue and where I live, which is down by the lake, snow lay all around.

For months I had been hoping to watch the NHL's Winter Classic on TV but the Leafs and Red Wings and 100,000 fans gathered around an outdoor sheet of ice in a Michigan university town were destined not to get together.

So I went for a walk with the dog instead.

Something magic happened.

I could see kids careening down the hill at Riverdale Park by the expressway.  They wore snow suits and toques and with their father at the stern of their wooden toboggan they were laughing, even squealing with delight.

It was something I hadn't taken notice of in a long...long time.

Maybe that's the danger of living in the centre of a big city you sometimes fail to be aware of the little things that remind you of being a kid.

So it struck me as strange on this New Year's Day that close to my house I could hear the familiar crunch of skate blades on natural ice and the tell-tale call of a frozen puck.

There is, in the summer, a man-made pond in our housing development.  A little fountain is at the centre of it, and it's inhabited by a few ducks that lazily put on a show for those who stroll on the surrounding boardwalk.  I think they refer to this kind of scene as idyllic or tranquil as the madness of the metropolis rages all around.

But on this day, the pond was frozen over and the sun bathed it in a perfect sort of light. 

Illuminated were a few kids and a dad racing back and forth firing pucks into a solitary net.  Not just any net mind you, but one made of iron with its pipes painted a bright red.  It was a REAL hockey net on a REAL frozen pond and mysteriously it was right there in my own backyard.

I found myself, as if by instinct, running with the dog back to my house.

Once there, I scrambled to the basement and dug out my skates, CCM Tacks naturally, and my Montreal Canadiens gloves circa 1980.  I had on a wool hat with the big, blue "M" of the St. Michael's Majors on it.  I was appropriately dressed for shinny. 

Into the garage I went to fish out my old Sherwood hockey stick, a Ray Bourque model, the blade taped jet black from heel to toe.  It's not one of those carbon fibered things but rather it's made of wood.

On the trot back to the pond I hoped that the guys were still there and that I hadn't conjured up the whole thing, a wishful figment of my imagination.

It was beautiful.

This kid named Otis who plays for the Willowdale Blackhawks "AA" team was the guy who was responsible for shoveling off the rink.  His dad had helped him and as we began play the father was ferrying big buckets of water from his house across the road to fill in small but treacherous holes which dotted the uneven, natural surface.

A ten-year old named Jake and his dad Ian were working on the give and go.  Meantime, Otis circled expertly and drilled shots at the net ringing them off the cross bar and making the twine billow.

I soon found my legs and on the fly snapped the puck at the target with good velocity but frequently missed by a whisker and had to give chase over the snow bank which surrounded the rink.

There was also a touch and go moment when I picked up speed and then caught my skate in a rut.  We used to call it going "ass over tea kettle," and as I landed, I banged my elbow big time.  At the point of impact I recalled doing the very same thing a thousand times in my youth.

It made me simultaneously smile and grimace.

We played for quite a while and Ian and I talked about my Ray Bourque hockey stick.  He said he hadn't seen one like it in quite awhile.  But as he considered it, he remembered he had one similar autographed by the late Philadelphia Flyer and Stanley Cup champion, Bill "Cowboy" Flett, somewhere back home. 

It was an "honest to goodness" hockey stick, Ian figured.

The game was interrupted for brief flicker as a kid a hundred yards away yelled for help.  We all dropped our sticks and raced to his aid.  The boy's dog, a beautiful, black, Labrador retriever, had gotten too close to the edge and gone through the ice.

The dog was easily fished out and violently shook off the wetness with a massive spray only to happily trundle across the ice.

We then returned to our playing.

As the sun sank in the west and the shadows grew longer I thought to myself that for many Canadians this is what heaven must look like.

It was New Year's Day and in the middle of the city I was engaging in the national passion.  I was not a spectator but a participant and it made me feel young again.

This was my reconnection with the field of play and in that sense it was worth the throbbing elbow and the urgent trepidation that comes with knowing my toes were beginning to freeze.

I'm 54-years-old but I could swear that somewhere in the distance I could hear my mother calling me home for supper.  I did what any Canadian kid would on a brilliant New Year's Day like this.

I ignored her and played on.

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HNIC Radio: Spengler Cup coach says Canadians 'bought in'

Faced with a lack of familiarity with each other at the beginning, Team Canada's Spengler Cup squad needed some stability.

And it came in the form of a man well-versed in the style of play in Switzerland.

Canada's head coach Doug Shedden — who also coaches EV Zug of the Swiss League — helped lead the Canucks to their first Spengler Cup title since 2007 on New Year's Eve, and he did so while preaching a system that was adjusted to the international game.

Shedden joined Hockey Night in Canada Radio host Gord Stellick along with analyst Kelly Hrudey on Wednesday, and said his squad's 7-2 victory over HC Davos in the final was in part sparked by his team's willingness to buy in to his coaching style. The coach gave special credit to several currently locked-out NHLers like Jason Spezza.

"[John Tavares] could stickhandle in a phone booth with 30 other people in there."—Team Canada coach Doug Shedden

"Jason Spezza was blocking shots, killing penalties, back-checking hard," he said. "So they all bought in."

Shedden also said his experience in the Swiss League gave him and assistant coach Chris McSorley a definitive advantage that Canadian coaches in years past haven't necessarily had: familiarity with the differences between the NHL and international rules.

"You're dealing with bigger ice, with names you're not familiar with," said Shedden, "And not to cut anybody short like Craig MacTavish or Mark Messier or Marc Crawford last year, but when you get one practice before a tournament starts and just one pre-game skate and you're not familiar with these players, let's face it, a lot of coaching starts when the game starts also.

"So you might be able to put a quick system into place, so it's also if you put the right people on at the right time and that's difficult, and that's the challenge behind it when you bring somebody over for just a week."

NHLers brought intangibles

Even though it was a rough start for the Canucks — they lost 2-1 to German club Adler Mannheim to open the tournament — 51-year-old Shedden was particularly impressed with the way his squad was able to gel before and during the week-long tournament, especially the players that brought the intangible qualities.

"Other guys, like Ryan Smyth, for a guy his age who never went through training camp," he said, "His leadership role and how he played for us, he played unbelievable … [Patrice] Bergeron, I don't think he lost a faceoff in four games."

But when asked who was most impressive among the NHL players currently locked out in the labour dispute between the union and league, he didn't have to think twice.

"[John Tavares] could stickhandle in a phone booth with 30 other people in there," he said. "He always comes out with the puck. He'll go through crowds and you wonder, 'how did he do it? He's still got [the puck].' He's a very serious guy. [He's] a nice guy, a gentleman, but very serious about his career."

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Friedman: Highest hurdles remain in NHL labour talks

There are still wide gulfs when it comes to the most important issues, including salary cap for 2013-14 (owners want $60 million US, players $65M). We all want to get excited, but the highest hurdles remain unconquered.

1. Mediator Scot Beckenbaugh is back in the picture. This is interesting because the last mediation session -- held in New Jersey three weeks ago -- was such a dismal failure. Commissioner Bettman said both sides requested Beckenbaugh's presence, and he has asked the NHL and the NHLPA to be back in the league's Manhattan offices by 10 am (ET) Thursday.

Beckenbaugh's presence signals two things, I think: the two sides want to make a deal, but are having a difficult time finding common ground at this point. They're hoping he can help.

2. The players did not file their "Disclaimer of Interest." My guess is that Donald Fehr would've wanted to do it. You look at his history and don't see a guy who brandishes a weapon, then doesn't use it. I don't think his constituents were worried about an angry NHL reaction. 

They've ignored those threats before, and successfully so. 

But, not using this weapon in this case is consistent with how a lot of his players feel -- if negotiations are moving somewhere, let's keep going in good faith. 

They would need to re-vote to go down this road again, and reports afterwards indicated if there is a next time, they would use this tactic. They'll have to or it becomes a hollow threat.

Walking back to my hotel, though, I was struck by how Bettman handled this. He basically said he'd never heard the union use the word disclaimer and wondered why it came up. I've seen him use that method of answering a question before. It comes when he's annoyed at a media question and wonders where the idea came from, even if we've all heard it before.

I may be overthinking this one -- it is 2:35 am as I write this -- but I don't think he was mad at the question. I think he was trying in his own way to thank the players for not doing it.

The idea he's never heard the union philosophize about "disclaiming," or its older, sexier sister, "decertifying," is nonsensical. The league's own pre-emptive legal strike listed example after example of players discussing it.

So why answer it like that? I think he was trying to say the players never made it an issue in Wednesday's talks and he appreciated it -- because that could have damaged a fragile process.

3. Pensions. Bettman: "We understand it is important to the players and if we get the issues resolved we hope we can satisfy the players on that issue."

The players are steamed about this one, especially since it looked like the two sides already agreed on the pension package. The owners are concerned about who covers shortfalls and what happens after this whenever-signed-CBA is over. The players felt the league went back on a promise to split that risk, a change that may cost them double what they'd expected.

People watching from afar were stunned by the idea this could derail the process, but the NHLPA had a high collective annoyance factor on this one. The commissioner also sounded conciliatory on this topic. 

Is it possible the league will concede on this one for a "get" somewhere else?

4. Moving closer. Both Bettman and Fehr agreed that there was some progress but a lot of major work remained. Fehr said the core economic issues continue to be a problem. People will get excited about the idea of progress, but what that says is any movement in the right direction was likely on smaller stuff. 

There are still wide gulfs when it comes to the most important issues, including salary cap for 2013-14 (owners want $60 million US, players $65M). We all want to get excited, but the highest hurdles remain unconquered.

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Canada falls to U.S. in world junior semifinal

Canada will play for the bronze medal at the world junior hockey championship for a second year in a row.

The Canadians fell 5-1 to the United States in Thursday's semifinal in Ufa, Russia.

'It's not the colour we want, but we owe it to Canadian fans to come home with a medal.'— Team Canada head coach Steve Spott

The Americans will meet the winner of the Sweden-Russia semifinal for gold Saturday. Canada will face the loser for bronze.

"We came a long way and we still have an opportunity to get a medal," head coach Steve Spott said. "It's not the colour we want, but we owe it to Canadian fans to come home with a medal."

Canada won bronze last year when the tournament was held in Calgary and Edmonton.

Canada had most of the country's best 19-year-old players available to it this year because of the NHL lockout, with the exception of a defenceman and a forward lost to injury before the tournament.

Canada dominated the tournaments of 1995 and 2005 en route to gold when the NHL locked out their players those seasons. There were high expectations of this team that included Edmonton Oiler forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Lack of desperation

Spott said he chose his 23-player team with speed in mind, but the United States made Canada look like they were standing still for two periods Thursday.

"The start was the difference in the hockey game," Spott said following the game. "We simply didn't have the energy or the desperation that the Americans had early."

U.S. captain Jake McCabe and John Gaudreau each scored a pair of goals and Jim Vesey also scored for the Americans.

Trailing 4-0 after 40 minutes, Ty Rattie scored a short-handed goal for Canada early in the third, but Gaudreau scored his second of the game at 15:41.

Canada had beaten the U.S. 2-1 in a Pool B game on Sunday with just 11 forwards because of suspensions. A full complement of 13 should have produced more scoring chances even-strength, but didn't.

U.S. goaltender John Gibson, who plays for Spott on the Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers, made 26 saves for the win. Gibson stopped an all-alone Ryan Strome in the second period.

Canadian starter Malcolm Subban was replaced by Jordan Binnington in the second period after the U.S. had scored four goals on 16 shots. Binnington, playing in his first game since Dec. 22, made 25 saves in relief.

"It had nothing to do with Malcolm at all. We left him out to dry and the goals they scored were quality goals," Spott said. "It was more than anything trying to give our team a little bit of a shot of adrenaline."

Canada finished first in Pool B at 4-0 and earned the bye to the semifinal.

The U.S. finished third in their pool at 2-2 and defeated the Czech Republic 7-0 on Wednesday to advance to the semifinal.

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Wharnsby: Canada's Jonathan Drouin solidifying elite status

Whiz kid Jonathan Drouin played a big part in Canada beating Russia 4-1 on Monday and advancing straight in the semifinals of the 2013 World Under-20 Championship.

Halifax Mooseheads whiz kid Jonathan Drouin has cemented his standing among the top contenders to be selected first overall at the 2013 NHL entry draft.

Drouin was elevated to the top line of the Canadian junior team to play alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Mark Scheifele for the final round-robin game against the host Russians.

The move paid dividends. Drouin scored an early second-period goal to give his team a two-goal advantage in Canada's eventual 4-1 New Year's Eve victory. 

Drouin's Halifax teammate Nathan MacKinnon and Portland Winterhawks defenceman Seth Jones entered the 2012-13 season as co-favourites to be selected first overall at the NHL draft in June.

Drouin, however, has skated into the picture. His speed and goal-scoring ability are remarkable for a kid that began last season playing midget hockey with the Lac St-Louis AAA Lions.

He began 2010-11 in Lac St-Louis with an astonishing 22 goals and 53 points in 22 games. The start forced the Mooseheads to make some room at midseason for the then 16-year-old Drouin. A year later, he's with Canada at the IIHF World Under-20 Championship.

Canadian head coach Steve Spott has raved about the skill and hockey intellect of the five-foot-10, 185-pound Drouin since selection camp opened in Calgary three weeks ago. 

But during a Christmas Day practice, he collided with a teammate and suffered a charley horse. Hockey Canada didn't add him to the final roster until the next day after he had shown that he had recovered enough to suit up for the tournament opener the following day.

Spott's hunch to play him on the top line helped the Canadian juniors win their 17th in a row in NHL lockout-affected world under-20 tournaments.

Here are five matters to consider as the 2013 event moves into the playoff round in Ufa, Russia.

1. The return of Oshawa Generals centre Boone Jenner from his three game-suspension for his late hit in a Dec. 22 exhibition game was a big boost to the Canadian lineup. His inclusion added to the talent level and allowed Spott to put together three top lines that got it done in all three zones of the Ufa Arena.

Besides the addition of Drouin to the top line, the other top two combinations saw centre Ryan Strome with Jonathan Huberdeau and right wing Ty Rattie. Jenner played between left wing Phillip Danault and Brett Ritchie.

Jenner was a physical force, provided energy and strong penalty killing, and won nine of 16 draws.

His play certainly caught the attention of the coaching staff. Jenner was awarded the post-game black cape, the team's internal game MVP award.

2. The Canadian juniors rebounded from a dismal effort in man-advantage situations in their game against the United States on Sunday, when they went 0-for-6 and failed to score in two minutes and 36 seconds of 5-on-3 power-play time.

The power-play woes turned around against Russia, however. Another top prospect for the NHL draft, 17-year-old Valeri Nichushkin, took a five-minute major and was ejected from the game for his hit from behind on Canadian defenceman Tyler Wotherspoon midway through the first period.

Unlike the previous game, Canada was able to get some shots through from the point. As a result the power play produced goals from defenceman Dougie Hamilton and Scheifele during the major penalty and a 2-0 lead.

3. Nugent-Hopkins continued his strong tournament. He assisted on each of three Canadian goals to increase his offensive production to three goals and 11 points in four games. He leads the tournament scoring race by four points over U.S. forward Alex Galchenyuk and has put together one of the best individual efforts for a tournament by a Canadian player.

Here are the most productive showings from Canadian juniors.

• 18 points - Dale McCourt (1977), Brayden Schenn (2011).
• 17 - Wayne Gretzky (1978), Eric Lindros (1991).
• 16 - Cody Hodgson (2009).
• 15 - John Anderson (1977), Jason Allison (1995), Marty Murray (1995), John Tavares (2009) 

4. Canada's win will give it two days off to prepare for the semifinals on Thursday. They will meet the Wednesday's quarter-final winner between the U.S. and Czech Republic.

In the other group, defending champion Sweden continued its winning ways with a 7-4 victory versus Finland. The loss knocked the Finns to the relegation round. Sweden, meanwhile, will meet the winner of the Switzerland-Russia quarter-final. Switzerland is coached by Sean Simpson of Brampton, Ont. He played for Canada in the 1980 world junior tournament.

5. Canada now has lost only two games in the round-robin portion of this tournament in the last decade. Sweden beat the Canadians 6-5 in overtime in 2011 and 4-3 in regulation time in 2008.

This also was the ninth time since 2003 Canada finished on top of its preliminary round group. The Canadian juniors have won five gold medals in the previous 10 tournaments and made it to the finals nine times in this stretch.

• 2012 Won group (lost in semifinals)
• 2011 2nd in group (lost in final)
• 2010 Won group (lost in final)
• 2009 Won group (won gold)
• 2008 2nd in group (won gold)
• 2007 Won group (won gold)
• 2006 Won group (won gold)
• 2005 Won group (won gold)
• 2004 Won group (lost in final)
• 2003 Won group (lost in final)

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