The fun and games of the National Hockey League's All-Star weekend turned serious on Saturday as league commissioner Gary Bettman and player's union chief Donald Fehr danced around questions about a looming labor war. With the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) set to expire on Sept. 15, NHL owners and the players association (NHLPA) have been quietly preparing the framework for negotiations that could prove as contentious as those that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season. Following a board of governors meeting Saturday, Bettman said, there was no set date for negotiations to commence but talks are expected to begin in the days following Sunday's All Star game. “My hope is that we can reason together and that collective bargaining will be painless and quiet and quick,” Bettman told reporters following the board meeting. “That would serve everyone's best interest.” Early indications are that negotiations will be neither quick nor painless. Fehr, who has earned a reputation as a tough and fearless negotiator from his years heading up Major League Baseball's players union, fired a warning shot across the NHL's bow earlier this month when he rejected the league's plan for realignment and a modified playoff format. NHL owners also appear emboldened by the significant gains made by National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) owners in their labour battles last year. Under the current CBA, NHL players receive 57 percent of hockey related revenue and owners would like to see that number come down closer to a 50-50 split like the NBA and NFL. Fehr is no fan of the salary cap system, which he refused to accept as head of the baseball players union and is widely expected to push for a CBA that looks more like MLB's, which remains the only major North American league without a hard cap. “There's significant information that we don't have,” said Fehr adding, “We will be prepared to negotiate an agreement.” Columbus to host first all-star game The Columbus Blue Jackets will host their first National Hockey League All-Star Game in 2013, a weekend of festivities that also includes a skills competition and a rookie showcase game. The Blue Jackets hosted the 2007 NHL entry draft but have never held an all-star game. The club entered the league in 2000 and two years later the death of a teenage girl, who was struck in the head by a puck in Columbus, resulted in changes to hockey arenas across North America. The girl, Brittanie Cecil, was hit by a puck during the second period of a regular season game. She died two days later. As a result of her death, skating rinks across North America have made it mandatory to put up protective netting behind the goals to protect spectators from errant pucks that fly into the crowd. The 2013 All-Star Game will be held January 27. This year's NHL All-Star Game is set for Sunday at Scotiabank Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario.
