Lemieux feels he was misled by Players’ Association
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Mario Lemieux says he was led to believe the NHL Players’ Association would submit a new offer when he agreed to participate in a negotiating session just days after the season was canceled, according to a newspaper report. Lemieux, the player-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Phoenix managing partner Wayne Gretzky were invited by the NHLPA to participate in a negotiating session on Feb. 19. They believed a new collective bargaining agreement offer would be made, featuring a $45 million salary cap.
“The only way that Wayne and I would have gotten involved is because we believed there was a new proposal coming from the players’ association,” Lemieux told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for a story in Sunday editions. “We were told by some of the players we were talking to that there would be a new proposal on the table at the $45 (million) level.”
The offer was never made, and NHLPA officials said later they never intended to make one. They insisted they went to New York only because the league had requested a meeting.
Lemieux acknowledged he felt he was misled by the players, even though he hasn’t figured out their motivation.
“It’s a mystery to me,” he said.
Still, Lemieux said he wouldn’t rule out playing a role in future negotiations, if asked.
“When the time is right, I’m sure Wayne and I would look at it very carefully,” Lemieux said.