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Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
I have often wondered how the NHLPA can pressure the NHL in this situation. Do they have any moves in this? Because they certainly have stakes.
The talk after the lockout was the league and players are now partners. The league also said that if the players agreed to a cap based on revenue, that the league and players would work together to find ways to keep increasing revenue. By stonewalling another potential GTA team, it seems to disregard the spirit in which the NHLP agreed to a cap.
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There isn't much the union can do to pressure the owners in this regard, beyond pestering them. The "partnership" that is spoken of referred game-related strategies (i.e.: creating the outdoor classic) and marketing. Franchise transfers, expansion and contraction are business operations, which is the domain of the owners. The union, for instance, doesn't get a cut of any expansion or relocation fees or any percentage of a franchise sale. By the same token though, they aren't responsible for covering any of Phoenix's losses.
I suppose if the union wanted to, it could have made expanding another team into the GTA a demand in the last CBA negotiation. Personally though, I'm not sure that would have been a hill the union would be willing to die on.