In 1999, the Major League Umpires' Association had a beef with MLB and voted to strike. Except they had a valid CBA, so couldn't do so legally. The person in charge of the union had a brilliant idea. The union members would resign en-masse and basically force MLB into new negotiations. Instead, MLB simply accepted the resignations of 22 umpires and hired replacements from the minor leagues. Years of legal fighting followed. Some got their jobs back. Many did not. The union decertified and was replaced by another with new leadership.
Watching Glendale act is reminding me of this. They are trying to be clever in an effort to get out of a contract, but I don't think the NHL is going to go into this thinking "crap, too late to relocate. Guess we have to deal." We're talking about a league that was willing to go nuclear against it's players' union.
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