A deadline has apparently been set for the NHL and NHLPA to agree on the next potential World Cup of Hockey.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Monday that the two sides have until the end of January to schedule the tournament or else there won't be enough time to put it together by September 2020, according to Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com.
Daly recently stated that September 2020 is the ideal date for the next edition of the tournament, which was successfully rebirthed in 2016. However, there is potential for a significant roadblock along the way:
Daly said NHL and NHLPA are talking about the CBA “regularly.” Each has the option in September to reopen the agreement in 2020. NHL does not want a World Cup amid labor uncertainty. @PrimeTimeSE #PTSEleven
— Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) November 12, 2018
The NHL and NHLPA both have the option to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement in September 2019, which would trigger a renegotiation before the 2020-21 campaign. Surprisingly, this isn't uncharted territory, as the NHL announced a lockout just two days after Canada claimed gold in 2004.
Canada also took the title in 2016 - an event that was considered a hit in large part due to the team's dominance on home ice along with the young Team North America squad that provided tremendous entertainment value.
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