Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 1, 1993 TAG: 9312010210
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MONTREAL LENGTH: Short
The regular referees and linesmen likely would return to work Thursday if the agreement is ratified by both sides.
"We'll try to accomplish that in the next 24 hours," said Gary Bettman, the NHL's commissioner.
The agreement is to be voted on today by the NHL Board of Governors and by the 58 members of the NHL Officials' Association, which has been on strike since Nov. 15. The length of the new deal wasn't immediately known.
The agreement came after nine hours of non-stop negotiations at a hotel in suburban Dorval, Quebec.
Bettman and Don Meehan, chief negotiator for the officials, agreed not to comment further, pending ratification.
Meehan is to organize a vote today by telephone and expects to have an answer by mid-afternoon.
Tuesday's meeting was the first face-to-face discussions between the two parties since Nov. 22. The league was represented by Bettman, senior vice presidents Jeffrey Pash and Brian Burke and labor counsel Bob Batterman. The officials' association was represented by president Terry Gregson, Meehan and Harry Radomski.
Since the strike, the first full walkout by officials in league history, the games have been played with replacements drawn from colleges and junior and minor leagues.
Pressure to end the strike heightened with a number of violent incidents and questionable calls during recent games.
Keywords:
HOCKEY
by CNB