“Some people interpret a counter proposal to be ‘this is within the framework of what the other guy said’ — It just moves some things around,” Fehr said after a two-hour bargaining session in Toronto Monday. “This is a different kind of an approach. It’s how the players see the world.”

Player rep David Steckle,

“The game is growing but we want to make it that much better for everyone,” said Steckel, who described the interest level of the players he’s been responsible for communicating with as ‘sky-high.’ “It’s not just us wanting more money, we want the game to be better for everyone.”

“If you had a 9-to-5 job and you’re asked to rollback your salaries you’re going to want to know why…that’s what most players saw and are going, ‘how can you ask us to do this again?’” said Steckel. “In seven years you’re asking us to cut our salaries by 48 per cent? We’re not the ones running organizations signing people to deals for $100 million.”

A Former NHL governor,

“We’re generating a lot of revenue, but we’re investing to get it,” the former governor said. “The guys at MSG are investing a billion dollars (renovating Madison Square Garden). That’s going to drive up revenue and the players are going to benefit from it but they didn’t put up one penny of that billion.”