
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, December 8, 1994                   TAG: 9412090007
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

ALL TALK AND NO ACTION ON NHL FRONT

NHL owners are finished talking with their players for the moment. Now, they're talking to themselves.

With negotiations broken off in Chicago, the league's board of governors is awaiting a meeting Monday in New York that could determine the fate of the 1994-95 season. The governors held a conference call Wednesday, as did the general managers.

NHL commissioner ``Gary Bettman will talk about options and make his own recommendations on whether or not to cancel the season,'' a management source told The Associated Press about Monday's meeting,

Bettman needs the votes of 20 of the league's 26 teams to shut down the season. If that happens, hockey would become the first professional sport in North America to cancel an entire season because of a labor dispute. The 1994 baseball season was the first to end that way when its players struck on Aug.12.

If it were up to Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington, he would cancel the season should the players not give any more ground in collective bargaining talks.

``The compromising is over,'' Pocklington told The Canadian Press. ``We'll be there next season with the contract for the boys and those that want to play will. If they don't, they can go to Europe or wherever they want.''

Asked about the chances of saving the season, Edmonton Oilers owner Pocklington told The Canadian Press: ``If I was a betting man, I'd say it's 50-50 at best we will be playing. The season could be over.''

by CNB