TORONTO - National Hockey League officials have filed an "unfair labor practices" complaint against the NHL Players Association with the US National Labor Relations Board, Canadian sports website TSN reported Friday.
The move appears to be the first step by the league in paving the way to using replacement players without making a deal with the union.
Citing unnamed sources, the report said the complaint came over an apparent union policy that any NHLPA member who became a replacement player would have to repay lockout funds the union is now paying players in the labor dispute.
The report also said the league is considering filing a second complaint regarding player agents representing potential replacement players as the squabbling which forced cancellation of the entire 2004-2005 season continues.
A letter was sent Friday to NHL clubs from the league informing each team of the grievance being filed earlier this week, TSN reported.
Replacement players figures to be a topic when the NHL board of governors meets April 20.
NHL owners could opt to try and play a 2005-2006 season with players willing to go against their union and join other replacements in the 30-team league.
The NHLPA stipend is reportedly about 10,000 dollars a player a month but subject to givebacks if a player works without a union deal in place.
The union has indicated to agents it would decertify any agent who strikes a deal for a player to serve as a replacement without a union deal in place, TSN reported, prompting concern a second grievance would be filed.
The move came one day after the league called off June's NHL Draft and 37 days after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called off the entire season, making his league the first in North America to lose a full season to a labor dispute.
03/26/2005 00:31 GMT