NHL owners stick to salary cap demand

National Hockey League owners, locked in a labor dispute with the players’ union, are reportedly going to reject the union’s latest offer of a 24 percent decrease in player salaries.

The owners have been demanding a hard salary cap—linking total player salaries to a percentage of league revenues—like that in some other sports.  A league spokesman said that the players’ proposal would solve the league’s short-term financial difficulties, but doesn’t create a long-term solution.  The lockout, which has been in effect since September, threatens to cause the loss of the entire season.