While talks between the NHL and players over their collective bargaining agreement were highly publicized, this was not the case with CBA talks between the league and it's referees. However, there is word that a new deal between the NHL and the referees association has been reached. All that's left is for the deal to be ratified by the union, which should happen within the next couple of days.
While many fans likely haven't even thought about it, this is very welcome news. The NFL used replacement refs in 2012 after failing to reach an agreement with their officials, and the results were dismal, to put it mildly.
Once ratified, the new deal with NHL refs should last four seasons, meaning labour peace with officials for a while. The referees were facing the prospect of going into the upcoming season without a CBA.
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