The NHL Needs More Players Like Ron Hainsey

With the current NHL lockout negotiations stalled and no immediate plans to head back to the bargaining table, some of the players are becoming more than impatient.  Winnipeg Jets defenceman, Ron Hainsey has been on the front lines due to his place on the players negotiating committee and now he’s getting anxious to return to the ice.  This is the perfect example of the type of player’s the NHL needs more of.

Hainsey is getting restless not only because of the lockout exceeding three months in duration, but because neither the NHL or NHLPA is making an effort to resume talks with hopes of agreeing on a new CBA.

The best way that Hainsey sees a new deal getting done?  It’s quite simple to him, meet face to face and negotiate until a new deal is done as he told the Associated Press via a telelphone call on Tuesday, courtesy of TSN.ca.

"“We’ve said it a number of times, but it’s worth repeating: It’s obviously very difficult to make a deal if you’re not meeting or negotiating. I’ve yet to see a way we can do it without sitting down across a table from each other.”"

While Hainsey is only one voice, at least he realizes what’s at stake with the regular season in jeopardy of being cancelled.  It would be the only major sport in North America to lose two full seasons due to a work stoppage and would surely be a huge black mark against the sport in the eyes of the fans.

If more players became eager to get the season back to the same level Hainsey is, then maybe Donald Fehr would have motivation to swallow his pride and actually approach the NHL to pick up meetings again.  Of course that would involve Fehr showing weakness to the owners and with the lockout all but confirmed it’s now personal between Fehr and the owners, that’s unlikely to happen.

At least there is one voice of reason through this whole thing, thank you Ron Hainsey.