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Report: NHL Players Not Seeking Repeal of Salary Cap in First Proposal for New CBA

The NHL Players Association has made its first offer to the league in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, and it appears the players are not calling for a repeal of the hard salary cap as earlier reported.

Lightning forward Steven Stamkos and Penguins center Sidney Crosby were both in attendance at the meetings in Toronto, Ontario on Tuesday afternoon, where the players made their first offer to the league, according to CBS Sports.

The NHLPA said on Tuesday that its proposal to the league includes a smaller percentage of revenue for the players, and also asked for a broader revenue-sharing program to help the development of smaller market teams.

NHLPA leader Donald Fehr discussed the specifics of the offer after the players' meeting with the league.

The proposal appears to make the new CBA a three-year deal, almost a trial period even, and in the fourth year the owners would have the option of reverting back to the current rules while working out a new agreement. In addition the current contract rules will remain in tact, countering the owners' offer of limiting max deals to five years, and all contracts made under the rules of the old CBA will not be altered.

In the end, Fehr summed up his remarks in a very clear and concise manner explaining that the players were willing to make exceptions because, "we want to make a deal."

These terms were apparently appealing to the owners and did a solid job in bridging the gap from where the two sides stood on July 13, when the owners made their first proposal.

There may be hope for a hockey season, yet.