The NHLPA Executive Board will meet on Wednesday to discuss the upcoming September 15th opt-out deadline for the current Collective Bargaining Agreement according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, who adds that there should be an announcement from the league on their own clause by the end of the weekend. Both sides could choose to terminate the current CBA early, though the entire 2019-20 season would still be played under it.
There has been positive reports for months coming out of CBA negotiations between the two sides, but nothing has been officially announced yet on whether they will continue to work under it, end it early or sign a potential extension. The agreement is currently set to expire in 2022.
- Andrei Markov’s new representation is hard at work trying to sell the 40-year old defenseman, and Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that there have been around five teams who have already checked in. Allan Walsh of Octagon Hockey told Engels that his new client is looking for a one-year deal and is willing to play anywhere in the NHL, even if he does admit to wanting to finish his career with the Montreal Canadiens. Markov has spent the last two years in the KHL where he recorded 14 points in 49 games last season.
- With Ben Lovejoy deciding to retire today, Rick Westhead of TSN reminds us that the veteran defenseman was the first active NHL player to pledge his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation for study after his death. No other active NHL player has followed suit, though several former players have made the pledge. Lovejoy made the pledge without ever having been diagnosed with a concussion, noting that he is “a believer in science” and wants “to do anything [he] can to help.”