NHL lockout: Red Wings' Danny Cleary thinks it's 'serious negotiation time'

After receiving the NHL's most recent proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement, Detroit Red Wings forward Danny Cleary said "it's serious negotiation time." Cleary called the NHL's offer a "step in the right direction" and "a proposal that can't be ignored."

Cleary stated that the Tuesday meeting with the NHL was "the most productive day (of CBA talks)." Talks are scheduled to resume on Thursday and it is expected that the NHLPA will offer their counter-proposal at that time.

The NHL's deal included a 50-50 split on hockey-related revenues (HRR) for the six years of the deal and also said all existing contracts would be honored without reductions through a deferred system. Cleary, and the rest of the NHLPA, would like a few more details from the NHL. Specifically, how will HRR be defined and how is escrow factored in?

Although he understands the urgency of reaching a new CBA, Cleary said "we can't rush into a deal."