The National Hockey League Players' Association isn't happy with a recent comment made by commissioner Gary Bettman.
In an interview with Sportsnet's The FAN Hockey Show, Bettman said no-move clauses were "not a good thing" amid the rise in targeted trade requests.
NHLPA assistant executive director Ron Hainsey pushed back on that notion in an interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic published Monday.
"The beginning of this conversation about no-move and no-trade clauses, we do take as an attack on players' CBA-negotiated rights," Hainsey said. "And we will treat it as such."
Recently, players have weaponized those clauses to force trades to specific teams, like Brady Tkachuk's off-season move to the Florida Panthers. Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings and Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets have also limited their teams' potential trade partners.
Hainsey said that is a product of the no-trade clause working "as originally intended."
"It’s a player’s right to negotiate salary, salary structure, term, as well as a no-move or no-trade with their club if they’re able to do so and bargain in good faith. It’s pretty simple if you’ve negotiated a no-trade. Whether it’s 10 teams or 15 or 32, the club isn’t able to trade you to those teams without your consent," Hainsey said.
"Our position is that the clauses are acting as they were intended to work."
Bettman, speaking Thursday, said the no-move clauses aren't good for players, teams or fans.
"This notion now where, a) you can select where you want to go to and b) you can demand a trade. ... That was never the original intention," Bettman said. "If this becomes a problem — I don't think one off-season a problem makes — but if this becomes a problem, it's something we're going to have to discuss with the players' association.
"While it may be good for a player in a particular case, though based on what we're seeing now, I'm not so sure it's good for the player either, but we have to look at what's good for the game, good for the players overall, good for the league, and so it's something we're going to keep an eye on."
Agent J.P. Barry told The Athletic that no-move and no-trade clauses are key negotiation pieces.
"Players give up significant compensation demands to obtain a no-trade clause. They are ‘purchased’ by the player. If they are going to try to eliminate no-trade clauses, then we should also discuss elimination of the buyout and the hard cap at the same time," Barry said.
