The executive director of the National Hockey League Players' Association says that negotiations for a new contract may begin this week. The Commissioner of the NHL has said that the league will negotiate as soon as the players are ready. The current contract, which expires on September 15 was reached after the 2004-05 season did not happen due to an owner lockout. The Players' Association says that they do not see the need for games to cease during negotiations, citing Major League Baseball as an example. Negotiations are expected to center around revenue-sharing, which stands at 57% for players.
See "NHL Union says Labor Negotiations With Owners May Begin This Week", Eben Novy-Williams, Bloomberg News, June 26, 2012