Calgary Flames defenceman Mike Commodore told a Calgary radio station that he would accept a salary cap if it would solve the NHL lockout, a stance that goes against the NHLPA's official position.
"I'll risk the slap on the wrist," Commodore told the Fan 960 in Calgary. "I don't want to spend however long my career lasts playing here in the American Hockey League (with Lowell), so I think whatever it takes. It's got to be give and take on both sides, not one side can be making all the money. But if (a salary cap is) what it takes -- the sport has to go on -- so I'm going to say, yeah.
Commodore is aware that some of his union brethren have spoken out much like he has, only to have their statements retracted shortly thereafter. For his part, Commodore doesn't seem too worried about it.
"It's no worse than getting slashed on the wrist in the American Hockey League," he said.
Commodore, while accepting a cap in theory, also wants a deal that will be fair for both sides. "There's different kinds of caps and it's got to be a realistic one. You can't cap it up at $30 million, we're over that. It's got to be realistic so both sides are making money."
Not unlike Flames teammate Andrew Ference, Commodore is frustrated by the lack of bargaining talks between the NHL and NHLPA.
"It's ridiculous and it's immature, if that's even a way to describe it," he told the radio station. "Get a room, lock these guys in the room and have them bang something out."
As a player in the infancy of his career, Commodore doesn't feel he's necessarily being represented adequately in the negotiations. "I don't think it's being handled well at all. The thing is, you look at the PA and who's in charge ... it's all the guys that have made $30 million playing this game. If there's never another game of hockey ... and they don't make another cent playing in the NHL, they're gonna be all right.
"Sure, they have their views but I think, as far as guys in charge of the PA, there should be people in my situation so they get everybody's perspective. There's lots of guys in my shoes that if we miss a couple of years, that's a huge deal."
In the end, Commodore isn't very optimistic about an end to this dispute. "When this lockout started and throughout the summer, I thought we'd be going by Christmas or January 1st or whatever the deadline was there but I've got to be honest and I don't think there's going to be a season this year."