Fehr memo to players hasn’t dampened Jordan Staal’s optimism

The mere fact that the union and league have been meeting consistently lately has led to a renewed sense of optimism, but the NHLPA memo from executive director Donald Fehr that PHT recently obtained might have been a rude awakening for some fans.

Although there are some signs of progress, Fehr cautioned that there is still plenty of work to be done. Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal is aware of the memo, but that hasn’t stopped him from staying upbeat about the process.

“Obviously it’s not fun to hear that there’s still a lot of work to be done,” Staal said in a News & Observer report. “I think a lot of the players are very optimistic and very happy they’re talking again and working hard throughout the past three days.

“It’s still part of the process, I guess. It’s my first time through it but it’s still taking time. You can’t expect it to be done in a few days.”

Staal admitted that staying patient is “the hardest part right now,” but Staal does think things are heading in the right direction. He’s hoping for a breakthrough and an NHL season that starts in December.

Anything could happen, but that also means that it’s too early to give up hope just because there’s plenty of work to be done.