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EDMONTON -- The NHL players union says the argument is simple: Alberta labour laws apply to the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. The NHL Players Association was in Edmonton on Friday to try to get the Alberta Labour Relations Board to declare the current lockout illegal. NHLPA lawyer Bob Blair told the panel that the teams are Alberta businesses, so provincial labour laws have to be followed. "No one gets to choose what labour laws apply to them in this province," Blair said. "The law is the law is the law." He argued that players from the Oilers and Flames have never agreed to forgo their rights under the Alberta Labour Code. "It applies to every employer and employee. That is the starting point." A lawyer for the NHL argued that its impossible for a league spanning two countries to operate under different laws for each franchise. Peter Gall pointed out that 23 of the 30 teams are in the United States, where labour laws are federally regulated. The league has always operated under U.S. labour law, he said. The board heard U.S. Federal Court is the final arbiter of any grievances under the contract. "So all of the players on all of the teams have been included in one bargaining unit," Gall said. "The NHLPA has never bargained with individual teams. It has only bargained with the NHL." The labour board deferred a decision on the hearing to a later date. Bill Daly, the leagues deputy commissioner, told the panel that theres never been any individual bargaining between players and their teams. He said its important that all teams operate under the same rules. Blair countered by saying the way the league and union have operated in the past is irrelevant. Blair also pointed out that the NHL had itself applied for a mediator under Alberta labour over the summer in order to ensure it complied with the letter of the provinces law. Daly responded the league wasnt certain as to its legal position in the province. Although it applied for a mediator, it said in its application that it didnt think meetings would have to be held. "You didnt want to meet with him," said Blair. "You just wanted him in and out." "Thats not how I would necessarily read it," said Daly. "We were going through an Alberta Labour Code process at the time." Alberta law specifies a mediator must be appointed and given 14 days to work before a lockout vote can be held. The NHLPA argues the league pulled the plug on the talks after only three days. Its unclear what might follow if the board were to rule in favour of the NHLPAs request, but Daly said he couldnt imagine the fallout if that were to happen. "It would be extremely destabilizing to how we do business and how we conduct this sports league," he said. "I dont know how we would proceed in the face of separate units in Alberta." About half a dozen players attended the hearing, including Oilers forward Sam Gagner, goaltender Devan Dubnyk and veteran Ryan Smyth. Last week, players from the Montreal Canadiens launched a similar case in Quebec and the labour relations board there turned down their request for a temporary injunction against the lockout. But it also ruled that more hearings are needed to make a final decision on the application. No date for those hearings has been set. The lockout is nearly a week old and there have been no formal talks between the two sides since Sept. 12. Training camps were to have opened Friday. The league has already cancelled pre-season games through Sept. 30 and several players have signed with teams in Europe. The two sides remain far apart on key economic issues. The NHL believes too much money is being paid out in salaries and has proposed a system to address it. Their most recent offer called for the players share in revenue to be set at 49 per cent next season -- down from 57 per cent in the deal that expired last weekend -- and proposed that it drops to 47 per cent by the end of the six-year deal. The union tabled an offer where the salary cap would be set to fixed increases of two per cent, four per cent and six per cent over the next three years. The system would then revert to a percentage-based system for the final two years. Wholesale MLB Jerseys .5 million contract. The 36-year-old defender scored four goals and added seven assists in 66 games with the Nashville Predators in 2011-12. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys . He just hasnt decided where hes going or what he wants to do. Hoping to squelch a weekend report that he would be interested in coaching the Dallas Cowboys if Jason Garrett gets fired, Holmgren, who may leave the Browns before this season ends, went out of his way Monday to make it known he isnt angling for any job. http://elevatedcolor.com/hot.html . Nasri was walking through the interview area when the heated exchange took place after the journalist asked him for a reaction to the loss. Reports said the dispute escalated and Nasri challenged the journalist to take their argument further.CHICAGO -- The Kansas City Royals wanted Bruce Chen to show more aggression. He finally did. Chen outpitched Jake Peavy for his first win in six weeks, Billy Butler hit his career-high 22nd homer and the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 5-2 on Tuesday night. The White Sox had won 10 of 13, but saw their lead over Detroit in the AL Central shrink to a half game when the Tigers beat the New York Yankees 6-5 earlier in the night. Gordon Beckham hit his first career leadoff homer for Chicago, and the White Sox scored again in the sixth after Kansas City tied it in the top half. But RBI singles by Tony Abreu and Alex Gordon off Peavy (9-8) in the seventh gave Kansas City a 3-2 lead. Butler added to it in the eighth with a two-run drive off Nate Jones after Mike Moustakas walked, and the Royals hung on from there, giving Chen (8-9) his first win since June 26. The left-hander gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings and finally came out on top after going 0-3 in his previous seven starts. It was a big improvement over his previous outing, when he got knocked out in the third against Cleveland after being staked to a six-run lead. He and manager Ned Yost had a long talk about being aggressive following that game, which the Royals eventually won. The message? Go after the hitters, establish the fastball. "His last three or four starts, he comes out and he hasnt established his fastball," Yost said. "All hes doing is throwing 82, 83, trying to get his control down, but hes got nothing to speed the bats up so they sit soft." It was different against the White Sox. Even when Beckham connected an 87 mph pitch in the first, Yost didnt blink because the home run came on a fastball. Chen was following the plan. "Obviously, Im trying to establish my fastball," he said. "Im trying to keep the ball down, but also pitching in and cutting the ball in on the righties was a big plus for me." The way Peavy was pitching, the Royals needed that. And the bullpen did its job with Kelvin Herrera pitching 1 1-3 innings and Greg Holland retiring the side in the ninth for his second save in four chances. Peavy also gave up seven hits in 6 22-3 innings, but was a tough-luck loser after beating Minnesota in his previous two starts.dddddddddddd He found his control after walking the games first two batters, issuing just one the rest of the way, but he couldnt protect the lead after the White Sox went up 2-1. "I dont like to lose," he said. "I just hate to lose. I wish I could have done more to help us win, I really do. It stinks when you feel like you have a chance to win and you dont. You get so close and you could have done things differently to win." The Royals had runners on first and third with one out in the seventh after Jeff Francoeur reached on a bunt down the third-base line and Eric Hosmer singled. Abreu then tied it with a single to left, and although Hosmer got thrown out at third by Dayan Viciedo, the Royals werent finished. Jarrod Dyson just beat out a single to second after Beckham made a diving stop on his grounder, and Gordon then chased Peavy with a single to centre that made it 3-2, putting Kansas City up for good. Now, the Royals are 4-3 in August after dropping 19 of 26 in July. "I think the last couple days weve had renewed energy, renewed vision, and Im pleased with where were at right now," Yost said. NOTES: The only other White Sox player with a leadoff homer this season was Alejandro De Aza against Cleveland on April 9. ... The White Sox scratched Kevin Youkilis from their lineup because of a sore right knee. Youkilis was penciled in to bat second and play third base. Instead, the White Sox inserted Ray Olmedo into the lineup at third and had him bat ninth while juggling several other spots in the order. ... Jordan Danks got his second straight start in centre field with De Aza bothered by tightness in his back. "I just want to get better," De Aza said. "Id rather lose two or three days instead of trying to play and it gets worse." ... Jeremy Guthrie goes for his first win as a Royal, while Jose Quintana starts for the White Sox on Wednesday. Guthrie is 0-3 with the Royals after going 3-9 with a 6.35 ERA in 15 starts and 19 appearances for Colorado. Quintana has four no-decisions since the All-Star break. ' ' '