It was only a matter of time before the details of what went down Saturday came out. They're starting to today, and it's pretty apparent that the NHLPA blew it yet again. I can't understand how you as a union drag two of the best, if not the two best, men ever to play this game into a meeting to "mediate" and then refuse to negotiate. Yet that is what the NHLPA did, and you know it's true when it makes the PA look bad and comes from the desk of NHLPA mouthpiece Larry Brooks:

Though it is clear that militants from Florida, Nashville, Edmonton and Boston led the movement to undermine Wayne Gretzky's attempts to lobby small-market clubs to accept a $45M cap, The Great One himself has told confidants that he left the meeting far more miffed at the union than upset with the league.

At the same time, we've learned that Mario Lemieux has told friends that the NHLPA appeared completely disorganized on Saturday.

While the perception has been created that Gretzky and Lemieux were recruited by ownership to help mediate the conflict — which is certainly how it was presented to me — it's now known that No. 99 and No. 66 were asked to intercede by the players' side.

Indeed, I've now been told by a trustworthy individual that Gretzky was all but begged to intervene by Coyote player rep Shane Doan while Lemieux was initially invited to the come-as-you-are party by Calgary player rep Jarome Iginla.

While it's too late for this year, the NHLPA needs to fire Bob and make a deal to save the draft and the next season. And soon, before this trickle of damage to the game becomes a tsunami.