TORONTO -- Locked-out NHL players had the pain of missing their first full pay period offset Tuesday when they received last seasons escrow cheque. Logan Paulsen Jersey . Players were returned 7.98 per cent of what they earned last year, plus interest, one day before their second paycheque of the 2012-13 season would have been due, according to a spokesman for the NHL Players Association The escrow payments amount to about $80,000 for every million dollars a player earned -- before deductions. For example, New York Rangers forward Brad Richards grossed approximately $960,000 after being the leagues highest-paid player last season. Under the terms of the expired collective bargaining agreement, NHL players had a portion of their salaries deducted throughout the season and placed into an escrow account. Once the final accounting for a year was completed, which ensured the correct percentage of revenue was paid out in salaries, players were refunded accordingly. Tuesdays escrow payment came at an important time with the lockout set to eliminate another pay cycle. Players also missed a cheque on Oct. 15, but that would only have covered four days of work. The paycheque they were to have been given Wednesday would have been for a full half-month period. NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr met with a group of players in Minnesota on Monday night and acknowledged in an interview with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that some of his constituents are concerned about lost wages that are mounting during the lockout. "But that doesnt mean you make a bad agreement because of it," Fehr told the newspaper. The NHLs labour talks have been on hold since Oct. 18, when the NHLPA countered a league offer with three proposals of its own. Each of those was quickly rejected. Since then, a league-imposed deadline to play a full season passed without further talks and the NHL cancelled all games through Nov. 30. The Jan. 1 Winter Classic outdoor game is expected to be wiped off the schedule later this week. Superstorm Sandy forced the NHL to close its New York headquarters on Monday and Tuesday, but deputy commissioner Bill Daly indicated that it didnt affect the bargaining process. However, he added in an email that there was no progress to report on the labour front. Robert Griffin III Black Jersey .Y. -- The first round of this weeks Champions Tour tournament has been suspended due to rain. Reed Doughty Jersey . Bruce hit a three-run home run to cap a five-run fourth, leading the Reds to a 6-1 victory over the Brewers on Monday night. http://w... . Frank Francisco walked a pair of batters with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning, then gave up a two-run double to Martin Prado that put the potential tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second. [url=http://www.shopredskinsgear.us/robert-griffin-iii-redskins-jersey/]Robert Griffin III Limited Jersey . Chicago made the plays and scored three runs, while Torontos offence and defence both stalled as the White Sox eked out a 3-2 victory on Tuesday. Robert Griffin III Jersey .Y. - Chris Kreider is six games into his NHL career and days shy of his 21st birthday.PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates acquired former All-Star first baseman Gaby Sanchez from the Miami Marlins in a deal announced right before Tuesdays trade deadline. Pittsburgh also got minor league pitcher Kyle Kaminska for minor league outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and the extra draft pick for 2013 that the Pirates won in the competitive balance lottery for financially weaker teams. General manager Neal Huntington said the price to acquire a high-profile player for the rest of the season was too steep. "We feel like overall weve improved our rotation, weve improved our lineup, weve improved our bench, and well work to put our bullpen in the same spot it was," Huntington said. "The acquisition cost on every quote-unquote sure thing -- which I will remind you, there is no sure thing -- was prohibitive for us." "Short term rentals more often than not dont work out for the team that gives up the prospects," he added. Pittsburgh, chasing Cincinnati for the NL Central title and doing well in the wild-card race, also obtained right-handed reliever Chad Qualls from the New York Yankees for infielder Casey McGehee on Tuesday, just before the 4 p.m. deadline for trades without waivers. The Pirates also recently traded for left-handed starter Wandy Rodriguez and added outfielder Travis Snider in a deal with Toronto on Monday night. The 28-year-old Sanchez was having a disappointing year. He was batting only .202 with three home runs and 17 RBIs, and had been demoted to Triple-A in May for nearly a month. "We liked him the past two years," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "Weve inquired about him the past two winters and couldnt get close to him. You dont get players when theyre going well." Sanchez hit 19 home runs in each of the previous two seasons and was an NL All-Star last year. "Our scouts have seen the bat speed and the impact that we saw a year ago," Huntington said on a conference call. Evan Royster Jersey. "Weve seen him start to use the middle of the field with authority. ... He is showing that hes performing well, and we see the elements behind it to justify the performance." Huntington said Snider would "get the primary work load" in right field, and that Qualls was added to fill the hole in the bullpen created when Brad Lincoln was sent to the Blue Jays in the deal. Snider, hitting second in the lineup Tuesday against the Cubs, said he was looking forward to a pennant race. "Im excited to be a part of a winning ballclub," Snider said. "Its been exciting to watch this ballclub, just being a fan of baseball and seeing the strides theyve taken over the last five years. Theyve really put together a great clubhouse and a great team and Im looking forward to being a part of it." Qualls has a 4.89 ERA this season. Huntington said he didnt pay much attention to the ERA of relievers, noting instead that scouts had seen "quality sink" from Qualls. "Reliever ERA is one of the worst statistics to evaluate any player on," Huntington said. "Chad feels like hes found a mechanical fix that will enable him to keep the ball down in the strike zone on a regular basis .... We feel like hes going to be helped by our league and our ballpark." The Marlins recently traded away star infielder Hanley Ramirez and pitcher Anibal Sanchez. Miami got three-time All-Star Carlos Lee from Houston in early July, but the first baseman did little damage for his new team. Kaminska, a 23-year-old righty, was a combined 6-4 with one save and a 5.20 ERA in Triple-A and Double-A. Hernandez had two hits and batted .083 for Pittsburgh this season. The 24-year-old hit .257 with two homers and 25 RBIs in Triple-A. ' ' '