Tough guy Tie Domi says the NHL's proposal to roll back the salaries of the highest-paid players is an affront to the sport's top attractions.

''The players are really insulted, especially the star players like (Sergei) Fedorov, (Martin) Brodeur and (Mats) Sundin,'' the Toronto Maple Leafs winger said Wednesday. ''These are the guys who are supposed to sell the game.

''It's a real slap in the face for these guys especially. They're really upset about it. They may not say that on camera, but they're really insulted, just like everybody else.''

The locked-out NHL players on the Worldstars tour of Europe were mostly disappointed that talks Tuesday between the league and the NHL Players' Association did not produce an end to the three-month-old dispute.

Last week, the players offered to take an across-the-board 24 per cent pay cut on existing contacts to help settle the stalemate. The league countered Tuesday with a graduated rollback that would see the top salaries cut by as much as 35 per cent while leaving the lowest salaries untouched.

The counter-offer from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was rejected by the union and there are no further talks scheduled.

Domi, who makes his living protecting Toronto's most skilled players, called the counter-offer ''unacceptable.''

The main concern now is that the two sides won't reach an agreement and the entire 2004-05 season will be scrapped. Brodeur said the league's offer made that a distinct possibility.

''If they want to act like that, they might as well put everybody out of their misery and just do it,'' he said. ''I had a lot of hope.

''I thought Mr. Bettman wanted to get this resolved, but I guess they just want to go one way - to try to bully us to have a salary cap.''

Several players suggested the league doesn't went to negotiate anything but a salary cap.

''The NHL responded with a tough offer, by taking everything we proposed and putting a cap on top of it,'' added Brodeur. ''It just doesn't look like they want to settle anything.''

Defenceman Rob Blake was also pessimistic about the season.

''I was optimistic, but I think I can change that tune pretty quickly, just based on the rejection of our proposal and their counter-offer and the way things broke off,'' he said. ''It doesn't look good.''

Four Worldstars players - Brodeur, Sundin, Blake and Fedorov - are in the highest salary bracket - more than $5 million US per season - and would be most affected if the league's proposal were accepted.

But Brendan Shanahan, who is not far behind the best-paid players, still hopes a deal can be reached so at least a shortened schedule can be played.

''It's encouraging that new proposals are being thrown back and forth,'' he said. ''It's frustrating the way negotiations go, they take time.

''All the players and fans and most of the owners are hoping we can get a season in.''

It's been suggested that by not cutting players making $800,000 or less the league is attempting to divide the union, but Shanahan said it won't work.

''The hockey mentality is that when we're challenged, we grow tighter together,'' he said. ''One player or two might speak out and it might reflect (badly) on the union, but 99 per cent of the union will band together.''

Sundin is another who hasn't lost hope.

''We were hoping they'd be a little closer to our offer and they'd be closer to a solution, but there's still time,'' he said. ''It's a lot of money.

''We saw that and calculated that, but we still want to have a season. We'll see if they come up with another proposal.''

Late Tuesday night, players were huddled around computer screens at the team hotel looking for news of the talks. Most chose not to comment on it until they'd read the full counter-offer and discussed it among themselves and with agents Pat Brisson and J.P. Barry of IMG, who organized the 10-game, seven-country Worldstars tour.

A night's sleep didn't erase the worry that the season may be played.

''I don't feel good about it,'' said Fedorov. ''We put everything out there to make both sides happy.

''I don't know of any instances in which players pay back owners in any business. Obviously, they don't want to have a season.''