4 weeks ago today when the clock struck midnight it was announced that the lockout had become official. 4 weeks. 28 days. The clock ticks a little louder each day as more and more players flock to play overseas. The American Hockey League has officially kicked off their season with an overhaul of NHL vets filling their rosters. There has been little progress [translation: NO progress] in the latest round of CBA meetings and you can almost feel the tension building everywhere you look. The media is constantly looking to break the lack of news first or fabricating a story out of nothing. NHL executives and NHL Players alike are never short of vocabulary to voice their varying opinions on the ever important topic. 28 days later. 28 days later and still the face of the NHL, Sidney Crosby has not lost faith that BOTH sides will agree to a new CBA before the year is over. So it shall be that the face of the NHL continues to wait for such an agreement to come into place along with the rest of us. It has been said via an article published through Sportsnet that “Crosby would prefer to believe that the owners are committed to making a deal, but like many fellow players he can’t help but wonder if the lockout was something they long ago decided to use as a means to coax a better deal out of the union”. Is this just how negotiations work? Let’s hope not. Like many of the players and executives involved, Crosby is keeping close tabs on the CBA debate and still confident that both sides will work out a deal sooner rather than later….wow, you still have ONE current player who still believes that the season WILL happen. Lucky for you higher ups…it is the face of your NHL that has yet to lose faith. The question is are you willing to take that faith away? Let’s hope not…because that would be a tragedy.

When will the game return? Like Crosby many fans are asking when the REAL negotiations are going to happen and just what is their target date for the season to get back on track? 28 days later and still the same questions remain. What will it take to get both sides on the same side? How much money is the NHL willing to lose? When will the game return?

“It’s still early,” said Crosby. “There’s time for decisions to be made and to make sure that nobody does anything that they’re going to regret.” Like Crosby, I will continue to hold out hope that in the end no one does or says anything they will regret.

28 days later and the NHL has still not returned. You know, as a Canucks fan it is embedded in my DNA to NEVER cheer for Chicago…NEVER….but this lockout has me cheering for Chicago….#theWolves that is[not to worry fellow #Canuckfans, I am not and will not be rooting for the #blackhawks….EVER]. It is nice to have at least a few games to watch…between the AHL and the WHL[Chiefs & Giants]. Congrats to EBBETT on getting the #wolves first goal of the year & congrats to the team starting the year 2-0!!

28 days later and we still miss hockey even though some may claim they will not return to the game [we all know you will!]. 28 days later and the lockout still continues with no progress on the core economic issues. 28 days later and things are more or less the same. 28 days later and I still remain one of the few who have hope….but the longer this lockout endures the fewer who think the NHL will return.

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.