Category Archives: 2012 Lockout

6 days…+ Albertan Legal Snag means what?!

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6.    6 days. That is all the remains between now and Bettman’s official announcement one way or the other. 6 days for the NHL and NHLPA to discuss any and all remaining issues. 6 days to make a final decision. The NHL and NHLPA will have to take some drastic steps to bridge the gap that remains between them prior to Saturday to avoid a lockout. The question remains should there be a lockout[as everyone suspects Bettman will announce]…how long will it last? Will it be a month..2 months…3 months…or worse?..The entire season lost?? Let’s hope its NOT the entire season gone & if we must be forced to endure a lockout that is short….because another season lost would be [say it with me now] HORRIBLE. Simply horrible. A lockout as I have said before is a word that every I loathe a little bit more. A lockout leaves no winners behind…not even Bettman.There are no winners with a lockout. None.That is all…we shall all hold our collective breath while we wait these last 6 days before Bettman throws the gavel down. 6 days before we shall know the fate of the *pending season. I really do think another lockout would be Bettman’s undoing and spark his replacement. 6 days until we know the fate of the hockey world. 6 days to know if I will be watching my Vancouver Canucks and the WHL/AHL games…or just the AHL & WHL games. 6 days to know whether the sport continues or the players move on to Plan B [playing abroad or simply taking a forced year off unlike Thomas who left the game willingly].

Rumor has it that the League [according to the NHLPA] may hit a legal snag in Alberta. Apparently the NHL is rushing the lockout clearance in the province without following the required steps. A lockout vote is required in the province of Alberta by the province’s NHL team owners[both owners of the Flames & Oilers] in order to legally lock out their players if there is no new collective bargaining agreement in place by the deadline. Under provincial law the NHL is supposed to assign a mediator, they did this on August 21st. The mediator is required to wait 14 days. The PA argues that while a mediator was hired the league did not make an effort of any kind with no mediation or any kind taking place between the mediator and two sides. If the PA’s accusations are correct then the League could NOT legally lockout the Calgary Flames or Edmonton Oilers players. AT ALL. What a season that would be….Calary & Edmonton on repeat for 82 games and NO other teams? Might get a little repetitive. Wouldn’t be something if this small little legal snag could prevent the lockout from happening and its Alberta that saves the season? I will tell you this…it certainly would be something…it really would.

6 days and we will not be waiting anymore.

6 days or less and we will hear officially of Shane Doan staying in Phoenix…that almost seems certain.

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

QUESTION….lockout conflict style with a side of ranting…

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Today’s ambition is to look at some [not all] major questions surrounding the stalled CBA talks and maybe just maybe rant a little more [if possible] in regards to the ever increasingly real possibility of a 2nd lockout in less than 10 years.

Question: WHY are the OWNERS, and BETTMAN dragging out these negotiations?!
Answer: They want MORE money and want to the players to make LESS money!….interesting concept as it does not match their current actions….[see below questions].

Question: IF playing the game is not about the money…WHY do the players keep signing BIG money deals?

Question: IF the owners want the new CBA to limit the length of years a player can sign for at 5 years…WHY do OWNERS keep signing big name players to insanely LONG-TERM deals?

Question: WHY is it that both sides have very different views of the new potential CBA agreement?
Answer: I’ll tell you a few of the answers that are swirling around. The OWNERS want the players to give back a large % of their salary and as expected…the players do not like it. The OWNERS new CBA would drop the current salary cap by more that $12 million. The PLAYERS want to keep their salaries BUT also help teams that are not comfortable financially. It’s a little confusing with the LEAGUE & OWNERS stating that they want to limit PLAYER contracts to 5 years…and yet THEY KEEP signing their PLAYERS to these crazy BIG MONEY, LONG-TERM contracts[Crosby, Staal, Weber, Suter, and Parise, etc.]!!!  As always its all about the numbers and large discrepancy between the numbers on each side. Good grief….if it is about the numbers….why not just meet some where oh I don’t know in the middle?[50/50…call me crazy but would that not be easier than both sides fighting over who should get more of the dang revenue/bonuses % etc.?!]

Question: WHY….WHY tease the fans with the release of the broadcast schedule?
Answer: I will tell you this, it certainly is a cruel way to raise the fans hopes of their being a season only to have taken away if Bettman throws the gavel down with his desired ruling of a lockout.

Rumor has that the CBA meetings will not pick until next week sometime. There are NHLPA meetings scheduled and the NHL Board of Governors also have meetings scheduled in NYC…albeit not together. In a slightly shocking development Ron MacLean is not standing in his typical belief as one of Bettman’s regular rule-followers that agree there will be a lockout..he has stated “there will not be a lockout in 2012”. We shall see about that…I’d really like to for once believe something MacLean says…it would be AMAZING to hear that there will be no lockout…unfortunately his statement is NO guarantee or in any way settling to me. That is not a guarantee…not even close…the clock is ticking with only 10 days until Bettman drops the final nail in these negotiations. In a not so shocking reveal…Alex Ovechkin has openly stated that players will consider leaving the NHL should a year long lockout occur and that “The NHL is being stupid” with their expectation that players salary get cut by 24% for “nothing” and if they are so set on cutting out long term-deals WHY[again] do THEY keep signing players to these deals?…I’ve got to say you have a point with that Ovie! The NHLPA has included helping out teams that struggle financially…but the NHL’s version of that would cut out long-term deals and cut down salaries all around….not exactly what one would call close ideals. The Maple Leafs Mike Komisarek has had this to say regarding the CBA debate: “The PA has been more than willing to negotiate a fair deal. I don’t think the same can be said for other side.”

There is bound to be many more sparks to fly before all is said and done but we shall all continue to hope for the unexpected from Bettman & company come the 15th. Only time will tell. #nolockoutPLEASE&THANKYOU #hockeyin2012PLEASE

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

12, 21, 38, 1 = an NHL lockout combination? + Numbers that define Hockey

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12, 21, 38, 1 are all numbers that currently relate to *pending 2012-2013 season and Bettman’s NHL. It appears that his ideal season next year is NO season, although NO announcement will be made until the 15th. 12, 21, 38, 1…all seemingly unimportant numbers by themselves…but today together they connect to make up Bettman’s lockout combination. Let’s hope they remain merely numbers that are a countdown to the next season and that is all. Here’s their relation to that lovely word I’ve come to despise a little more each day [lockout].

12 = the number of days until Bettman’s lockout deadline

21= the number of days until the Vancouver Canucks 2012-2013 pre-season is supposed to begin.

38 = the number of days until the NHL’s 2012-2013 regular season is supposed to begin.

1 = a year that all the fans may be forced to wait until the NHL begins again if a full season lockout occurs.

12, 21, 38, 1….Bettman’s lockout combination perhaps? Let’s hope not.

Life is full of numbers that represent just about everything.Life is all about the numbers, but so is hockey. Hockey as a game, is full of numbers in its break down.

60 = the number of minutes in a game [unless of course there’s Over Time or a Shoot Out].

3 = the number of periods in each game. [excluding POST season OT…in the playoffs OT is a full 20 minute period…and if not settled after one extra period will go to another OT and repeated until someone scores].

3 = also equals the number of shooters in the 1st round of a shootout.

20 = the number of minutes in one period

5 = the number of minutes in a regular season OT period.

2, 4, 5,10 = the number of minutes one player can be penalized for each different infraction if caught by the referee.

23 = the number of players on an active NHL roster.

82 = the number of regular season games [unless of course it gets shortened].

28 = the maximum number of games a team could play in the POST season.

16 = the number of POST season games a team must WIN to win the Stanley Cup.

There are also a series of numbers that begin unknown at the start of a season: the number of goals each player will score, the number of assists one player will get, the number of total points each player will get; the number of games each team will WIN or LOSE, the number of points a team will earn in the standings at the end of the year, or the number of games one player will go on a scoring streak for. There is also the unknown number of games a player may be suspended for controversial plays that cause injury to another player [although there is yet to be a consistent precedent reached on this matter] until after the incident occurs. Each player within one team wears a different jersey number although it might be the same as a player on a different team. The numbers help to define the game, but they also help to tell the whole story. Scores differ from every games, sometimes high-scoring and sometimes low scoring games. Some numbers in the game are predictable, some are not but that’s part of what makes the game exciting…the unpredictable and unexpected.

Both sides have presented proposals to one another and ALL of the proposals are centered on the numbers…how much revenue will the owners vs. the players get? where should the salary cap be set? should the team revenue be shared?….etc. It is time to stop this game of tug of war and stop fighting over who is right and wondering who will blink first. Just. Get. The. Deal. Done. As. Soon. As. Possible.

We. The. Fans. DO. NOT. WANT. A. Lockout. At. All.

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

CBA meetings stalled…two weeks left until the deadline…

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Welcome to September! Surprise, surprise. CBA meetings ended Friday with little progress once more as both sides still struggle to see eye to eye. The question is, when will the next CBA session take place? The next round of meetings has yet to be scheduled although rumors are swirling that this is just the beginning and more will be known closer to the 15th.Both sides have yet to see eye to eye on any proposal made. Talks seemed to have stalled and neither side is yet willing to give what it will take to reach a new agreement especially as Bettman wants the players to take a pay cut. He wants to them to see less and less profit each year….and is more than willing to enforce a lockout to achieve that aim. Not acceptable. Time is quickly winding down. Yesterday marked exactly two weeks until Bettman makes it official one way or the other…but each day that goes by with no answers makes it seem inevitable that he will lockout the players. The gavel will come down and it seems that Bettman is not in the business of gaining fans but rather gaining more who dislike him. Enough with dragging it out until the 15th…just come to an agreement already! Like any hockey fan, I would just like to know when or if the season will start! The decision feels like its already been made with little or no progress after each meeting….and it does not seem like one that will please the fans unless some drastic progress gets made in the next 13 days. I would love to hear that YES the season is starting on time…but we could hear NO it will be delayed or NOT at all. I would certainly love to write about more than the *potential [but very likely] lockout in the days that follow…but until the bricks fall into place that is all there is to report.

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

Players don’t want a lockout + CBA meetings continue+ New salary cap…maybe?

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The players are not shy to express their distaste in the face of a potential third lockout. Forward Zach Parise went as far as stating that he wants an on time season like the rest of the players but BETTMAN is “adamant” about a lockout. In regards to the ever endless CBA debate, the NHL and the NHLPA met again in NYC today to discuss the latest proposal that NHL presented yesterday. Fehr says that the PA will respond to the latest proposal in tomorrow’s[Thursday] meeting. Rumor has it that the new NHL proposal does not call for a salary rollback but rather suggests a drop in the salary cap from $70.2 [in 2011-2012] to $58 million for next season, a large drop and many teams are certainly over that number especially those with multiple players under long term contracts that will pay them each more than $10 million next season[ahem Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Nashville]. It will be interesting to see how the NHLPA respond to this proposal at tomorrow’s meetings. The last 5 seasons the salary cap has looked like this:

2007/2008 salary cap: $50.3 million

2008/2009 salary cap: $56.7 million

2009/2010 salary cap: $56.8 million

2010/2011 salary cap: $64.3 million

2011/2012 salary cap: $70.2 —>potential 2012/2013 salary cap: $58 million? Will this be possible to integrate within the current contracts of some teams players or will it even be considered by the PA as an option? Only time will tell…but there 16 days left to come up with a new deal signed before the clock strokes on the deadline and Bettman throws down the gavel one way or another. Each day that passes makes me despise the word “lockout” more and more, but you all know that if you follow my blog. I blogged about that just a few days ago. This round of CBA meetings seem to actually have BOTH sides talking things through…how thoroughly is yet to be seen.

The Ottawa Senators have signed Kyle Turris to a 5-year extension worth $17.5 million [or a $3.5 annual cap hit]. It pretty great contract for Turris following a year when a change of scenery made all the difference for his career. He became a much different and more influential player with Ottawa than he was in Phoenix. The Montreal Canadiens have announced that Rene Bourque[former Calgary Flame] will be sidelined 8-12 weeks following abdominal surgery. And while Doan’s agent has set a deadline for him signing his new contract there does not seem to be any urgency on Doan’s part to make that official.

Like with all things CBA related we will all have to wait and see if the NHL and NHLPA can reach an agreement before Bettman throws down the gavel to complete his lockout hat trick[3 lockouts in less than 20 years? is this the legacy that Bettman wants to leave behind…because that is all many people including myself will remember about him should a lockout occur this season].

That is all for today….until tomorrow, as always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

Bettman okay with lockout while CBA meetings aim to progress + other NHL happenings

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Dollars and sense. Economic issues seem to be the main focus of Tuesday’s meeting between the NHL and the NHLPA executives. Rumor has it that the NHL will be presenting a new proposal. The question remains whether or not the two sides can come together before economically September 15th. Both sides are looking to make progress in negotiations as the deadline looms. No one wants to hear the word ‘lockout’ uttered by Bettman. I really truly do loathe that word and all that comes or does come with it. Bettman’s legacy during his tenure as NHL Commissioner will be the 3 lockouts rather than advancements in the game, everyone will remember him stalling its progress 3 times. Time will tell whether he’s willing to take the gamble that could make or break apart the league its many fans. Will the fans return? Probably…but it will have nothing to do with Bettman calling us ‘the best fans’. It will be because we want to see their team and favourite players play the game again. I hate when Bettman makes suggestions to how the fans will respond because how can he know when he never HEARS us? We do not want the lockout….and should it happen….there will be MANY calling for him to be replaced. Keep your fingers crossed as this next round of CBA negotiaton begins and that real progress is made this time because otherwise we will all be stuck watching ESPN classics until the lockout is ended or worst case scenario until October 2013. Let’s all hope that does not happen.

In other news the Vancouver Canucks announced the re-signing of goal-tender Eddie Lack to a 2-year contract. He has spent the last few seasons playing with the Canucks AHL affiliates[The Manitoba Moose/ and current Chicago Wolves]. He seems pretty happy to return to the organization, we shall see how impacts the team whether it is with the Wolves or the big club next season. Talks are ongoing between Burrows and the Canucks regarding his extension.

A lockout may be looming and the Phoenix Coyotes may not have all their ownership issues in order but one thing is certain. Shane Doan will indeed sign a new contract prior to September 15th deadline.

Question marks are surrounding the Philadelphia Flyers and their fading blue-line…with all eyes waiting to know one way or the other if Pronger can or cannot play again. Philly has lost many of its rear guard to injury or free agency, but the biggest loss to their defence is the concussion that has sidelined Pronger since early last season. It would be an enormous void to fill should Pronger not be able to return. Time will tell.

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

Lockout looming & I hate the word LOCKOUT even more…it is not welcome in my vocabulary…

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Seriously…the players are needed to keep this great tradition called HOCKEY going. The word lockout is not a welcome one in my vocabulary…except for in this post…

I absolutely hate the word lockout and all that it embodies. The word lockout is one that ALL sports fans [but mostly hockey fans] loath to hear coming from the league executives. It is a word that brings with it days, months or even a year without the sport that gives every player the chance to rise above themselves. 30 teams vying for the same goal and in the end only ONE will be left standing after 82 regular season games[or maybe less if there is a short lockout or none until October 2013] and 4 intensely fought rounds in the playoffs. No other professional sport has ever lost an entire season due to a lockout and there is a possibility that with Bettman there will be a second one lost. Like I said I hate the word lockout and all the negatives it brings about. A lockout will take away the excitement that comes to each city as the calendar turns to October. There will be no Saturday night hockey nights. There will be no can’t miss games between bitter rivals. There will be no All-Star game and possibly no Winter Classic.There will be no moments of the unexpected, no hat tricks, no moments of sheer magic that can occur in one game on a particular night. There will be no streak achieved. There will be no games to remember. There might be a few exhibition games between NHL and KHL players should there be a lockout…but that would only be a handful of games….and would not compare to the grind that is the regular season and the level of excitement when playoffs begin. Playoffs are an entire different level of excitement..16 teams qualify…but ONLY one will win it all. There will be no victory parade for the team that wins because with a lockout NO ONE wins. There will not be any playoffs if Bettman gets his desire to stick to his gamble that the players must give in and that league will not lose any fans.Get real Bettman…we have been here before and YES the fans returned last time…but a second full season lockout will not be taken lightly at all. The fans have spoken but will we be heard? Not too mention a lockout will cause the NHL to lose more money than the last lockout…is it worth it? Simply put, NO. It is not worth another entire season lost just to make a ridiculous point…how many more points does Bettman want to make? It would be the 2nd lockout in less than 10 years?! Does that not sound wrong to anyone else? Who’s with me? It is not too much to ask that he return some respect to the fans and in turn they may start to respect him?…did I just say that? yikes…I must miss hockey! If Bettman wants to gain some respect back first the fans will have to be given a FULL season…and he WILL have to hold EVERY team and player to the SAME standard regarding the rules[aka when a player breaks another player’s vertebrae{Pacioretty when Chara rammed him into the stanchion received only a penalty!} or puts another player in a back brace{Raymond game 6…Rome got 4 games for causing a concussion…Boychuk got NOTHING for breaking Raymond’s back..disgusting!}….there should be more than the nothing that was given to either Bruin….or when a goalie is full on attacked outside his crease{when Lucic took out Miller.. he got ONE game…that is all…that was ludicrous!} there should be some accountability for ALL players{and then there was the example of Torres getting 25 games….} and NO favoritism or antagonism for one team or player whenever the league begins again.

What do the fans want? We want the season to start on time. Will that happen? That is yet to be determined….as the ever looming September 15th deadline from Bettman inches closer.

The season is supposed to begin October 11th…but it very well could be delayed or be canceled completely. If it is a brief lockout[aka 2 months or so] that wouldn’t be the worst thing…yes there would not be an 82 game schedule…but each team would play same amount of games in the shortened season…but still need the elusive 16 wins to earn the Stanley Cup. A shortened season does not diminish the victory…just ask the 1995 cup winning Devils and their at the time rising star Martin Brodeur[he now has 3 cups to his name & 2 Olympic GOLD medals!] or this year’s NBA Champion Lebron James and the Miami Heart! A shortened season may cause some disappointment but it would be WAY better than a full season lost because of sheer stubbornness.

I really truly do despise the word lockout and all that comes with it whenever it comes to pass in sports…but especially when it follows the acronym NHL.

DEAR, NHL & NHLPA…lets get this deal done PLEASE! -Sincerely, the fans.

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

NHL & NHLPA still have work to do+ Detroit looking to get a ‘yandle’ on D

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Well just like that another day of meetings between the NHL & the NHLPA (NHL Player’s Association) have come to a close. It has been called a clever and creative initiative designed to avoid a  work  stoppage. A few details regarding the NHLPA’s ‘alternative view’ the NHL’s original proposal have become public knowledge: it would give extra draft picks to teams in financial trouble(they would build for the future); franchises[under special circumstances] would be able to trade/sell up to $4 million in cap space to another team. Bettman and NHL however view this as slightly too ambitious as he has stated that there is too wide of a gap between the two sides and must be resolved prior to the deadline. There is one more session of meetings tomorrow and then the next major meeting of both sides is next Wednesday. There is still work to be done before all is said and done. I remain one the sole optimists in this situation and I will remain so until otherwise filled with rage by Gary Bettman making an announcement that will anger all fans. Fingers crossed that doesn’t happen.

Rumor has it that the Detroit Red Wings have inquired about Phoenix defenseman Keith Yandle. They lost both the Suter & Weber sweepstakes & Lidstrom retired…so it appears they are looking for younger solid defenseman to fill the void left behind. Detroit has also been in the pursuit of Bouwmeester from Calgary….it will be interesting to see if they acquire either and what they would have to give up to make either deal a reality.

Below is a link to a tribute one of my favourite Canucks, who will sadly never lace up the skates again…but in his short time here, left the fans with many vivid memories. Rick Rypien had no fear when it came to taking on the bigger guys…his fights and goals always had the crowd on their feet to give him a standing ovation. He may have been small but that did not stop Rypper from playing his tenacious style. #37 will always be remembered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHX9rOEJnVs 

We await the coming drama that shall unfold as the off-season winds down. As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

NHL & NHLPA continue meetings + HABS go to the MAX + still waiting on Doan

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Today marks day 3/4 of the meetings between the NHL and the NHLPA in Toronto. The NHLPA took their time in diligently putting together their perspective and yesterday Donald Fehr and the NHLPA presented their alternative view to the NHL’s original proposal. Fehr brought out the big guns(Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin & Steven Stamkos) for his presentation in push to make it known that the NHLPA wants to get a deal done. Other players were also present including: Jason Spezza, Mike Camalleri, John Tavares, & P.K. Subban. Bettman was very quiet following yesterday’s meeting only stating that the NHL is going to evaluate the proposal and hopefully respond in today’s meeting(at 12PM Eastern). Meetings go through Thursday. Rumor has it that this round of meetings have taken on a sense of urgency with both sides wanting to avoid a lockout. Let’s hope that the positives keep on coming & that we get that official announcement we are all waiting for(that the season will continue as planned) in the next 4 weeks! Bettman will have to deal with fans around the world should he even utter the word lockout as a reality. Here’s hoping he makes the right decision!

The hits just keep on coming. The Philadelphia Flyers have taken yet ANOTHER hit to the blueline. Defenseman Andreas Lilja is out until November(optimistically) due to recovering from hip surgery. The Flyers have already lost Carle(to free agency), Meszaros with his torn achillles tendon(out indefinitely), Pronger(to concussion…still no official word on when/if he will be able to to play), and Weber(thanks to Nashville’s matching of their outrageous offer sheet)

In other news the Montreal Canadiens have signed Max Pacioretty to a 6-year extension worth $27 million(or $4.5 million annual cap hit). He led the team last year with 65 points. The fact that he played at all last season(let alone led the team in scoring) is impressive following the controversial hit by Chara late in the 2010-2011 season. Despite offer sheet rumors, restricted free agent P.K. Subban is hoping to have his own contract with the #Habs signed as soon as possible…he believes that he will have a long career in Montreal. It is where is he is from, it is the team he grew up cheering for, the team that drafted him & the team he desires to stay a part of. The Edmonton Oilers are looking to be ‘taylor-made’ and  have resumed talks to extend Taylor Hall beyond next season. The Calgary Flames have invited veteran forward Steve Begin to their training camp on a professional tryout. Begin missed all of last season recovering from hip surgery. Best of luck to him on his comeback!

Still waiting…yes its true Doan has still YET to make an official decision. The guy cannot be called hasty as he really takes everything into consideration for this decision. It feels like the longer this saga takes, the more likely it is that he stays in Phoenix but then again who knows, maybe he will shock us all. Once again, we will have to wait until any official announcement is made.

I’m sure there will be drama before this day is done…all eyes will remain on the NHL/NHLPA meetings in Toronto.

As always,until next time,  nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

All eyes on NHLPA’s presentation + optimism enough for all hockey fans!

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All eyes remain on the NHL & NHLPA meetings taking place in Toronto this week. Talks began 7 weeks ago…and there has been a constant back & forth until Bettman enforced a Sept. 15th deadline. Tomorrow is the day that the NHLPA led by Fehr will make their presentation of their alternative view for a new CBA[Collective Bargaining Agreement- settles the team salaries/cap/bonuses/franchise revenues/etc]. It is rumored that Sidney Crosby will be one the players present in representing the NHLPA at tomorrow’s meeting. Bettman is said to be ‘curious of the players view’, but the end result will tell the whole tale. Both sides remain optimistic that a new CBA can be established by September 15th. As I previously stated, I might be the only optimistic fan out there…but I  do think there is room for optimism in this scenario and I will just have to be optimistic enough for all hockey fans. Even if it ends up a shortened season….I would rather shorter than NO season. I do not like to entertain the idea of no hockey…we had that in 2004-2005(delaying Alex Ovechkin’s NHL debut until the 2005-2006 season when he was drafted in June 2004!) and it was brutal! Fingers crossed that the players, NHLPA director Fehr & Bettman can all come to an agreement that makes all sides happy and gives us a FULL season beginning in October:)! I refuse to join all those who are accepting the lockout before it is even official…what will you all do if it doesn’t happen, or is not all season long? Hear’s hoping this week goes well in Toronto for the NHLPA!

#59days

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.