Tag Archives: lockout

GAME ON!

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In case you missed it….the NHL and NHLPA came together yesterday in 16+ hour marathon negotiation with mediator Beckenbaugh[this guy had immense pressure to get these sides together!] and announced that a NEW CBA HAS BEEN REACHED.

THE NHL is back on ICE!!!!!!!!! I told you all that there was still room for optimism!!! I told you all that I thought there was always hope for a season this year….and guess my optimism has paid off!

The word lockout is not a welcome one in my vocabulary. Yet it has forced its way into it for WAY too long. It is about bloody time a new #CBA has been reached! #GAMEON boys!!! #BeckenbaughLockoutHero #2013fortheWIN

The word lockout is not a welcome one in my vocabulary. Yet it has forced its way into it for WAY too long. It is about bloody time a new #CBA has been reached! #GAMEON boys!!! #BeckenbaughLockoutHero #2013fortheWIN

No more ‘lockout’ heavy blogs. The game has simply returned!

The new deal presents a 10-year duration with an opt out option in after 8 years. That means 8 YEARS before another one of these CBA sagas again[although they should probably begin dealing with it before the end of year 8!]. The new deal also brings with a 50[or 48] game schedule…depending on just how soon the season can get underway with quick camps. Keep your eyes on January 17-20th for opening day!!!

#soexcited #feelslikeChristmas

Game on boys!! Cannot wait for all the ups and downs that come with an NHL season!! Here’s to a memorable 2013 NHL season in more ways than one!

More details are sure to come in the next few hours and coming days! The NEW schedule will soon follow, as soon as I know I will add it to here! Until next time, as always, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

THE SEASON IS BACK ON!!! TIME TO GET THOSE JERSEYS OUT FOLKS...lets turn this town BLUE & GREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE SEASON IS BACK ON!!! TIME TO GET THOSE JERSEYS OUT FOLKS…lets turn this  town BLUE & GREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #GAMEON

NHL & the PA go to Court + BP offers their solution

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And as with many times before talks between both sides went cold. Just as progress seemed to be on the horizon meetings were met with a frigid tone as soon as Bettman and Fehr entered the players+owners only meetings. And just as before as each round has gone south, this latest sour note was met with MORE cancellations. All games prior to and on December 30th have been cancelled. The odd thing is that he only cancelled two weeks and left the very very TINY possibility of new year’s eve as a start date. The latest round of meetings in this CBA saga is set to begin this last week. Wednesday’s meetings are set to be met with mediators between the NHL and the PA. The time to go back and forth has passed…it is time to get down to the bones and put together a new CBA. Fans are growing more agitated as the lockout approaches the 90 day mark and the number games canceled is 526 regular season games….nearly half of the scheduled games have been lost. 90 days into this lockout has led to an intensified war of words and blame game…leading both sides to file court actions against one another. Mediators did not help to bring the sides closer together. [Interesting factoid…last year when the NBA lockout escalated and legal actions were filed…12 days later they announced the season was re-instated].

In other news the World Juniors team for Canada has been set and will feature a slew of young NHL talent as the lockout will still be in place. That young gun team will be led by the Oiler’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins! This squad will be Canada’s most talented Junior team since their 2005-2009 Gold medal teams streak. I guess I will have excuse to watch some hockey this Christmas after all.

How’s this for a solution to the CBA drama? Boston Pizza took it upon themselves to plea to the NHL and the PA for the 2012-2013 season to be salvaged sooner than later. Its not likely to result in a signed CBA deal…but it is an entertaining idea. It is definitely high time for them to get serious about matters….I for one would LOVE to see hockey in 2013. I do not care about who is right or wrong in this ridiculous saga…it is time to STOP blaming each other and actually come up with a solution that works for BOTH sides.

That is all for now. As always until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

GB Going Negative as the 2012 Lockout Continues…

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As if good old GB needed any more negative press than all the local media is giving him the last few days. Following my posting of the NHL and the NHLPA’s stream of consistent meetings….Bettman decided rather than come to an agreement that it would be best to wait for it because I know how much you all love to wait….take a break…a two week break. Ridiculous? Yes. It was a stupid idea. It led to all the local sports media and many players to call out Bettman for this ridiculous idea. Detroit Red Wings, Ian White called GB an idiot and Toronto’s Joffrey Lupul sarcastically called Bettman’s desired break from talks as a “great approach” moving forward. Despite GB’s desire for a lengthly break from CBA discussions, the two sides are scheduled to resume meetings Monday[November 19th].

In lieu of having the season re-instated, Canuck fans can take a small comfort in the fact that Daniel Sedin is completely symptom free following that crunching Keith elbow that sidelined him with a concussion back in March. [I know all of you, Canuck fans, remember the hit of which I mention….a hit that made us all cringe at once]. Despite the game being on hold, it is great news to hear that Daniel Sedin is symptom free!

Pavel Bure was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame recently which left many divided on whether the honour was deserved. It also sparked many to suggest that perhaps the Canucks should retire Pavel Bure’s jersey in the upcoming season whenever that should come to be. Is there a doubt that Bure was an amazing player? No…he was definitely a one of a kind player….he didn’t earn the nickname “Russian Rocket” for nothing. The guy won the Calder trophy, scored 60 + goals more than once and catapulted the Canucks on one of their most memorable playoff runs in their history [1994]. Bure’s quick reliable shot helped re-define Canucks hockey making plays that seemed impossible, so yes maybe they should retire #10. Maybe you think it should not be retired but rather that he is included in the “Ring of Honour” or that the Hockey Hall of Fame was good enough. Regardless of anyone’s opinion on Bure’s inclusion in the HHOF or the possibility of his jersey being retired, NO ONE can dispute his talent or contribution to the game. The Russian Rocket left Vancouver fans with some great memories.

Date to keep in mind: January 20th 1995. That is the date the shortened season began following the 1994-95 season lockout. Yes, the October and November have been taken away, and the Winter Classic being canceled certainly puts a damper on the chances of the season happening. Each day makes it seem as though, Bettman wants to take away more from the fans[especially as he wanted a break from meetings!..]. I know it seems more and more unlikely to everyone out there that a season is even possible at this point…but in 1994/95 …the season did not begin until January 20th….and I cannot help but hold a [albeit faint] sliver of hope. Perhaps my being optimistic will drive some people crazy or lead some to call me crazy..but that does not bother me. I simply miss the game, and the idea that it will not return is not something that I choose to entertain.

Each day as the lockout drags on, the league, owners and players alike lose more money. Each day fans, media and yes even all the bandwagon fans pick sides, and each individual thinks their opinion is the correct one. Each day both sides stand their ground, and each day the fans grow more disgruntled. Each day the lockout continues to drag on. Each day Bettman and Fehr speak on behalf of their side, but since Bettman’s desire for a break rather than continued discussion or a resolution has led many to call for his resignation as soon as a new CBA is reached.

CBA talks will resume tomorrow as will the usual drama that ensues when these two parties meet. As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

The 2012 CBA saga continues…

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Like any sports fan, I hate lockouts. As an NHL fan…I really hate lockouts. This is the 3RD lockout in less than 20 years of Bettman’s reign. For the piece of ‘de resistance’ good old GB’s announced on Friday, that Winter Classic is indeed canceled. WOW. Canceling the Winter Classic is below the belt. Many fans had already purchased tickets, and the outdoor event was set to host more than 70,000 fans. I hate…no LOATHE the fact that this marquee event has been taken away from the fans. On the heels of this ridiculous announcement came the news that CBA talks were set to resume Saturday between Bill Daly and Steve Fehr. Their meeting was rumored to continue until 1:00 AM Sunday morning. More CBA meetings are set to be scheduled and reportedly may resume tomorrow in NYC between Bettman, his minions, and Donald Fehr and the PA. Is there reason to be excited? Perhaps not just yet, but there is as always room for optimism. Whether or not this latest round of CBA discussions brings the season back sooner or later, there is finally discussion happening. This is the first round of discussion between the two sides since October 18th[more than two weeks ago!]. Progress of any kind such as the extended discussion of the weekend is encouraging in the CBA saga that at times seems never ending.

Here are a few things that I am certain of:

1. Some people think the players are asking for too much money and some think that the owners are taking too much money. BOTH sides need to make compromises that they can BOTH live with.

2. The Owners are upset that the players want more money BUT if was the OWNERS that signed the players to those big lofty contracts. Contracts that have been SIGNED should be honored.

3. The lockout has hurt more than the players, owners, and fans…it has hurt those individuals who work in and around the game within each organization. The lockout has taken jobs from hundreds of people that did not deserve to lose their jobs…they should be allowed to go back to work.

4. The fans deserve better and just want to watch hockey again…but this lockout will push some away from the game they love. After the last lockout, the league introduced the shootout to entice fans to return….what will the league use this time to bring back the fans who turn away?
5. Gary Bettman, you, made the WRONG decision in the canceling of the Winter Classic. Every time it seems like there is progress…GB follows it with yet another announcement of a chunk of games canceled or a proposal deemed unacceptable.

6. I absolutely LOATHE the word ‘lockout’ and its three separate associations with the NHL (the 1994-1995 season, the 2004-2005 season, and now the 2012-2013 season). As I stated in the opening of this blog….I hate hate hate lockouts and I know I am not the only one.

Perhaps as sports writer Damien Cox suggests in the link below…that reason for the serious talks not beginning until November is that this whole lockout scheme seems scripted and was perhaps in the plans all along. Maybe it was…

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/article/1282764–nhl-lockout-if-it-s-november-it-means-serious-negotiations-are-finally-under-way-cox

It is November…and I should not be writing about the continued lockout. November means the beginning of when teams begin to take shape and streaks begin. November should not mean continued discussion of the THIRD lockout in GB’s tenure. November should not be NO-hockey-VEMBER.  As Cox and others have suggested…it seems as though all along that the league planned to have the lockout continue through November…and maybe they did. No matter how this lockout came to be, whether you blame: Bettman, the league, the owners, Fehr, or the players; it is time to end it and to put the game back on the ice.

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

NHL fans are forced into NO-hockey-vember…

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In August, Bettman said that a lockout was probable. In August, Bettman gave the NHL world September 15th as a deadline before enacting an official lockout. In September, Bettman said a lockout was now a reality and it is a lockout of unknown length. In early October, Bettman said the lockout would endure for the month or longer unless the players decided to play the game HIS way. Now as we near the end of October…Bettman says the lockout will indeed endure throughout November [aka  NO-hockey yet-vember…..yuck!]. In the months since negotiations began that have past…each time Bettman gives the fans a tantalizing taste of what could be, only to cruelly snatch it away. It seems extremely cruel to tease the fans and players alike with false hope. Each day as Bettman pulls the strings a little tighter on the fading hope of the season, his legacy of lockouts grows stronger.

Following each statement[with exception of the latest one], the face of the NHL, Sidney Crosby was quick to believe that a solution still existed. Sidney Crosby expressed his great disappointment that yet again there is no deal in place. With the latest disappointment Crosby is finally conceding that it may be time to make the move to play abroad. Like Crosby…I  have held firm in belief that a solution can be made and I am extremely disappointed that yet again no real progress has been made on the CBA….[the NHLPA provided not ONE but THREE proposals that the NHL barely glanced!] My disappointment is great but I will hold onto a sliver of hope for a partial season[I refuseto fully go to the dark side of doom and gloom] even as not just a week, but the entire month of November was put on the chopping block by Bettman. Many players have reacted to the latest loss of games by stating that they believed that Bettman had these games through November canceled back in the summer but is just announcing them when the time seems right to him. The longer this work stoppage goes on…the more it seems the players are correct in thinking that Bettman had anticipated these games being canceled back in the summer.

There are whispers of the Winter Classic being next on Bettman’s growing chopping block as he holds all the cards. Rumor has that the NHLPA is and has been more than willing to meet up and negotiate whereas the NHL [Bettman and his minions] are holding them at bay refusing to negotiate a deal. Correct me…but did Bettman not at one point[September or earlier] say that his aim was to minimize the number of games lost? As of today more than 300 league-wide regular season have been cut. If any progress is going to be made…it will take more than ONE side being willing to negotiate. I, myself would rather that these meetings take place stat before we lose the Winter Classic or lose the rest of the season.

NO-hockey yet-VEMBER has not yet begun but already I loathe it. Halloween usually brings a night of unpredictable games and November is usually when teams start getting in a groove…and scoring streaks are begun. Instead of watching their teams take to the ice…fans are forced to hear each day how MORE and MORE players deciding to play in the European leagues. It is nearly November and we should be getting to see each team beginning to take shape and settle into a pattern. October and November mean I’ve got stats on each team memorized….but this year with no NHL there are no stats to memorize or debate. When I think of Bettman and all his ‘official statements’…the only word that seems to come out is ‘lockout’….it is all I will remember of time as NHL Commissioner…3 lockouts. October and November have been taken away…but in December, I hope we hear Bettman say that hockey will return before the new year. In short…all I want for Christmas is my hockey team and 29 others back on the ice.

#endthelockout

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

…three days, two days, one day, & then we will know…

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As we all knew would happen…in a move that surprises no one, the next chunk of games has been cancelled. All games prior to and on November 1st have been cancelled. The good news is that it still leaves open the possibility for the season to start up on November 2nd.  Thursday has been set as the tentative deadline as the league would like there to be a week or so of training camp in place prior to the season beginning in November should a new CBA be reached. There is still hope following this week’s disappointment of no finalized CBA deal. There was finally REAL discussion and perhaps even paving the way for actual negotiation. Did we all think the players would sign a 50/50 split deal right away? No…but we certainly hoped that they would as we all miss hockey. We also hoped that the NHL would be willing to consider more than Bettman’s ‘my way or no way’ attitude. It is not all doom and gloom as most are determined to believe it to be…as BOTH the NHL and the NHLPA believe there is a deal to be made..that the framework is on the table. The question is will a new deal be reached in time before the entire season is lost in Bettman’s victory lap? Will Fehr and the players be able to communicate to the NHL that they really do WANT to play again?

There is one thing that is very simple…the fans who have always been faithful to this game just want the game back. The fans keep awaiting the very faint possibility that a new deal can be reached salvaging the season. The fans have already lost enough with the games that should have been and the this war of words between Bettman and Fehr. The fans do NOT care one iota about HRR[Hockey Related Revenue] percentages or who is more right….we just want to watch hockey again! Bettman once again has set a deadline…which is Oct.25…if a new deal can be reached by the 25th…that will give the league enough time for a short training camp before launching the season Nov.2. I refuse to give in to all the negativity that surrounds the CBA drama…I am determined to be open to the ever slim hope that a deal can be reached. I hope that instead of writing about the possibility of the upcoming season or the ongoing lockout that in a few days I will be over the moon ecstatic about a new season full of new possibilities. #fingerscrossed #endthelockoutALREADY #wewanthockeyback

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

28 days later…

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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.

 

It all begins with 82…

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It was only a matter of time before the unraveling began. First the pre-season was lost partially and then completely canceled. Now, we have lost any games that would have been played beginning October 11th through October 24th. Thank-you, GB, thank-you.Once again one of my favourite traditions has been delayed yet again. Following the announcement of games off the table, the New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist tweeted this message of frustration: “Feels like I’m going to practice without a purpose, and I hate it! Don and Gary, let’s figure this one out! #NHLHockey #theplayers #thefans”. I agree with the hating it part. So, just how many games are lost? A total of 82 league wide regular season games gone from the season [granted there are usually more than 1100 league wide regular season games combined between the 30 teams…]. 82 games gone between 14 days. 82 games is the number that represents the length of the regular season for EACH team.  Oi vey. I hated hated hated hearing the announcement of the games cancelled which was followed by all the GM’s releasing statements in response. Yuck. More empty apologies from the league and all the GM’s about how important the fans are and how they understand our disappointment. Really? I don’t think so.  I will continue to hold out hope for November.  In lieu of NHL games that are currently on pause[until atleast the 24th]…Sportsnet is going to begin airing AHL games as of October 13th -Canucks fans can see the Wolves take on the Heat[Calgary’s affiliate] on October 20th 7PM pacific time.

As Fehr stated following the cancellation of this set of games: “A lockout should be the last resort in bargaining, not the strategy of first resort”….it certainly feels like the only strategy they[both sides] have resorted to lately is a war of words rather than making any actual progress.

Bobby Ryan is back at with more fighting words. First it was him stating very potently that he would welcome a trade out of Anaheim [following him signing an extension just one year ago!]. A few short weeks later he then apologized for making such statement and proclaimed his happiness to play in the sunshine state. NOW, Bobby Ryan is once again causing a media frenzy with his words…this time aimed at the players flocking overseas during the lockout. He believes that they should all stay and see this CBA debate through until a new deal is done rather than run away. I must say…I do agree with you Mr.Ryan! Now if only we could get the players, the owners, NHL & NHLPA executives to SIGN a new CBA any time now. Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up to news of the season being re-instated? I would love love love that announcement!

82 league wide regular season games are more than enough to have stolen. PLEASE GB, Daly, Fehr brothers, Owners, and Players, PLEASE just get back to the bargaining table and get that new CBA hammered out STAT, so that the fans are not forced into waiting until January1st or worse…losing an entire season!

Is it October yet? has now become #isOctoberOVERyet? followed by #isitNovemberYET? Can we just hear the news that #hockeyfans around the world want to hear? That hockey is back on….that would be nice.  #HockeyNowPleaseGB You got  your lockout hat trick Mr.Bettman…but please do not lose the whole year.

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

Wayne’s World…

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Well from the words of my blog to the words of Bobby Orr to the words of Wayne Gretzky…there is still hope for the upcoming season[albeit more than likely a shortened one…I’ll take it!]. Just as Orr is one of the best defencemen that ever played in the league and set the bar high for those who followed as he revolutionized his position…Wayne Gretzky redefined the game and set records of such heights that none will ever reach. Gretzky…a Canadian grown boy…dreamed of playing the game he loved for the country he loved…and guess what? He did so with style. Remember that 51 straight games point streak?? He helped lead Canada to a record win in the 1987 Canada Cup and helped Edmonton become the city of Champions they proudly state today [leading them to 4 cups in 5 years!]. He made Los Angeles a legitimate hockey town way before they made their historic run last spring. Did I forget to mention the trade that rocked the hockey world and broke the hearts of many Oilers fans before Gretzky become an LA all-star?  He did eventually retire in 1999. Then there was his aid in putting together the 2002 gold medal winning Olympic hockey team or his infamous carrying of the 2010 Olympic torch. In 20 NHL seasons, Gretzky played in 1487 regular season games scoring 894 goals and 1963 assists [amassing an astounding 2857 points!!]. In 208 playoff games Gretzky scored 122 goals and 260 assists[382 points!]. There has never been another player to play the way the Gretzky did. Many players have had their numbers retired by their respective teams…but NO player has ever had their number retired league wide…except Wayne Gretzky. The number 99 shall be worn by no other player and it will be hard for another player to ever impact the game the way Wayne Gretzky did. Yes there are other great players in the league today [Crosby, the Sedins, Malkin, Datsyuk, Ovechkin] but NONE will ever quite change the face of the game as he did. Maybe Crosby [at least in Canada] will come closest. Crosby has become one of the current prominent faces of the game…there was him helping Pittsburgh find their spark again in the playoffs [eventually led to a Stanley Cup in 2009] and Crosby has one thing Gretzky never got…an Olympic Gold medal. Crosby has set many records himself and will probably set a few more….but do I think he or any other player will ever eclipse Gretzky’s 2857 points? Probably not. Wayne Gretzky record of 292 points in one season and his all-time 2857 points are records that seem almost impossible to break in today’s league. Gretzky knew the game inside out better than any other player…and today his opinion of the game is still valid. Gretzky was quoted as saying that there will be a season by January 1st[aka the Winter Classic]. Do I wish there to be an agreement sooner?…heck yes….but alas these pesky negotiations seem like they will take some time. If Gretzky is allowed to optimistic about the season…so can I! #WaynesWorld #Excellent #endthelockoutalready #becauseGretzkysaidso

The NHL and the NHLPA met for 3 straight days [Friday-Sunday] and are expected to meet up once more on TODAY in NYC for another round of negotiations. Lets hope that their progress goes beyond the secondary issues. As I have said previously…there is room for optimism up until the Winter Classic. I think the league would be pretty stupid to cancel that particular game and lose the anticipated revenue that two Original Six teams will bring to the table. Here’s hoping that Bettman, the NHL executives, Fehr, the NHLPA executives, and the Players can meet somewhere in the middle sooner rather than later. #fingerscrossed

As the great CBA debate continues to dramatic, I encourage all fans to be optimistic.It is still early in the year…there is room for the season to be salvaged. We may not get the full season as we all desired…but I would take a shortened one rather than none at all.  As always, until next time, nuck said. #waynesworld

Sarah E.L.

Lockout Limbo

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This is a story about how we got stuck in limbo. Lockout Limbo. That is where the fans, players and NHL executives are trapped until this CBA business is all tied up. It was only a matter of time before the NHL announced to canceling of the remaining pre-season games of 2012. Who cares about the pre-season! Just please tell me that these next  three days of meetings between the NHL and the PA will finally amount to something in regards to the long awaited CBA. Could their agreement on secondary issues be a sign that negotiations are finally becoming that…negotiations?  After 5 hours of meetings yesterday…the two sides were scheduled to meet again this morning at 7:00AM [pacific time] and again at some point on Sunday. Only time will tell if this round of meetings hold any wait. I’d like to say that with both sides agreeing on some secondary issues that there is hope that there will be some progress moving forward[probably not as quick as all the fans would like…but progress of any kind right now is a step forward!]. Oh how nice it would be to hear that these weekend discussions have led to some serious progress!

In other news Mr.Katz [aka the owner of the Edmonton Oilers] issued a public apology to the city of Edmonton for not taking the fans and their passion into consideration when he toured Seattle as a possible relocation destination. Maybe good old GB[aka Gary Bettman] should consider issuing an apology to ALL the fans of the NHL for this THIRD lockout limbo he has forced upon us.

Oh Lockout Limbo…how I hope you end so very soon. I am tired of it already…and all we have missed so far is the pre-season. Yesterday was National Jersey Day in Canada…and well you all know how I’ve been itching to sport the blue & green again…so I couldn’t resist:

MY FINGERS ARE CROSSED that as the pre-season is officially off the table that SOON GB & Fehr will announce a new CBA and the re-instate the season!!

Its time for this ridiculous Lockout Limbo to end. None of us enjoy this state of uncertainty as the *pending season* hangs in the balance. This story of the fans, NHL executives and NHL players being stuck in Lockout Limbo is driving me crazy! I just want the season to freaking start already!! Who’s with me?! I know, I know…this lockout has many people down…BUT I’m choosing to remain optimistic. You can join me or decide not to, the choice is yours. There is always room for hope even when some say no. I say what is the harm in having a little faith? There is none as it is my choice. I choose to be optimistic because there is point in being negative about something that I have no control over. Just because we are stuck in this oh this so terrible Lockout Limbo…does not mean that my love of the game is stuck in limbo. My love of hockey will continue regardless of the length of this Lockout Limbo corner that Bettman has forced us all into until that new CBA is reached. I must say…this corner of Lockout Limbo is crowded….it is high time to officially reward the fans with the remainder of the 2012-2013 season.

Do you remember when fans all around the league razzed one another about their ridiculous loyalty to their teams? That is the usual practice. The ONE positive thing about this Lockout Limbo is that ALL fans from ALL different teams are uniting together [regardless of their regular season loyalty] to make their voices heard as one

Oh Lockout Limbo….how tired of you I grow every day! Oh Lockout Limbo…how I look forward to [SOON…I hope!] hearing that you are no more. As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.