Within 72 hours of declaring its intention to commence the delayed 2012-13 season on Nov. 2, the NHL deleted all originally scheduled action through Nov. 1. All of the latest proposals exchanged between the league and the NHL Players' Association evaporated, all but concomitantly taking down that initial hope to drop the puck two weeks from now.
Furthermore, as one Friday report from the Canadian Press noted, “If next Thursday's deadline passes, more games will likely be cut, and the New Year's Day Winter Classic will be the next big event in danger of being lost.”
Had the NHLPA agreed to the owners’ proposition laid out on Tuesday or if any of their multiple counteroffers passed muster, there still could have been a full-sized 82-game slate for all 30 teams. Considering the virtual lack of change in the labor landscape since those offers were unleashed, one can safely assume that a full 2012-13 campaign is now as good as impossible.
At this time, though, the aforementioned Winter Classic has ample life left in its prospects.
So, too, does the fledgling Thanksgiving Showdown, the league’s other U.S. national tel ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Al Daniel
NHL Lockout: What Is Now the Best-Case Scenario for the 2012-13 Season?
October 20th, 2012 by Al Daniel Leave a reply »
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