Deadline Day Came And Went With A Whisper
By Mike Reed
So today was the day that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman set as the day by which an agreement had to be reached to have a full 82-game season. Bettman also said that, if the NHLPA didn’t accept the league’s 50-50 deal by today, their offer would be pulled. At the end of today’s business, no deal was agreed upon, the NHL pulled their deal and we know that, at best, we’ll have a shortened season. At worst, no hockey for 2012-2013.
In case you’re wondering, during the 2004 lockout, the league didn’t cancel the full season until February 16th, leaving us with plenty of time to get a deal done to get someone’s name on Lord Stanley’s Cup for this year. I am praying we don’t get an abomination like the one we were left with at the end of that year. If you haven’t seen that engraving before, it’s a bit much to stomach.
The next deadline is rumored to be November 20th, the apparant deadline for HBO to start production on a 24/7 based around the Winter Classic. If Gretzky’s prediction of the season starting on New Year’s Day is to come true, we will know by then. Of course, the guys at Puck Daddy have theorized that we could lose the Classic as early as week’s end, so who knows?
~BB
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