BoT Special Report: NHL Cancels First Two Weeks of Regular Season, Sharks Lose Five Games off Schedule
Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE
The other shoe has started to drop with the NHL Lockout as the National Hockey League this morning announced the cancellation of the first two weeks of the regular season. Since no new talks between the owners and NHLPA are on the horizon anytime soon, it appears this may be just the first of what will be a series of game cancellations because of the ongoing NHL Lockout. The lockout started on back on September 15th and as of this writing are now in it’s 19th day. The total number of regular season cancelled so far is 82, and it likely may be only the beginning. The NHL’s cancellation of games extends through October 24th. The NHL has no plans to make up or reschedule cancelled games since no new CBA has been reached.
This comes eight years after the NHL lost the 2004-05 season due to a simular labor dispute presided over by Commissioner Gary Bettman. This also comes at the hands of NHLPA head Donald Fehr, who has the cancelled 1994 World Series on his resume.
As the end result of these game cancellations, the San Jose Sharks have lost off of their schedule the first five regular season games.
The cancelled games are as follows:
Friday, October 12th at Anaheim Ducks
Monday, October 15th at home vs the New York Rangers
Thursday, October 18th at home vs the Edmonton Oilers
Saturday, October 20th at home vs the Carolina Huricanes
Wednesday October 24th at Colorado Avalanche
The Sharks opener is now tentatively scheduled for Friday October 26th, when the Sharks would face the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Sharks are scheduled to meet the Blackhawks in Chicago the following evening. The Sharks home opener now (if it happens at all) would be Tuesday, October 30th versus the Nashville Predators.
Despite talking regularly throughout the summer months, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association have been unable to make any progress in negotiations towards a new CBA. It appears with no new talks scheduled the NHL Lockout is here to stay for awhile, quite possibly through what would be the entire 2012-13 season. NHL players will also miss their first series of paychecks which was supposed to be made on October 15th. Many NHL players have either gone to Europe or the KHL to resume their own playing careers and to stay in playing shape should the lockout end at some point. ESPN recently announced it will streamline KHL games through their internet station, ESPN 3.
In Northern California, the ECHL’s San Francisco Bulls and Stockton Thunder start their regular seasons on Friday October 12th and will likely be the only places you can see professional hockey for the immediate future.
Please stay with Blades of Teal as we continue to monitor the situation with NHL Lockout and impact on the San Jose Sharks.
The King Shark
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