Reports: NHL to begin canceling regular-season games this week
The National Hockey League will begin canceling regular-season games by Wednesday according to a report from Howard Berger.
That’s the word I got late Saturday from a league source. Exactly how many games the league might initially chop isn’t clear, but a two-week block of the schedule is likely to vanish. Nor is it entirely clear how – or if – the games will be made up. That depends solely on the duration of the owners’ lock-out.
The 2012-13 regular season is set to begin a week Thursday (Oct. 11) on four fronts: Montreal, Philadelphia, Calgary and Colorado. Wednesday would be eight days before the opening matches, providing scant time for the 30 NHL teams to summon players from Europe and conduct even minimal training camps. So, the games – in essence – have already been scrapped.
Similar reports began filling Twitter Monday morning.
And the good news just keeps on coming. NHL expected to start cancelling regular season games this week. Will the fun ever start? #NHLCBA—
Spector's Hockey (@SpectorsHockey) October 01, 2012
NHL teams preparing for regular-season cancellations this week. Expectations games will be erased in two-week "blocks."—
Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 01, 2012
The NHL earlier canceled the remainder of its preseason games.
The NHL should Nix Gary Bettman.
Settle and play hockey!
@Laconca I hope so too, but don't have much faith in the dimwits doing the negotiating. Gary Bettman's strength has always been creating work stoppages and his associates play right along. The player's union? No better and never has been. Both sides always act like they are on the level of the NFL, NBA, and MLB. They are not. Smaller financial pie, smaller fan base, smaller footprint on the national level. They need to realize it someday, find their niche in the sports world, and find some labor peace, and act like adults running a business instead of a pickup game at the local rink.