T1B

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2041935

No hockey is definitely better than scab hockey no matter how much it would piss off the union. Apparently not many owners are fond of the idea either. These clowns need to get cracking on negotiations because we can't go into September without a deal or the season won't start on time. By then, baseball will be in the pennant races and pro and college football will be starting up...forget about capturing any American sports fan at that point. They've got to give us a reason to look forward to the season and not wait until the last minute.

No link, but the word is that they'll be setting a schedule to meet twice a week until an agreement is reached. If true, that would be a huge step forward. Hopefully they're at the stage where they just negotiate a deal instead of posturing and pushing the other guys.

My prediction is that they get something done by the end of June. Without the threat of replacements, I think the owners have lost some of their leverage.

But whether or not it captures the American fan's attention, once a deal is done, we'll be witnessing one of the most interesting off-seasons ever. Player movement will be at an all-time high. It will be fun to watch who goes where and what teams will be buyers and who will have to sell. And which teams are poised to become powers in the new era of the NHL.

From the number of things the PA has already conceded in the negotiation, teams like the Rangers and Leafs will be in a tough spot to drop salary.

i'm hoping for anything...this is just insane.