I'll be paying attention to about a third of the Blackhawks from 6th row center in about 2 hours. I'm well aware of who's in the A

Dammit!
noobs

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

A damn shame this battle of millionaires vs multi-millionaires & billionaires continues with no hope in sight.

The real tragedy is all the people whose livelihood has been adversely affected if not destroyed in some cases.

Just a sad state of affairs.

Get this Pinko garbage off the board.

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Cant believe they still would look for a season. To call everyone back and try to get a training camp going would take several weeks to a month. Then how many games? Twenty Max? Thinking about that-that may be fun. All out crashing to get to the post season? Probably not as much fun as it sounds. I think they are already past the point of no return.

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Arguing with a fool proves there are two.

The two sides are tentatively scheduled to resume negotiations tomorrow, but I also saw something on CSNChicago.com yesterday in which they haven't ruled out a federal mediator. Unfortunately, just like everything else, mediation didn't work the first time the 2 sides tried it. I've gotta think that cancelling the entire season is a very real possibility after this latest breakdown in talks.

At this point, just get the deal done and seed them 1-15 based on last years standings, except Cup finalists get 1st round byes. All people care about are the playoffs anyway, just have 3 months of them with every team getting to sell playoff tickets....

Seriously though, if they signed a deal Monday, wouldn't it be new years before a game could be played, or at least after Christmas? 40 game season?

I'm still feeling pretty good about a season happening<knocks on wood>

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Nine current NHL franchises have played fewer regular season games than Gary Bettman has canceled (2,224).

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Those are HOF numbers.

On Sirius/XM Satellite Radio yesterday, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that there would be a season, but at the same time, he admitted that more cancellations are very likely. So far, the NHL regular season through December 30th, including the Winter Classic on New Year's Day & the league's All-Star Weekend originally scheduled for the end of January in Columbus, OH, have been cancelled.

As things stand, there are no new talks planned and at last check, the NHLPA has been voting on whether to dissolve the union. That could pave the way for the NHLPA to take the league to court and challenge anti-trust laws.

There's no way there is going to be a season. What are they going to do, play 20 games, and then start the playoffs? If they came to an agreement today, they would still need time for free-agency and training camp, and maybe 1-2 preseason games. So you have to think that would take 3-4 weeks, so they're looking at nearly a beginning of February start. Time for the NHL to give it up. It's Ovah!!

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The NHL has now officially cancelled games through January 14th. If you read between the lines, if the NHL and NHLPA don't reach a new CBA by the middle of January, the season will be cancelled.

I've got to think if the NHL & NHLPA get a new CBA in place, I've got to think it'll be no more than a 48 game season, likely with West vs. West & East vs. East until the Stanley Cup Finals. Would the NHL squeeze a bunch of games like the NBA did with 66 games following their own lockout starting on Christmas Day a year ago?

It would help if the two sides in the NHL Lockout end the legal bullshit and return to the bargaining table. It's beyond ridiculous now.

whoooooooooooooaaaa

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It is legal bullshit, CH. There...I said it!

According to RDS reporter Renaud Lavoie's Twitter, an NHL source said that a new CBA has to be squared away by January 11th. If not, the season will indeed be cancelled. It's believed the two sides have made new proposals, even though BOTH sides haven't necessarily returned to the bargaining table.

Not too many great candidates for the Hawks to amnesty as their capsheet is pretty clean for a contender.

Johnny Oduya: $3,383,333 hit for 3 more years. But was just signed so only happening if shits the bed this year.

Steve Montador: $2,750,000 hit for 3 more years.
Probably the best candidate but wasn't given a fair chance last year.

Corey Crawford: $2,666,667 hit for 2 more years.
Had a bad year but this will be his year to see whether Hawks should invest more time in him. Highly unlikely to get bought out I'd say.

Marian Hossa could be possibility if a team is able to carry the buyout option like in NBA. If Hossa remains injury prone and breaks down it might be a decent idea later on once his front-loaded salary payment drastically declines.

There's no deal yet, but Chris Stevenson of Ottawa's Sun Media has tweeted "rumours NHL teams are reaching out to their coaches and telling them to be ready." Could there be a new CBA on the way?

Between the logjam at defense and the concussion issues, Montador is as good as gone.

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They have another week of bluster before the NHL's self imposed Jan. 11 deadline to cancel the season.

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I never again want to hear about how Bettman is a "great negotiator." Here's how to be a great negotiator the Gary Bettman (and Jerry Reinsdorf) way:

1) Have all possible leverage in a situation.
2) Say no to anything other than exactly what you want.

If you are lucky enough to be in a position where you can do this, you're on the way to being a great negotiator! It's like a child demanding candy for dinner, except he gets it.

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If you're holding all the cards, why fold?

Sounds like good negotiating to me.

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Season over or lockout over?

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Arguing with a fool proves there are two.

Betcha an Italian beef sammich that the terms of this CBA just utterly fuck the Blackhawks right up the ass. You know, again.

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Would never happen if Reinsdorf owned the team.

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If Reinsdorf ran the fucking country, we wouldn't have all these problems we are having. #TheGreatManipulator

Jerry Reinsdorf almost bought the Phoenix Coyotes by proposing a scheme in which a special taxing district would be established around the arena, the funds from which would be funneled to Reinsdorf to buy the team. What a fuckin' asshole, huh?

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The NHL was lucky enough to have markets 2, 3, and 7 win the last three Stanley Cups. Then the league and players fight over percentages for 6+ months. I will always wear my 2010 Cup Champs T-shirt with fond memories of that time and that team. I'm going to wait until at least next season to go back to being a fan. It will take my more than 6 months to convince myself to be an NHL fan again.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

I am a sucker and will be back on day one first game. I am so desperate I am watching tape delay stuff from Europe on the NHL channel.
I have 2 of the Rally towels from 2010 in Zip loc bags in a nice dark spot so they do not fade. Time to pull out the sweaters it looks like!

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When I am stuck and need to figure something out I always remember the Immortal words of Socrates when he said:"I just drank what?"