Well, look who finally came to their senses...

Dr. Giganto

NEW YORK (AP) -- NEW YORK (AP) -- The NHL and the players' association reached an agreement in principle Wednesday on a new labor deal, ending a lockout that wiped out last season.

The sides met for 24 hours from Tuesday into Wednesday to hammer out the collective bargaining agreement that will return the NHL to the ice. Both sides still need to raitfy the deal.

That process is expected to be completed next week, the league and the union said in a joint news release.

Discussions resumed Tuesday at noon and were still ongoing at 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday -- the 301st day of the lockout that forced the cancellation of the 2004-05 season.

After meeting every day last week, the sides got together Sunday for a 14-hour session that lasted until early Monday morning. Just six hours later, they were back at the table.

Those talks broke up Monday night and set the stage for the latest marathon session that got under way Tuesday -- the ninth straight days of talks.

The sides have met for 10 consecutive weeks in an effort to get an agreement as quickly as possible so next season can begin on time.

The NHL hoped to have a new deal to present to its executive committee during a meeting Monday, but commissioner Gary Bettman and Daly could only provide an update on negotiations instead.

Once a deal has been worked out, the NHL board of governors will need to approve it, along with the rank and file of the players' association. Until then, the lockout that was imposed by Bettman last Sept. 16 goes on.

The new agreement is expected to contain a salary cap with a ceiling in the upper $30 millions and a minimum in the low-to-mid $20 millions.

Player salaries will not exceed 54 percent of league-wide revenues.

Some players in recent days have voiced their displeasure over what will be included in the new deal.

Bettman warned in February when he canceled the season that the offers the union passed up were better than any it would see once a year of hockey was lost.

Just days before the NHL became the first North American sports league to wipe out a full season, the players' association said for the first time it would accept a salary cap if the NHL dropped its desire to link player costs to revenues.

Credit: SI.com

Miakal

Thank Jesus.

But will anyone watch this season? And was anyone watching before?

Dr. Giganto

I was talking ot my cousin about this (the one who worls for the Rangers) and he thinks that besides 10 teams, the rest of the league will be in serious trouble, as far as fan support goes.

He figures the Rangers, Flyers, Red Wings, Avalanche, and the Canadian teams will be fine, but most other teams will be drawing less than 5000 fans a game, some of them much less

Blitzkrieg

Administrator

Yeah, I think a lot of teams are going to have it rough..People that work 40 hours a week at a shitty job don't want to hear about struggle from the NHL players..

I'm happy they got a deal done though..I don't watch much hockey during the regular season, but I really like the playoffs and those games that go on forever and you know it could be over in a split second..

Miakal

Personally, I think there's probably too many NHL teams anyway.

The NHL needs to promote the hell out of itself if it wants to survive. If they think they can just sneak in this season without saying much of anything then they are seriously kidding themselves.

Start kicking out some BEST OF DVDS like WWE does. Have a DVD of the best fights and feuds (add the word fued to make it seem less distasteful). Have NHL players appear on talk shows, MTV, everywhere. The NHL has to make itself known otherwise their just going to lose a big chunk of people who used to watch and miss the boat on possible newcomers.

Blitzkrieg

Administrator

I know the players don't want to do it, but if they are serious about saving their sport they will..


What I'm saying is that the players need to start kissing the fan's ass...Whatever it takes. If it means you have to go to a little shitty mall in the middle of nowhere and sign autographs..you do it. If it means you have to stay a couple hours after games and do meet and greets with fans you do it.

It's the only way...They have to basically become minor league baseball teams.

IRALB

Let the massive revamping of rosters begin!

Bouchie

NHL rules. Can't wait.

kipruSPINOFF

*Gets naked and runs around drunk*

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

My excitment might change if Sutter doesn't manage to sign Iginla and Kiprusoff since they are free agents. But for now let the party begin.

<center></center>

One

i don't think the NHL players will have to promote anything..because real hockey fans will follow the news and knows what going on..and when it will start

beside NHL biggest promotion this year will be the entry draft..to see which team the next One Sidney Crosby will go to..that itself will cover several of weeks until the actual draft