Sunday, September 02, 2012

Will the NHL play in 2012?

It is now September, the month when training camp and pre-season games occur in the NHL, and nothing is happening.  Based on current news, the players association and NHL aren't even really talking anymore, which does not fill me with hope.  Are we headed for another lockout, a la '04-'05?  I don't think so, though we are almost certainly headed for a lockout of some kind.  I don't think the owners really want to eliminate a whole season again, but I can easily see a scenario like the NBA went through last season, where the first third or so of the season is cancelled while negotiations continue.  I really don't think the NHL wants to lose out of the exposure that the Winter Classic game on January 1 gives them, so I would not be surprised if the 2012 part of the season is cancelled and the campaign kicks off on January 1, or Christmas, or some date around there.  This allows the league to still get in 50+ games for each team, plus they get the Winter Classic in to keep NBC happy.

So what is a Blues fan to do in the meantime?  Well, there's always soccer... Oh, wait, are the Bandits still playing?

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