NEW YORK — The NHL and the NHL Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, saving the league from a second lost season to a lockout.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Director Don Fehr met with reporters in New York around 5:00 a.m. to announce that the two sides had agreed on a framework for a new CBA. According to TSN in Canada, the league could play either a 48 or 50-game season depending on when the two sides agree to start the season. The league had already canceled all regularly scheduled games through January 14. The lockout lasted 113 days.
The end of the lockout is already affecting the Grand Rapids Griffins. Defenseman Brendan Smith will not be in the lineup Sunday as the Griffins visit the Milwaukee Admirals. Smith is expected to join the Detroit Red Wings when the NHL season begins. The NHL season is expected to begin no later than January 19.
