News & Notes: Potential Full-Season Lockout, Shane Doan, McIlrath, Etc.

It is inevitable, at this point, that the 2012-13 NHL season will at the very least be temporarily locked out on September 15 (exactly a week from today) due to the inability of the NHL and the NHLPA to come up with a newly written collective bargaining agreement prior to the deadline previously set by team owners. But, as it's been made very clear, there are more than just a few checkmarks remaining on the list of issues that the two sides must sort out before the season is launched under a new contract. In fact, the checklist is so dense, not only in length but in importance and value as well, that it may not be totally out of the question for the entire 2012-13 campaign to be completely wiped instead of just temporarily locked out. 

According to TSN, this has been on the minds of both ends of the table quite frequently as of late, especially since prior to Friday's "informal meeting" (whatever that may mean), the NHL and Players' Association refused to even touch base with each other until someone blinked. 

And remember, just one of the major issues left to be negotiated is player contracts, which breaks down into a variety of subcategories such as entry-level deals, length restrictions, averaged yearly salaries and so on. None of which, by the way, the players would like to give up on and allow the league to limit in any way. Plus, you factor in the whole revenue-sharing issue, and now you have a difference in opinion on how much the players should be making to make matters worse. 

For once, however, the players are not standing down, but at the same time, that's not something you can hold against them. They want more money while the league would like to pay them less, but the players make a good point when stating that restricting money from the actual athletes of the sport will not be solving many, in any at all, future problems within the CBA. In other words, it will only increase the greed amongst the league and team owners. 

I touched base on that in an article on Thursday, but I received feedback that I was whining and that certain people even stopped reading at a certain point for whatever reason I do not know, so I will not delve too much into the greed argument much more. Because, you know, I'm not allowed to take time out of my college schedule to write about something that is on the minds of every hockey fan at the moment.

Whatever, life goes on.

In regard to the entire season being wiped out, don't stress just yet. There is plenty of time before matters will come to such an extreme, and hopefully that time will never come. But if things continue at this pace, that, too, will then be an inevitability. 

SHANE DOAN STAYS IN PHOENIX

Well, that was a waste of time.

For nearly two and a half months now, we've waited at the edge of our seats for the day that veteran winger Shane Doan would announce that he was signing somewhere other than the Phoenix Coyotes organization (preferably with the New York Rangers), only to be led to disappointment. It was announced yesterday that Doan has agreed to terms with the Coyotes on a new deal and is now just waiting on Greg Jamison to officially purchase the team before September 15. 

I guess we should've saw that one coming. 

DYLAN MCILRATH NOT READY FOR TRAINING CAMP

In prospect news, rugged defenseman Dylan McIlrath told a Moose Jaw website this week that he will not be ready for training camp (which won't even be occurring at the NHL level anyway) due to a knee injury suffered several months ago. He's currently rehabbing and will only be hitting the ice on his own in a few weeks. 

When he does return, though, he will be welcomed by the Connecticut Whale's newest assistant coach and former Ranger, Jeff Beukeboom. Yeah, the guy he's been compared to from the second the Rangers drafted him in 2010. Can you say match made in Heaven?

INTERVIEWS: Brian Boyle and Henrik Lundqvist

Brian Boyle and Henrik Lundqvist, among others, hit up the training facility for the first time this week to get informal skates started up and sat down to talk with Blueshirts United while there...

   

 

Speaking of which, John Tortorella's dog walk fundraiser will take place this Sunday in Riverside Park. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.