By Brianna Spause
Special Features/Web Editor
It’s official; the day thousands of die hard and casual hockey fans alike have been waiting for, has finally arrived. The 113 day National Hockey League lockout has officially ended. A deal was reached shortly before 5 a.m. on Jan. 6.
Training camps began on Jan. 13 in preparation for the 48 game season. Opening night was held on Jan. 19, with the regular season ending on April 27. The Stanley Cup Finals will end as late as June 28.
“Seeing a sea of orange in the hallway on Monday got me even more excited for the hockey season we’ve all been waiting for. I’m just really looking forward to sitting at home with my friends watching the games,” Senior, Reilly White said.
Beginning on Oct. 16, the disagreement between the NHL and the National Hockey League Players Association began. After last season’s all-time-high of $3.3 billion in hockey related revenue, the two sides started the battle over revenue sharing, salary caps and contract
limits.
Sixteen consecutive hours of bargaining finally resolved the lockout, promising a shortened season for 2013. A total of 625 games were cancelled due to the conflict, including the Winter Classic and All-Star game.
“I know that an explanation or an apology will not erase hard feelings that have built up over the last few months, but I owe you an apology nevertheless,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Most importantly to our fans, who love and have missed NHL hockey, I am sorry.” Including this season, this has been Bettman’s third career lockout since the acceptance of his position in 1993.
An unanimous vote was reached by the NHL’s Board of Governors on Jan. 9, and approved by the NHLPA on Jan. 12. The signed Memorandum of Understanding calls for a 10 year collective bargaining agreement with optional termination after eight years.
“Hopefully… the fans can get back to watching people who are skating, not the two of us,” the NHLPA’s executive director Donald Fehr said in reference to the negotiations between himself and Bettman.
Just as tensions begin to wind down within the NHL, things seem to be heating up with Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League in what is being called hockey’s Cold War. Many NHL players looked to the KHL in the lockout inspired down time. Although the majority of players are making arrangements to come back home, there are a select few who have not.
Lubomir Visnovsky of the New York Islanders has made definite arrangements to stay with the KHL, despite transfer agreements made between the two leagues at the beginning of the season. Ilya Kovalchuck of the New Jersey Devils also threatened to stay with the KHL if he will receive a salary cut back home.
KHL President Alexander Medvedev fired a few distasteful shots at the NHL, only adding to the growing tension. Only the future will hold the decision of whether or not U.S. and Canadian players will be allowed to play in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, or of how this “Cold War” will play out.
