The National Hockey League is all but assured of a lockout, if Commissioner Gary Bettman's meeting with the Board of Governors on September 13 in New York is the only confab scheduled between now and the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement two days after the scheduled gathering.
At that time, Bettman is expected to lay down his version of the progress of talks between he and NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr, and the 30 owners are expected to vote on whether or not to give the Commish the power to back another work stoppage.
If there are no further meetings, or productive talks, between Bettman and Fehr, once the CBA expires at 11:59 PM on September 15, it is widely thought that there will be no hockey since the owners are expected to back their boss.
The Ottawa Citizen was first with the report.
Union officials have remained in Manhattan since talks broke down last Friday, but no direct negotiations have been scheduled despite public issuances from Bettman that the league is "happy" to talk at any time and from Fehr that the silence is just a "recess."
In the meantime, the NHLPA was kind enough yesterday to address the NHL's assertions that negotiations have hit a snag because the players aren't exactly hospitable to the league's overtures.
Update: From Mike Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune this afternoon, NHL Executive Director Bill Daly is apparently going to talk to PA representatives about a "whole host of issues" none of which were specified.
Again, no official talks between both sides have been scheduled. Per Russo, Daly believes discussions are only "temporarily stalled."
Further update: It gets worse. Kevin Allen from USA Today has revealed the NHLPA's memo to players on what to do in case of a lockout.
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