NHL scraps the first week of preseason

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NHL scraps the first week of preseason

Published: 20 Sep. 2012, 20:28

The National Hockey League’s lockout claimed its first casualties as the league said on Wednesday it cancelled the first week of preseason games given the absence of a collective bargaining agreement.

The NHL, in the midst of its fourth work stoppage in 20 years, said in a statement that the preseason set to open on Sept. 23 is canceled through Sept. 30, chopping 60 games off the schedule.

A league-wide lockout was imposed by the NHL on the weekend when the previous labor agreement expired with the owners and players at odds over how to divide a $3.3 billion revenue pie.

There have been no formal talks between NHL owners and the union representing its players since last Wednesday, leaving the scheduled Oct. 11 start of the 2012-13 season in doubt.

The work stoppage is the first in the NHL since a lockout wiped out the entire 2004-05 campaign, and the upcoming season could see the same fate as the two sides remain at a stalemate over key economic issues.

Reuters