NHL, NHLPA TO RESUME TALKS IN PRIVATE LOCATION

Summary:

1. NHL, NHLPA are going to meet today at an undisclosed location
2. Donald Fehr (NHLPA ED) claims that the two sides have agreed on many of the main issues
3. It is day 87 of the NHL Lockout

Opinion:

       Ok, I think that we can all agree that this lack of hockey has gone on for long enough. It has been 87 days since the lockout deadline passed and I (along with millions of hockey fans) are tired of hearing the latest from the boardroom about who's ego is bigger and who will come out on top and finally get back on the ice.

       I have to admit, I have no idea who's to blame here for this lockout. At first, my thoughts were that Gary Bettman has cause 2 lockouts in the last 7 years, so he should be gone, and we would be able to get hockey going again, but then some more recent reports have shown that Fehr and the NHLPA are the ones that are dragging the lockout on. But the good news is that the negotiations are going in the right direction and that the sides are "close" on a deal that would get the players back on the ice and the winter less depressing sooner rather than later. Fehr has stated that the sides have agreed on all of the main issues of the new CBA, there just needs to be some fine-tuning and then we will have our beloved hockey again.

      I think that I can speak for all of the hockey fans worldwide when I say, please I don't care what it takes, lets get a deal done and get back to watching and playing the game we all love.

Nick Bell