I'm not sure how many hockey fans we have in here, but keep the date of Sept. 15 in mind. That's the date that the current CBA between the owners and the players runs out. If the two sides can't reach an agreement before then, there might be a shortening of the season, or a cancellation of the season altogether, like there was in 2004.
I think they'll get something done, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't...the players need to keep in perspective that they are playing in the "NHL" and ownership needs to remember these guys are professional athletes/entertainers and should be taken care of as such...
