2012 NHL CBA Negotiations: NHL Will Lock Players Out On September 15th Without New Deal

Negotiations between the NHL and the NHLPA have been moving along rather slowly over the past month, and today we heard some devastating news from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Before negotiations even began, there was news circulating that the NHL could potentially operate under the current CBA next season, if a deal could not be agreed upon prior to September 15th.

That news was shot down today by Mr. Bettman, as he stated the league will not operate another season under the current collective bargaining agreement. To keep it simple, if there is no deal in place by September 15th, we will officially be heading to another lockout. This is truly devastating news for us fans, as going without a 2012-2013 NHL season could potentially become a reality.

But don't get so excited just yet. According to Katie Strang of ESPN New York, Donald Fehr and the Players Association are expected to make their official counter-proposal on Tuesday afternoon. You can expect the negotiations to heat up over the next few weeks, as there is a sizable gap between the NHL and the NHLPA regarding revenue sharing.