More NHL Games Cancelled With No Talks Scheduled

In light of the breakdown in negotiations and the fact that there are no further talks scheduled between the NHL and the NHLPA,  the league announce the cancellation of all games through November 1st.

That date is important because it is the day before the NHL’s suggested “drop dead” date as the latest they could start the season and still get a full 82 game schedule.  The league had previously cancelled games up to October 24th, so the announcement of scrapping what amounts to a week of games seems more like a PR move than a necessity.   By leaving open the Nov 2nd and beyond dates, the NHL seems to be focusing on that date and seems to be playing mindgames with the players, perhaps subconsciously urging them to get back to the table and work on a deal.

Regardless, if they are going to cancel a week at a time, anticipate a lot more of these announcements.