All of you guys are talking the same “doom and gloom” thing. But I’m still not buying it for a second. Just ask yourselves, if this truly was as “dire” as Daly and others are suggesting, with the future of the game hanging in the balance, not to mention their own personal careers, then don’t you think these people would be working “24/7″ until a deal was reached ? … of course they would ! Yet they aren’t ? … in fact they aren’t even having any kind of substantive meeting period ? So is this just “posturing” as many believe, or is this blatant proof that the entire thing is a charade ?

If this continues unresolved “past” the US Thanksgiving holiday weekend, then I’ll climb on board the “doom and gloom” train with you guys, because there’s no way they’ll be able to simply “shove it under the rug” this time round like they’ve done before. Our world economy today in 2012 is quite “different” from what we had back in 2004 or 1994 … to say the least. Until then however (US Thanksgiving holiday weekend), I’m going to continue believing that this so-called “impasse” is nothing more than a “calculated and contrived” plan. We’ll see regardless, soon enough.

And Gary Bettman’s legacy will be not only of 3 lockouts, but as a commissioner who resided over a league that was shutdown because of his failure. A commissioner who was unable to negotiate a contract with a players union despite the league making record profits. Bettman will be remembered as will owners as people who cared only about the money of the game and not the game itself.

And in the end the KHL and it’s Non-Unionized players and owners without agenda’s will expand into North American Cities such as Montreal, Los Angeles, and Boston and run a league that is able to successfully negotiate a contract with ESPN to bring prime time games. The KHL will attack record numbers with its world wide league of teams. The KHL will accomplish what Bettman and former owners of the NHL were unable to accomplish that being harmony between players and owners who work for the same goal and who don’t work against each other.

I know it’s been said ad nauseum but I’ll say it anyway: the league stands to lose a lot both in the short and long term if this season ends up getting cancelled. They need to stop being so stubborn and get something done because this isn’t 2004, there’s a lot more at stake.