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No word on next block of canceled games

End the lockout

Is a non-event actually news? Whatever, there’s nothing else to write about, so here it is – even after Thursday’s fireworks, the NHL won’t be announcing the cancelation of another slate of games today (as per The Record’s Tom Gulitti.)

The lockout has already caused the schedule to be slashed through Dec. 14. Given that’s a mere week away, there will be more slashing to come. To what date is the question. (Jan. 1? Jan. 15? Aug. 1?)

Earlier this week (remember when everyone was all optimistic and stuff?), people were debating the appropriateness of a Christmas Day start. Technically we suppose that’s still possible, though it would take a serious change in momentum. Or a time machine.

Yesterday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said he had no “magic date” on which he plans to start the season – a response to those who believe the league has had this whole charade scripted from the very beginning.

“You know what my magic date was?” Bettman said. “It was Oct. 11, when we should have opened the season with a new collective bargaining agreement. And the fact of the matter is, we’ll get to a point, at that point we’ll conclude we can’t have a season with integrity, and then we’ll have to make a tough decision. I am certainly hoping that we don’t get to that place. But when we do, we’ll be there.”

Keep in mind it’s possible the league is waiting to see if the NHLPA goes the decertification route before announcing the next round of cancelations. In which case the following clip seems appropriate: