If 'Classic' Cancelled, Season Toast!

1) From what Fauxrumors has learned, if the NHL cancels the Winter Classic as has been rumored could happen as soon as early as today, the 2012-2013 NHL season is as good as toast.  " You can put a fork in it" (the season), is how one insider told us late yesterday evening when we talked to discuss the current state of the negotiations. He told us that the league might postpone the cancellation IF they feel the players would be willing to meet and discuss their (the NHL's) prior proposal. Basically grovel with their collective tails between their legs.  "Not bloody likely" is what a player rep told us when we posed that very question to them this morning.  "We (the players) are as solid as ever!... Bettman can kiss my ass".  

2) If that's any indication of both the players resolve, but as importantly, their anger at the way the NHL has handled the negotiations thus far we are not likely to see an end to this any time soon. The NHL Board of Governors has been told by Bettman that IF/When the Classic is canceled that he will not only withdraw their previous proposal that was rejected by the players off the table, but he will bring back an earlier one. For the NHL feel that as time goes on the players demand to have current contracts be 'made whole', will appear more and more ludicrous.  As for the Classic. The owners have long held that IF their Marquis game is missed due to the CBA, they would then feel they would be justified in inflicting as much pain back to the players as is possible.

3) The problem with that short sighted view is that most players by now have resolved themselves to missing most if not all of the season. As witnessed by an increasing number of players(now over 200) playing over seas.  Contract make whole provision or not, its unlikely the players this time around will fracture like in 2004. The ball is clearly in the NHL's side and for the time being they seem resolved to continue to cancel games (The Winter Classic among them) in order to get the deal they have felt is their right, all along. Nope, nothing has changed, only the calender, and the topic of today's rhetoric.  Just keep your eyes on our Count Down clock.