If the NHL Lockout does not wipe out the entire 2012-2013 NHL season [although at this point, wouldn't it simply be called the 2013 NHL season, as all 2012 games have been cancelled?], it appears as if the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets would switch conferences in a shortened season.

The NHL is considering moving Winnipeg to the Western Conference’s Central Division and Columbus to the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division in the event of a shortened 2013 season, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. A four or five month season in the Southeast Division would magnify Winnipeg’s travel requirements, but a shift to the Central Division would all the Jets to play road games in their own time zone.

Of course, there are a lot of ifs in this scenario. First off, this move would only be temporary. It is strictly in the case of a shortened season following a lengthy lockout that will have wiped out at least half the season.

And that is only if the latest proposal is accepted and the NHL takes the ice again within the next few weeks. If not, we are looking at a repeat of 2004-2005, where the entire season was lost, including the All-Star Game, playoffs and Stanley Cup Finals. That could be the case once again if this current deal does not lead to a new agreement.

Second, these are still just rumors. After all, this is not the first time that the NHL has toyed with the thought of realignment. In 2011, the league came up with a new plan that would have affected numerous teams, only to change its mind once again and nullify the proposal the following year.

It turns out that when it comes to the NHL, nothing is a sure thing. No proposal is ever a safe bet.

Give the NHL credit. They may not be playing. They may be barely talking as the NHL Lockout continues into its fourth month. With no end in sight, and the cancellation of over 500 games as well as the Winter Classic and All-Star Weekend, the NHL may not play at all this season, prompting even more players to join teams overseas.

Yet despite all of that, as well as the urging of the President of the United States of America for the players and owners to realize that they all make more than enough money during extremely difficult times, the NHL Lockout continues.

But through it all, the NHL wants to let you, the fans, know that they care as the Holiday season approaches. That is why they came up with this greeting card.

If you really wish to feel all warm and fuzzy, feel free to click here to see it in motion with a bit of background music. It almost makes you forget that millionaires and billionaires are bickering over dollars and cents during a time where many cannot find steady work or afford to carry health insurance.

Happy Holidays!

To the fans, of course. To the owners and players who cannot work out a deal, I have two different words for you.

[Use your imagination. This is a family friendly site.]

In a move that will not go over all too well with the rest of the players from the National Hockey League, Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller came out and said that he feels it is time to decertify the NHLPA. After watching the negotiations to end the current NHL Lockout go nowhere, Miller feels as the decertification of the NHLPA may be the only thing that can save the 2012-2013 NHL season.

But he also wants to make it perfectly clear that these opinions are his, and his only.

The Sabres’ netminder sent the following to The Globe and Mail:

“After watching the other sport leagues go through labour disputes last year, it is apparent that until decertification is filed, there will not be any real movement or negotiation,” Miller wrote in an e-mail to The Globe and Mail. “Many things in our negotiation are very consistent with the NFL and NBA negotiations, and both of those leagues filed papers necessary to decertify.

“It seems like the players in any league are going to be subjected to the same scripted labour dispute developed by [NHL and NBA law firm] Proskauer Rose in all collective bargaining discussions now and in the future. Decertification becomes part of the script because Gary Bettman and the owners are trying to get a sense of how far they can push us and at some point we have to say ‘enough.’

“They want to see if we will take a bad deal because we get desperate or if we have the strength to push back. Decertification is a push back and should show we want a negotiation and a fair deal on at least some of our terms.”

While there has been some talk about decertification of the players’ union, it is not only seen as the last resort, but highly unlikely, even at this point. The NHL owners will likely make another announcement that will cancel another large chunk of the season, including the All-Star Game. At this point, both sides are running out of time, although the owners still feel as if they have the leverage, and will be willing to wait out the players as long as it takes to get the deal they want.

“I am tired of the disregard and the ego,” Miller said. “Our fans and sponsors are alienated, and this is hurting the game. This process has more of the appearance of brand suicide than a negotiation.”

And it isn’t getting any better either.

As the NHL Lockout drags on with no end in sight, many players who said they would only play overseas if the entire 2012-2013 NHL season were cancelled may be singing a different tune. Either that, or they know something that the rest of us do not, and that the season is going to be completely obliterated any day now.

Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks is the latest NHL player who may be on the verge of signing to play in Europe. It appears as if a team from Sweden is trying to convince Ryan to come play overseas as the NHL Lockout continues, and it seems as if Ryan is more than considering the possibility, although it is quite a different stance than the one he has taken for the past couple of months.

On more than one occasion, Ryan insisted that he would not be playing in any other league except the NHL. he was quite adamant, telling the Orange County Register that ”I’m an NHL player,” and that  I’m not going to take somebody else’s job overseas.” That was in early September, before the NHL Lockout became official.

Less than three weeks later, Ryan reiterated his point to the Courier Post, stating that ”I’m going to continue to skate with the guys … whether it’s coming back here [to South Jersey] for a couple weeks at a time. … I think it’s important to stay here [in the United States] and be part of the solution and not just run from it.”

I am not sure what his current stance is, although it no longer appears to be as strong one way or the other as it was over the past couple of months. he may finally be missing those game checks that come during the regular season.

After all, the Holidays are fast approaching. Ryan may be looking for some spending money, and it doesn’t appear as if it will be coming from the Ducks or any other NHL team in the foreseeable future.

The NHL may not be in action, but that is not to say that players from the league are not about to take action for others. After witnessing the devastation that Hurricane Sandy left in the New York and New Jersey and Philadelphia area, players from the New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and other players are getting together – despite the current NHL Lockout – to play a charity game for some of the victims of the storm’s destruction.

It is nice to see a refreshing change that just because owners and players cannot agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, that will not prevent players from the NHL doing something nice for others. Players from locked out teams including the Rangers and Flyers will get together for a charity game at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on November 24 at 7 PM.

Players slated to appear in this charity game include Brad Richards, Brian Boyle, Steve Eminger, Taylor Pyatt and Jeff Halpern from the New York Rangers; Scott Hartnell, Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Jody Shelley and Wayne Simmonds from the Flyers, as well as James Neal (Penguins), Bobby Ryan (Ducks), James van Riemsdyk (Maple Leafs), Ville Leino (Sabres), Dan Carcillo (Blackhawks), Simon Gagne (Kings), John Carlson (Capitals) and Steve Downie (Avalanche). More players are expected to be added in the coming days.

Tickets will range from $25 to $100, with proceeds going toward the American Red Cross, the Empire State Relief Fund and the New Jersey Relief Fund. The game will be known as “Operation Hat Trick,” and I truly hope that it is a sell-out. I would encourage anyone in the area who can make it to the game to go and show your support.

Richards, who lives in lower Manhattan and lost power during the storm, has also participated in a youth hockey fundraiser on Staten Island with some of Rangers’ teammates. He told the New York Post “We’re not playing, but we feel a sense of responsibility to our communities. It’s a privilege to be in this position, really.”

Hopefully, the game will be a huge success and will bring some much needed relief to those who were most effected. It is very nice to see the players get together to help out, despite the feelings that many may have during the current NHL Lockout.

While there have been mixed messages throughout the NHL Lockout, it appears as if talks have basically gone absolutely nowhere. That is why NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is calling for a two week recess.

That makes sense, right? If talking has not led to a new CBA, then not talking certainly should.

Really?

We are two weeks away from December. We know that games have been cancelled through the month of November, as the NHL has also scrapped the 2013 Winter Classic in Detroit between the Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs on New Year’s Day. The next step will be wiping out all games through December, while the announcement after that inevitably to be that the entire 2012-2013 NHL season has been lost.

Therefore, with such a sense of urgency, why not stop talking for the next couple of weeks?

Why can’t Bettman just come flat out and say what he is thinking?

He loves stuffing and sweet potatoes with those little marshmallows and pecan pie and does not want to have Thanksgiving interrupted.

Oh, and he really doesn’t want the NHL to play this season anyway. That has long been the feeling of many owners, who have already made it clear that the majority of them would actually lose less money by not playing than they would if they played the season and had to assume their payroll.

At this point, does it really matter? Talk. Don’t talk. Negotiations have gone nowhere, with this latest week being one of the worst in terms of communication and progress. In fact, over the past seven to nine days, talks have gone in the opposite direction. Clearly, all the talk about how close the two sides were were actually never true. According to at least the union, the two sides are not even close to agreeing to a new deal that would bring back hockey relatively soon.

So, really, it doesn’t matter. The fans already know how this all ends.

Bettman can say what he wants. The union can say what they want. For that matter, so can the players.

This season is a wash. The sooner they announce it officially, the sooner fans can start to move on and finally stand up and tell the NHL what they really think.

And it won’t be Happy Thanksgiving, or Happy Boxing Day.

It will be quite derogatory, and well deserved.

After signs that the NHL Lockout may be soon coming to an end, talks broke off and signs once again appeared bleak that we would see the National Hockey League any time soon, if at all, this year. Many players, including Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, already has signed overseas to play while the NHL Lockout remains in effect. These marquee players signed in Europe and Russia with the clause stating that they could opt out of their deal immediately to return stateside to resume their NHL careers, but is there a chance that we have seen the last of Alex Ovechkin in the NHL?

Unlikely, but possible.

The Dynamo Moscow team in the Kontinental Hockey League [KHL] that Ovechkin is playing for would love to see the NHL never lift the lockout. He would be happy if the league disbands and hockey is never played on a level such as that in North America ever again. That is highly unlikely to happen, but many of the clubs in Europe and Russia feel the same way.

These teams in the KHL and other professional leagues are thrilled with all of the bickering between the players and owners and have absolutely no problem capitalizing on their losses. Why would they? Just because one league cannot figure out a way to successfully negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement, that does not mean that all other leagues are as dysfunctional or have that much friction and animosity toward each other.

As bitter as things have gotten at times, eventually, I still see the two sides reaching an agreement and brokering a new deal. It may not make either side much happier than they are right now, but it will get the NHL back on track. I am not saying that this will happen any time soon, or even at all this year. The 2012-2013 NHL season may already be lost.

If that is the case, it only strengthens the chances that some of the elite players will remain playing overseas for the rest of this season. It also likens the small chance that some of them may choose to never return.

After all, keep in mind that it was a few short days ago that Ovechkin tweeted his feelings that the NHL owners are clowns.

The NHL Lockout continues, although both sides have at least committed to engaging in more talks than they have before. The NHL owners and players have met for the past couple of days and have spent around six hours negotiating at each bargaining session as they hope to move toward a new collective bargaining agreement. Thursday will mark the third consecutive days of meetings and, without getting too optimistic, is there one player who we should watch as a sign of good things possibly to come?

If there is, that one player would be Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While many other elite players across the NHL have already signed to play in Switzerland or Russia or somewhere else, Crosby has said that he will only do so if the entire 2012-2013 NHL season is cancelled. The league did take a giant step toward that last week when they cancelled the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day, but all hope is not lost.

If it was, one would think that Crosby would be close to inking a deal to sign to play overseas. To my knowledge, no such deal is even on the horizon as of this minute.

Could that be because he remains quite hopeful that these latest talks will finally lead to a resolution?

It is still too early to get our hopes up all that much. After all, both sides have been meeting for a couple of months now with absolutely no positive results. They have failed to reach an agreement, and e should not view these current and most recent negotiations as anything more than dialogue.

Still, it is not a bad thing that Crosby still has not signed to play hockey elsewhere this season. It is an even better sign that he continues to be one of the players who represents the NHLPA at many of the meetings.

Fingers crossed, folks. Fingers crossed.

The NHL Lockout has already wiped out 2012-2013 regular season games through the month of November. It has taken out the preseason, exhibition games and approximately 25 games for each NHL team.

The latest victim of the NHL Lockout is the Winter Classic.

While I acknowledge the fact that I have said that the NHL chose a poor day to hold their annual Winter Classic, it has nonetheless become a staple of the league. It is something that fans look forward to watching every season, seeing just what a different venue looks like while hosting a professional hockey game. We have seen games already played at baseball stadiums and, on January 1, 2013, we were supposed to see the game held at Michigan Stadium, also known as “The Big House.”

That has now also been scrapped sue to the bickering over money between millionaires and billionaires.

It has long since been believed that the majority of the NHL owners would have no problem whatsoever cancelling the entire 2012-2013 NHL season. No preseason. No regular season. No Winter Classic. No All-Star Game. No Playoffs. No Stanley Cup Finals. Most owners have felt as if they would lose less money by not playing than they would if they went through with the old collective bargaining agreement guidelines.

Now, we are starting to see all of that play out right in front of our very eyes.

The league is serious about not budging. The players have shown a similar stance. With games through November already lost, as well as the Winter Classic the first day of January, one can only wonder when the NHL will cancel the entire season.

It may be the next step, and it may not be that far off from being announced.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson wrote a very powerful piece on his website that tells the NHL owners what every player is thinking during the current NHL Lockout that has wiped out more games through the month of November. In fact, the massage delivered by Johnson is simple.

He wants to play.

The following is from Johnson’s website, and is titled “Where Is The Honor?”

October 28th, 2012… “I want to work! I’m a professional athlete and I want to play hockey! In my chosen profession, I don’t have until I am 60 or 70 years old to do this job. My window of opportunity to play professional hockey is limited. If I’m lucky, I can play until I’m 40. I have been training as a hockey player my entire life, and I know it is a privilege to play in the NHL. So each month, each week, and each game that is cancelled is an opportunity I will never get back. This is the case for every NHL player. I value every day in this job and take my commitment to my team very seriously. I give it my all every shift. I come to play every night and I leave it all on the ice. This is my responsibility as an individual, an athlete, and a professional. I have a duty to my team, the organization that has given me this opportunity, and the fans in the stands to give them my best at all times. The concept that the owners are trying to dismantle existing contracts that they in good faith offered, signed, and committed to is appalling, unprofessional, and disgraceful. I negotiated my own contract, without an agent, with the confidence and belief that the owner offering me that contract operated by the same convictions and principals as I do. During the summer, the players offered to play through negotiations and the owners locked us out. We want to play hockey! Where is the honor? I’m ready to play and uphold my end of the deal!”

Johnson pits it very well. He wrote the words that many players feel, but either are afraid to say or just choose to remain silent. Johnson wants to play. Most of the players want to play, and they want to do so in The United States of America. They want to play in the greatest hockey league in the world, the NHL.

While many agree with Johnson’s sentiments, especially in regards to the NHL owners, I give him credit for calling them out in this letter.

I just wish that they would listen.