It all went down at 5 AM this morning. Via Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski:
But at around 5 a.m. on Jan. 6, the word finally spread around the hockey world: The NHL and the NHLPA had reached a verbal agreement on a tentative framework for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Drop the puck. The NHL will be finally back, with a 10-year CBA solidified between union chief Donald Fehr and Commissioner Gary Bettman. As Fehr said, via Sportsnet: “Any process like this is difficult; it can be long…we have the framework of a deal.”
Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger reports some details:Deal to end NHL lockout tentative with 10-year CBA (opt-out after 8 years), 7-year contract limit (8 for own players) and $64.3 M cap '13-14
— Rich Chere (@Ledger_NJDevils) January 6, 2013
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That’s right: After the NHL asked for a $60 million cap, the players got the League to move all the way to $64.3.
According to reports, there will either be a 50-game season starting January 15 or 48-game season starting January 19. Teams will reportedly only play within their conferences. Regardless…. HOCKEY IS BACK!
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