The first loss of NHL games for the 2012-13 season was officially announced on Wednesday, with the cancellation of all preseason games through Sept. 30.
The announcement is, of course, caused by the current NHL lockout that started less than a week ago.
The NHL previously stated it was ready and willing to lock out the players' association if there wasn't an agreement on a new CBA by their deadline of Sept. 15. As known now, no significant progress was made -- which has lead to the stalemate we have today between the two sides.
Also according to NHL.com, the Kraft Hockeyville preseason match scheduled for Oct. 3 in Belleville, Ontario has been postponed.
It's unclear how long it will be before either side will blink. However, with the regular season slated to start in less than a month, time is certainly not a friend to the fans.
Under Gary Bettman's tenure as commissioner of the NHL, this is the third work stoppage. The NHL is the only North American league to ever miss an entire season due to a labor dispute, back in 2005.
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