The NHL announced Friday that it was canceling this season’s Winter Classic, the league’s premier regular season event. Even though the game was going to be played in Michigan between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, it still sends a shock wave through the rest of the league.
Without the marquee game, the NHL has no reason to expedite the negotiation process and sign a new collective bargaining agreement. With no fire under their feet, they can play the waiting game with the NHLPA. That strategy seems to be Gary Bettman’s go to move in negotiations.
The longer this drags on the worse it becomes for the Dallas Stars. Dallas is in an awkward transition period with their roster right now.
In the offseason, general manager Joe Nieuwendyk signed a pair of over-the-hill forwards in Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney. One year playing overseas is one more valuable year their 40-year-old players lose.
These guys can’t exactly rebound from injuries like players half their age.
Jagr is currently under a one-year contract, so if he ends up being ineffective once the NHL hits the ice again, it won&r ...
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Article written by Mitchell Klemp
NHL Winter Classic Cancelled: How It Affects the Dallas Stars
November 3rd, 2012 by Mitchell Klemp Leave a reply »
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