Player voting starts Thursday night on labor deal
The NHL Players' Association began voting Thursday night on ratification of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement that would end the four-month lockout and put teams back on the ice.
Electronic voting will continue through Saturday morning, the players' union announced. The results will be disclosed upon completion.
A majority vote is needed for acceptance of the new 10-year labor deal. Once the deal is ratified, the players are expected to start training camp on Sunday and open the 48-game regular season on Jan. 19.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the NHL schedule would be released immediately after the players' vote.
The league lost 510 regular-season games, the All-Star game and the Winter Classic during the lockout that began Sept. 16.
