NHL cancels preseason games through Sept. 30 as lockout continues
In a sign that the NHL lockout could become a long-term work stoppage, league officials announced Wednesday that they have cancelled all preseason games through the end of September.
Likely to be next up is cancelling games in the first week of October, including the hyped match at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Oct. 2 between the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders, according to ESPNNewYork.com.
The league imposed the lockout this past Saturday, Sept. 15. No new negotiations between the league and the NHL Players Association are scheduled, with the last negotiation session between both sides now being a week ago.
The league also imposed cuts in salary and work hours for many employees, according to ESPNNewYork.com, with those reductions expected to be a 20 percent pay cut and a reduction from five to four-day work weeks. The longer the lockout continues, the chance of increased pay cuts and even shorter work weeks exists.
The NHL regular season is slated to begin on Oct. 11, but at this point, that possibility is in serious jeopardy.
