On Wednesday, the NHL made an announcement that all preseason games through Sept. 30 have become casualties of the NHL lockout.
The statement comes as no surprise to anyone following the developments, with the players being officially locked out on Sept. 15.
The Philadelphia Flyers lost three games to this decision, including contests against the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs (in London) and Chicago Blackhawks. While some preseason games are still scheduled, the outlook isn't great, according to Travis Hughes of Broad Street Hockey:
Future dates are still on the books for now. The Flyers are scheduled to host the Devils on Oct. 1 before heading on the road for games in Toronto, New Jersey and Chicago before the end of the preseason. It seems likely that the remainder of the preseason could be cancelled as well.
The NHL made it very clear it was going to lock out the players if a new agreement on a revised CBA wasn't completed by the Sept. 15 deadline. As known now, no such deal was reached, leading to the fourth lockout in the league's history.
Also according to NHL.com, the Kraft Hockeyville preseason match scheduled for Oct. 3 in Belleville, Ontario has been postponed for 2013.
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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