And so, we come that much closer to reaching the end game.
After promising talks between then NHL and NHLPA heated up through the early part of last week, fans hopes were dashed again when Gary Bettman and the NHL announced no deal was close to conclusion and that all offers on the league's owners were being pulled from the table.
It's been four days since those talks imploded and already the NHL has completed its latest round of game cancellations, depriving fans of NHL hockey until December 30, 2012, at the earliest.
Attached below is a list of Winnipeg Jets‘ games that have been scrubbed from the schedule thus far. As it currently stands, almost 43% of the entire 2012-13 schedule will not be played.
| Day | Date | Home | Away | Start |
| Sat | 13-Oct | Carolina | Jets | 2:00 PM |
| Tue | 16-Oct | Chicago | Jets | 7:00 PM |
| Fri | 19-Oct | Jets | Washington | 6:00 PM |
| Sat | 20-Oct | Jets | Philadelphia | 7:00 PM |
| Tue | 23-Oct | Washington | Jets | 7:00 PM |
| Thu | 25-Oct | Florida | Jets | 7:00 PM |
| Sat | 27-Oct | Detroit | Jets | 6:00 PM |
| Thu | 1-Nov | Jets | Tampa Bay | 6:00 PM |
| Sat | 3-Nov | Jets | Florida | 6:00 PM |
| Tue | 6-Nov | Nashville | Jets | 7:00 PM |
| Thu | 8-Nov | Jets | Montreal | 6:00 PM |
| Tue | 13-Nov | New Jersey | Jets | 7:00 PM |
| Thu | 15-Nov | Montreal | Jets | 7:00 PM |
| Sat | 17-Nov | Jets | Boston | 6:00 PM |
| Sun | 18-Nov | Jets | NY Rangers | 6:00 PM |
| Wed | 21-Nov | Jets | Washington | 6:00 PM |
| Fro | 23-Nov | Jets | Philadelphia | 6:00 PM |
| Sun | 25-Nov | Jets | Carolina | 12:30 PM |
| Tue | 27-Nov | Jets | Buffalo | 6:00 PM |
| Thu | 29-Nov | Toronto | Jets | 7:00 PM |
| Sat | 1-Dec | Tampa | Jets | 1:00 PM |
| Wed | 5-Dec | Boston | Jets | 7:00 PM |
| Sat | 8-Dec | Carolina | Jets | 2:30 PM |
| Mon | 1-Dec | Jets | Pittsburgh | 6:00 PM |
| Tue | 11-Dec | Jets | Toronto | 6:00 PM |
| Fri | 14-Dec | NY Islanders | Jets | 7:00 PM |
| Sat | 15-Dec | Pittsburgh | Jets | 7:00 PM |
| Mon | 17-Dec | Columbus | Jets | 7:00 PM |
| Thu | 20-Dec | Jets | Boston | 6:00 PM |
| Fri | 21-Dec | Jets | Pittsburgh | 6:00 PM |
| Wed | 26-Dec | Jets | Edmonton | 8:30 PM |
| Sat | 29-Dec | Buffalo | Jets | 6:00 PM |
In total, an even 16 home and 16 road games have been eliminated as it pertains to Jets' hockey. Despite the doom and gloom that's been dominating the news wire since Friday, it's still believed that a 57-game season can still be salvaged from this mess, providing that play resumes around January 1, 2013.
And to provide more optimism to your increasing malaise,there’s something to be said about the NHL keeping their December 31, 2012 games unscathed. With thirteen games set for play on New Year’s Eve — including a blockbuster between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals — the NHL may want to save some face in the PR department public by starting fresh witha full slate of action, Including a Sidney Crosby v. Alex Ovechkin showdown. The NBA set precedence for this last year when they began their season on Christmas Day with a marquee match-up between Lebron James’ Miami Heat and Carmelo Anthony’s New York Knicks.
Should an abbreviated season commence before the final hours of 2012 slip away, the Jets’ would host the Tampa Bay Lightning in their annual New Year’s Eve matinee.
Although both sides of this labour dispute seem to have dug their heels in for the long haul, there is still feigning hope that a Christmas miracle can salvage what has been a brutal three and a half months.
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