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Niklas Kronwall thinks it’s too early to get nervous about the CBA

Niklas Kronwall

Detroit Red Wings’ Niklas Kronwall (55) of Swedenin the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Jim Mone

If you’re nervous about the possibility of a lockout, you’re not alone. However, Niklas Kronwall, who represents the Detroit Red Wings, thinks it’s too early to start worrying.

“There hasn’t been any negotiations as of yet,” Kronwall said. “So I don’t think you should be concerned about what may or may not happen.”

Those talks are expected to start in the coming weeks and at that point, the battle lines should become more apparent. For now, a popular belief is that the owners are going to ask for a bigger share of the league’s revenues. It’s not clear how willing the players would be to make financial concessions, but Kronwall remains optimistic that something can get done.

“The feeling for me, anyway, is hockey is doing real well,” Kronwall said. “There are a lot of fans at the games. We’re getting more fans as every day goes by, it feels like.

“And that’s the main goal. To make hockey even bigger and a more popular sport. To have more kids play and so forth.

“I’m still hoping that maybe with some minor tweaks, we’ll making everything (an agreement) happen.”

Kronwall added that the players are “comfortable” with the status quo and he’s hoping the owners are too. It’s hard to know for sure until the negotiations start, but then, that’s kind of Kronwall’s point.