Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Detroit’s Cleary: Jan. 15 “end-all” date to save NHL season

Nashville Predators v Detroit Red Wings - Game Four

DETROIT, MI - APRIL 17: Danny Cleary #11 of the Detroit Red Wings tries to control the puck in front of Kevin Klein #8 of the Nashville Predators during the second period in Game Four of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Joe Louis Arena on April 17, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Dan Cleary has been one of the NHLPA’s most outspoken members during the lockout, so it came as no surprise when he answered the burning question regarding the work stoppage -- what date is the point of no return for the NHL season?

“If nothing is going on by Jan. 15, that would be for me an end-all. It has to be,” Cleary told the Detroit News. “I know they canceled Feb. 16 last time, but it’s not fathomable to have a season at that point.

“You can’t have a 35-game season.”

As Cleary alludes to, there was a last-ditch effort during the 2004-05 lockout to try and salvage the season before NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman made it official on Feb. 16.

(Click here for the CBC’s timeline)

This time around, though, lines have been drawn regarding drop-dead dates. Following Thursday’s negotiations in New York, Bettman made it clear he and the league also have a timeline in mind.

“When it gets to the point where we can’t play a season with integrity, then we’ll be done,” he said. “If you go back in history, in 1994-95, I think we played 48 games.

“I can’t imagine wanting to play fewer than that.”

Related

Owners and players tentatively set to meet again on Wednesday (Update: It’s official)

Welcome back to the party, mediators

Wild’s Yeo meets with NBA coach for shortened season advice