National Hockey League representatives and players reached a collective bargaining agreement this past Sunday, ending the lockout and kicking off a shortened season for the league expected to start in mid-January.
For the Tampa Bay Lightning, this means a brief, but still existent 2013 season at the Tampa Bay Times Forum and beyond.
According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, it appears that regular season NHL games will start January 15th or January 19th and commence for a 48-game or 50-game season.
If the collective bargaining agreement is ratified by both the league and the players, the deal will last for 10 years, reducing the players' share of league revenue down from 57 percent to 50 percent.
The Lightning are wasting no time as they prepare for this upcoming, abbreviated season. Just yesterday, 16 players hit the ice at the Lightning's practice facility, the Brandon Ice Sports Forum, for an informal practice session. Following four months of not playing during the lockout, the 12 Lightning players and four others scrimmaged and ran drills with a sense of vigor rarely seen before, according to 10 News.
The collective bargaining agreement is expected to be finalized today or tomorrow. We'll keep you updated as more news arises regarding the NHL lockout and our Tampa Bay Lightning.
