THE DRAFT WON'T HAPPEN!

Nah, not that draft! The hockey draft.

The lastest article fresh from the AP talks about how its not really legal to draft players if there is no CBA. Of course since the season looks like a wash, I don't know why anyone 18 college student or juniors player would want to be drafted so they can sit and stare at one another anyway.

Here it is if you missed it:


TORONTO (AP) -- There won't be an NHL entry draft before a collective bargaining agreement is reached with the players' association, the director of the league's scouting department said.
The lockout has already wiped out over 240 games, plus the All-Star weekend, and it appears there won't be any NHL hockey before January -- if at all this season. The sides haven't met since Sept. 9 and no negotiations have been scheduled.

If the season goes by the boards, next June's draft -- scheduled for Ottawa -- would be the next major event to be lost. The draft can't be legally held without a collective bargaining agreement.
.textforypgreenadvert

.If the lockout continued into next season and was then settled, Central Scouting director Frank Bonello said there could be two drafts within a few months.
``If there were to be an agreement, say January '06, we would have a draft shortly after that time so that we'd have it prior to June '06 when the next draft is,'' Bonello said. ``In other words, we would be very anxious to get a draft in so we don't miss it if that is the case.''
What would have to be hammered out as part of labor negotiations is the draft order.

Wait, did he just throw 'o6 out as the date they are aiming for? More and more I am hearing this is lasting till January of 2006. Are these people high? It is almost as if they just shrugged it off and have no desire to get it done quicker. Again THERE WILL BE NO FAN BASE if they wait till winter of 2006!