from Sean Gordon of the Globe and Mail,

First, the players: The main demand on the NHLPA's side is that every contract currently signed is honoured on a dollar-per-dollar basis, with no funny stuff. But if the players resist the owners' entreaties past a certain point (ie. the league's preferred date of Nov. 2) and Gary Bettman irrevocably cancels a third of the season's games, that roughly means they'll have lost exactly what they stood to lose from the league's last offer when hockey eventually resumes and they're paid pro-rated salaries....

Which brings us to the owners: In 2004, there was no broadcast partner and few big-ticket corporate partners, the same isn't true now. Those folks aren't necessarily going to be happy if a big pile of games get scrubbed from the schedule (although uncertainty is arguably worse). The other thing is a lot of owners will find ever-growing swaths of fans want their season-ticket money reimbursed - most teams processed their renewals this summer, weeks before the lockout - and a lot of that money will have to be paid back with interest.

To say nothing of the fact that while some teams are perfectly happy to not have to pay players right now, others are starting to feel a revenue pinch that's only going to get more uncomfortable....

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