from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

Sean O'Donnell began his NHL career in the lockout-shortened season of 1994-95 and knows very well he may see it end by yet another lockout.

The 41-year-old unrestricted free agent understands the facts. Of the players that played 40 or more games in 2003-04( before the year-long lockout of 2004-05), 121 of them did not return in 2005-06.

O’Donnell knows he might very well be one of the many lockout casualties this time around.

"Even if the lockout ends quickly, there’s still no guarantees that I’m going to find work this year," O’Donnell told ESPN.com Wednesday. "And if I don’t, I think I had a pretty good career. But you can say 100 percent sure that if this goes long or we miss the whole year, then my career is done. But it’s one of those things where you have to think what’s best for the union."

The defenseman, as popular a teammate as there has been during his 17 NHL seasons, is willing to sacrifice his own wellbeing for what he believes is right.

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