from Andrew Gross of The Record,

When the inevitable happens and Gary Bettman steps on the podium in the next week or two (or three) to announce the end of his latest lockout, there’s one word the NHL commissioner-for-the-owners must strike from his lexicon lest he insult the ever-dwindling number of people who still care about his league.

"Partnership."

Or, as used in a sentence: "We stand here at a point where we can now together look forward in partnership to take our great game to spectacular heights."

That was Bettman on July 21, 2005 as he announced the end to the 309-day lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season.

And while the league certainly did make spectacular gains during the last collective bargaining agreement – the Winter Classic, a decent national television contract, a record $3.3 billion in revenues during 2011-12 – there’s no way the NHL-players’ association relationship can be considered a partnership.

Rather, it seems the NHL owners prefer a feudal system as they take on the role of lords while viewing the players as serfs, incredibly well-paid serfs, but serfs nonetheless.

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