from Joe Warmington of the Toronto Sun,

By mid-January, could the NHL be featuring replacement players?

In previous labour battles they have cancelled a half season, a whole season and even had a year where they did not award a Stanley Cup.

One former NHL executive feels if a labour deal is not worked out with the players by Jan. 15, 2013, the NHL hiring non-union players could be the owners’ prerogative and very well their next logical move.

And former Maple Leaf assistant general manager Bill Watters said make no mistake, it could be done very easily.

“There are enough free agents around and players under contract in junior, on reserve lists and in the AHL to ice a team in every city,” said Watters. “It is conceivable. It wouldn’t be a long-term thing but a union breaking move.”

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