“Everybody knows that the first month (of the season) is nothing like a rose garden for the NHL. Only a few make some money, they face huge competition in American football and baseball. The baseball competition is getting into its playoffs, so, one competitor is gone, and the interest will switch to something else. And that something else is hockey. Simply, the first two months (of the season) aren’t as interesting for the owners as the rest. It doesn’t bother anybody that they’re going to lose the first month and a half.”

-Jaromir Jagr on the NHL returning to action by December. More from Peter Adler at The Cult of Hockey.