from Tim Wharnsby of CBC,

So what does this all mean, besides dwindling television ratings in Canada for the Stanley Cup playoffs and a long eight weeks before we can watch the Canadian team perform in its opener against the United States at the IIHF World Championship in Russia?

Well, the NHL entry draft will be eventful. Each of the seven Canadian teams could be making selections in the first 10 choices. The Jets have another first-round pick from the Andrew Ladd trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Maple Leafs and Flames have conditional first-round selections from the Phil Kessel and Kris Russell trades with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Dallas Stars, respectively.

There also is the NHL's financial bottom line. Hockey-related revenues (HHR), which determine the annual salary-cap threshold, will be severely damaged with no Canadian teams in the playoffs. The league will find out in June where the salary cap will sit for next season, but even if the NHLPA implements the five per cent escalator there won't be much salary-cap relief.

HHR already has been hit hard by the low Canadian dollar. The seven Canadian teams' ticket prices are among the highest in the league, and those inflate for each playoff round, meaning the league will miss out on that extra revenue.

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