ICYMI: Worst possible news confirmed for the NHL on Saturday

A simple Q&A with NHL player agent Allan Walsh on Twitter Saturday afternoon turned for the worst when a firm statement was made that the National Hockey League will shut down its operations in 2020.

The current CBA - collective bargaining agreement - between the NHL and NHLPA expires at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, and will need to be renegotiated in order for the players to continue working.

It seems like every time a CBA is agreed upon, and as the agreement runs its course, several new issues come up that cause conflicts between the union and the league, forcing a work stoppage as they iron out the problems.

The last work stoppage was in 2012-13, which fortunately, only lasted until the New Year - allowing for the NHL to squeeze out a condensed 48-game schedule.

In 2004-05, the league was shut down for an entire season due to the two sides being unable to iron out a deal quickly enough. While it's clear that the players need to get proper working conditions, and the NHL needs to run a business, this is a rather great injustice to fans worldwide. 

Walsh's assertion definitely doesn't seem like an opinion. While things can change between now and 2020, many have feared for some time now that the league will inevitably have a lockout, with several new player contracts that run through that year having a certain financial protection that accounts for that possibility... or eventuality.

Any way you shake it, fans are likely to be deprived of hockey once more in a few years time... let's just hope it's not an entire season.