Report: The worst is confirmed for the NHL

One of the words that hockey fans hate hearing the most is "lockout".

Unfortunately, the NHL looks to be heading to another one when the CBA expires at the end of the 2019-20 season.

NHL player agent Allan Walsh makes a very bold assertion when he states "We can’t. It’s coming. Write it down. Sept 15, 2020 - the league goes dark again."

Walsh is fairly well-known for being an outspoken agent, occasionally touching a few nerves along the way - and he sounds very certain about this eventuality. 

The last time the NHL had a lockout was in 2012-13 - fortunately, the NHLPA and league executives came into agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement in time to resume the year in January, giving fans a shortened 48-game season.

The lockout prior to that was in 2004-05 - the NHL was shut down for the entire season. No one wants to go a whole year without NHL hockey - but while anything can happen between now and then, it sounds all but certain that at the very best, we'll get a shortened season once more.

Thank you, Mr. Bettman.