[Sport] The NHL is back. Finally.

Normally whilst the circus performance that is the NFL season and playoffs takes place I pay little attention to the NHL. I might check up on it every now and then to see how my favourite teams are getting on, but the ice hockey season is normally so long that I tend to ignore it until the end of the season draws near, and the playoff picture starts to take shape. This year though I've paid both more and less attention to goings on in the NHL than previously. If this sounds odd, don't worry; I shall explain.

This image might give you a clue....(Credit: sports.nationalpress.com)

Over the summer, the NHL collective bargaining agreement reached the end of its lifetime. This is the agreement/contract/word of oath that governs how the players and team owners treat each other, the rules governing practices, numbers of games, length of seasons, etc. It has a built-in lifespan so that it can be redrawn every now and then to better suit the changing needs of all involved, and of the game. This year it was time for the negotiations to start. Which they did. What they didn't do was stop.

I won't pretend to know all of the ins and outs of the negotiations, bargains, deals, and arguments that went on. I paid fairly close attention to start with, but to be honest I lost interest very quickly once it became apparent that the team owners (on one side), the players union (on the other), and the NHL commissioner (on the third) were not going to budge from their positions. So many times we were told that progress was being made, and that an agreement was close. But time and time again we were let down, and nothing happened.

Essentially, everyone seemed to be out for themselves and unwilling to compromise. The people that this hurt the most? The fans. 

Pretty please stop being jackasses, mkay? We miss our hockey. (Credit: cbc.ca)

Fortunately, and rather unexpectedly, an agreement has actually been reached! It's even in time to rescue some of the season! Thanks to the ridiculously long hockey season, and the frequency of games that takes place (seriously, they really cram them in), we still get a 99 day schedule starting next week, with each team playing 48 games. Then the Stanley Cup playoffs will take place as normal. Some sacrifices have been made of course. Preparation time will be very short for the players, and there won't be any cross-conference play until the Stanley Cup final.

However, at least hockey is back. And for that we can all be grateful. Please let it be many years until this happens again!