NHL Cancels Winter Classic, Season Slipping Away

nhl.com

The NHL has decided to cancel the NHL Winter Classic on Tuesday January 1, 2013. The game was set to be played between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings at the "Big House" in Ann Arbor Michigan.

The cancellation of the Winter Classic is evidence that there is a slim chance there will be an NHL season this year. The two sides have been very far apart ever since the previous collective bargaining agreement expired in September.

All games were canceled through November, and games will most likely be canceled for the month of December.

The Winter Classic has been a major event for the NHL since 2008 when the NHL introduced fans to the Winter Classic on New Years Day. Every game has been a thriller, including the last one between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Rangers erased a 2-0 deficit with a goal by Brad Richards in the third period, and Henrik Lundqvist stopped Daniel Briere on a penalty shot with 19 seconds left to give the Rangers a 3-2 victory.

The game between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs could have set a record for attendance for an NHL game, with the Michigan Wolverines stadium being able to hold 100,000 fans plus.

It's another for the NHL, NHLPA, and the fans who have been eagerly waiting for this lockout, the second one in eight years, to finally end, and get the season started already.

Sorry hockey fans, but it looks like you will have to wait until the 2013-2014 season, or maybe even later.