HEY EVERYONE THE NHL LOCKOUT IS OVER!!

HEY GUYS THE NHL IS BACK!!!

No seriously, the NHL is back. After about 16 hours of negotiations, the players and the owners have agreed to a tentative deal that would start the season on January 19th. Here are the deals of the new CBA, per TSN. 

• – The players' share of hockey-related revenue will drop from 57 percent to a 50-50 split for all 10 years.  
• – The league coming off their demand for a $60 million cap in Year 2, meeting the NHLPA's request to have it at $64.3 million – which was the upper limit from last year's cap. The salary floor in Year 2 will be $44 million.
• – The upper limit on the salary cap in the first year is $60 million, but teams can spend up to $70.2 million (all pro-rated). The cap floor will be $44 million.
• – The 10-year deal also has an opt-out clause that kicks in after eight years.
• – Each team will be allowed two amnesty buyouts that can be used to terminate contracts after this season and next season. The buyouts will count against the players' overall share in revenues, but not the team's salary cap.
• – The salary variance on contracts from year to year cannot vary more than 35 per cent and the final year cannot vary more than 50 per cent of the highest year.
• – A player contract term limit for free agents will be seven years and eight years for a team signing its own player.
• – The draft lottery selection process will change with all 14 teams fully eligible for the first overall pick. The weighting system for each team may remain, but four-spot move restriction will be eliminated.
• – Supplemental discipline for players in on-ice incidents will go through NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan first, followed by an appeal process that would go through Bettman. For suspensions of six or more games, a neutral third party will decide if necessary.
• – Revenue sharing among teams will spread to $200 million. Additionally, an NHLPA-initiated growth fund of $60 million is included.
• – Teams can only walk away from a player in salary arbitration if the award is at least $3.5 million.
• – The NHL had hoped to change opening of free agency to July 10, but the players stood firm and it remains July 1 in the new agreement. But with a later ending to the season, free agency for this summer will start at a later date.

Lots of good stuff there, especially that the CBA will be at least 8 years. TSN is also reporting that the NHL could play a 50 game schedule starting on January 15th or a 48 gme schedule starting on January 19th. 

I told everyone I know that I wouldn't be excited when the NHL came back, but that's a lie. Now that it seems that the deal is done, I'm overly ecstatic to start training camp and have the puck drop. Like I said, it isn't know when the season will start, just that it will either be the 15th or the 19th. 

And finally we get to talk about the Northeast Division. I already wrote about possible amnesty for the Bruins, which will likely include Tim Thomas. 

Days of Y'Orr will have a team by team breakdown of the Northeast Division now that we know hockey is back. Time to dust off our keyboards and get to work. 

Damn, I'm happy the NHL is finally back.