NHL Lockout Basics

By now, every hockey fan knows that the owners have locked the players out and refuse to drop the puck until a new collective bargaining agreement is in place. But the intricacies of collective bargaining and labor-management head-butting are hard for the average fan to grasp. If you haven't got the time or the patience to wade through the eye-glazing numbers and the jargon, we offer About Ice Hockey's quick and easy NHL Lockout Basics.

We tackle the major issues in the dispute, including:

What do NHL owners want from a new collective agreement?

What do the players want?

Would a salary cap mean a more competitive NHL?

Would a salary cap lead to lower ticket prices?

If you don't trust our interpretation of the issues, or you want more details and the latest bargaining news, check our list of NHL Lockout Links and Resources.