NHL cancels All-Star Game, games through Dec. 14

The NHL canceled its annual All-Star Game and two more weeks of games Friday because owners and players remain stalemated in their negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.

With the lockout now in its 69th day, the NHL officially has canceled the first nine weeks of the regular season for a total of 422 lost games though Dec. 14. It has also announced that it won't hold the Winter Classic in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Jan. 1.

The Columbus Dispatch estimated that the All-Star Game would have brought in $12 million to the area. Fans can get refunds from the agency through which they purchased the tickets.

The Jan. 26-27 All-Star weekend would have been the first in Columbus, which has made the playoffs once in its existence.

"Columbus deserves to host it in a complete season with no distractions," Blue Jackets fan Greg Miller said. "I believe it should have been canceled at the same time the Winter Classic was canceled. It would only be right for the league to stand up and allow the city to host the next All Star Game in order to make up for the revenue the city will be losing out on due to this ludicrous work stoppage that is still going on."

The two sides last met on Wednesday when the NHL Players Association's new proposal failed to bring about traction toward a quick resolution. No new bargaining sessions are scheduled, although the two sides chatted for about 10 minutes on Friday and have had open lines of communication.

The two sides are currently $182 million apart on the issue of dividing hockey-related revenue and they have vastly different views on the individual contracting issues.

"On Wednesday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said that the league is losing $18-20 million per day during the lockout, therefore two more weeks of canceled games far exceeds the current economic gap ($182 million)," NHL Players' Association executive director Donald Fehr said in a statement. "It makes the NHL's announcement of further game cancellations, including the 2013 All-Star weekend, all the more unnecessary, and disappointing for all hockey fans – especially those in Columbus. The players remain ready to negotiate but we require a willing negotiating partner."

If the two sides reach an agreement, it is expected to take about 10 days to launch a season. Players would need about two or three days to report for a seven-day training camp.

If the league could start a season by Dec.15, it would be possible to play 60 or 62 games.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in an interview with Fan 590 on Friday that the league probably should have canceled the games earlier but had wanted to wait to see the proposal the union presented.

"We feel badly for NHL fans and particularly those in Columbus, and we intend to work closely with the Blue Jackets organization to return the NHL All-Star events to Columbus and their fans as quickly as possible," Daly said.

This is the third All-Star Game to be canceled by an NHL lockout. San Jose, which lost the 1995 game, got it again in 1997. Atlanta, a casualty in 2005, landed a game in 2008, the delayed year because there was no All-Star weekend in 2006 as NHL players went to the Olympics. If the NHL goes to Sochi, Russia, for the 2014 Olympics, the earliest Columbus could host would be 2015.

"The NHL is amateur league," Columbus fan Peter D. Gehres said. "Here in Columbus, we have seen a decade of mediocre product on the ice and a decade of mistakes, missteps and malpractice at the league office. Personally I couldn't care less if we ever see hockey here again."