Day 46 of the NHL lockout brings us no closer to real, live NHL hockey. Or is it Day 47? As Hurricane Sandy provides yet another excuse for NHL executives and NHLPA representatives not to meet there are now rumors that the Winter Classic is now on “Death Row” of the Gary Bettman electric chair. With the cancellation of the NHL’s New Year’s Day spectacle, the season may be soon to follow. With nearly 450 games already missed,  cancelling the most significant single game on the NHL schedule could be the beginning of the end.

NHLPA representative Donald Fehr acknowledged the other day that there might be some fracturing in the NHLPA among the ranks according to Michael Russo of Minnesota's Star Tribune. While Fehr acknowledged that he worries about possible dissension, he noted that he would not make a bad deal because of it. The players association hired Fehr because of his history of playing hardball, pun intended, with league owners, but it could end up costing them the season.

The problem with Fehr is that he is playing chicken with someone who cares less about hockey than he does in commissioner Gary Bettman. We all know that Bettman is serving in the owner’s best interests, but it’s hard to ignore the deliberate posturing from the NHL front man. This isn’t Bettman’s first work stoppage, or his second, and no it’s not his third either. The most hated man in the NHL has been in charge of the league for four work stoppages now. Say that out loud folks. Did I mention he was hired in 1994 for the specific goal of building the league and creating labor peace?

The NHL is in a very bad place right now. At a virtual stalemate, both sides seem prepared to hold firm to their position without significant concessions in sight. The owners have painted themselves into a corner with a clear inability to run their operations successfully and profitably. The players are being told to accept that their sport needs them to accept less money in order for it to grow and succeed. That’s a pretty hard concept to swallow when salaries were already rolled back after the last lockout.

While no side appears remotely close to victory, the clear losers are the fans. Loyalty brought them back to the sport in 2005 after the previous lockout, but at this point what can the NHL or it’s players expect from a public that is now just plain pissed off? The NHL is the only major North American sports league that has forfeited an entire season (2004-05). There is a distinct possibility that this could happen again less than ten years later. Hopefully a deal can be struck before the league does any more damage to itself. It could already be too late.