Stop me if you've heard this before: the NHL players and owners are at each other's throats as the September 15 deadline to approve of a new CBA before a lockout looms in the horizon:

Bettman: "We reiterated to the union that the owners will not play another year under the current agreement." PA told same for past year.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) August 9, 2012

Both the players and the owners have offered initial proposals, and the two sides are reportedly miles apart.

While that's not all that unexpected in negotiations over a multi-billion dollar business, it's not an encouraging sign for a sport that missed the entire 2004-2005 season in a similar dispute.

Ironically, the fact that NHL fans came back to the rink so quickly may end up helping both sides justify missing the start of the 2012-2013 season.

For the Stars, looking forward to their most promising season in some time, the spectre of a lockout is yet another hurdle for growing the sport in Dallas.