NHL Lockout: League cancels all November games

The NHL has informed teams that the league schedule up to and including Nov. 30 will be cancelled, according to Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night In Canada. The league is expected to make the announcement official on Friday afternoon.

There are currently no plans to officially cancel the Winter Classic or the NHL All-Star Game, although John Buccigross of ESPN has reported that the league plans to officially cancel the two events as early as Monday. The Winter Classic, set for Jan. 1 and will feature a game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, is generally one of the biggest revenue-generating events of the year for the NHL.

Several reports, however, have stated that NHL Deputy Commissioner has said that the league has no plans to cancel the Winter Classic or All-Star Game at this time.

The cancelled schedule likely means that a full 82-game schedule is impossible at this point, with at best a 72 or 62-game schedule possible only if the NHL and NHLPA can come to an agreement sometime in the next month. As it stands, neither side has chosen to negotiate off a single offer since the league locked out the union on Sept. 15.

The Dallas Stars schedule in November was going to be a busy one, with 14 games to be played in 26 days. The schedule included trips to Washington and Detroit, with the Capitals also making a rare appearance at American Airlines Center.