Lockout 2004-2005

NEW YORK, New York -- After 310 days, the longest work stoppage the National Hockey League has ever seen has come to a close. With a unanimous vote by the Board of Governors, the league accepted the proposed collective bargaining agreement and ended its lockout of the players.

The NHL Players' Association approved the deal on Thursday, with approximately 87% of the players in favor.

TORONTO, Ontario -- The NHL Players' Association voted ratify the proposed collective bargaining agreeement with the National Hockey League on Thursday, clearing the way for the league to return to the ice this fall.

The league's Board of Governors will vote on acceptance of the deal on Friday. With the proposal seeming to be extremely owner-friendly, it is highly unlikely that it won't be ratified.

After 301 days of the NHL's lockout of the NHLPA, the two sides finally came to an agreement on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement. The Board of Governors will vote on ratification of the deal on Thursday, while the NHLPA members will vote next Tuesday.

Details of the new agreement will not officially be available until after the deal is ratified but several reports - sometimes conflicting - have announced the major points of the proposal.

NEW YORK, New York -- The National Hockey League and the NHL Players' Association continued their recent string of meetings last week with no official announcements regarding the progress that was made.

"There was healthy dialogue, and progress continued to be made on many operational issues relating to a new collective bargaining agreement, said NHL executive vice president Bill Daly.