The NHL and the players association have reached a tentative agreement to end the lockout.
The NHL and players association reached an agreement on the framework of a new collective bargaining agreement early Sunday morning, ending the lockout that began Sept. 15.
"I'm really happy this is over," Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said via text. "A lot of credit goes to the players who were in the bargaining sessions and worked very hard to get a deal done."
After a marathon session in New York, league commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr announced the deal around 4 a.m. Central.
"We have to dot a lof of the I's and cross a lot of T's," Bettman told reporters in New York. "There is still a lot of work to be done, but the basic framework has been agreed upon."
There will be a ratification process and the league Board of Governors and player will have to officially approve the new CBA, which reportedly will run 10 years.
"Any process like this in the system we have is difficult," Fehr told reporters. "We have the framework of a deal. We have to do the legal work ... and we'll get back to what we used to call business as usual just as fast as we can."
The final push during talks which lasted 16 hours was led by a federal mediator that helped the sides bridge the final gap on several key issues, including contract terms, salary cap and pensions. The union will hold a conference call with players Sunday afternoon to update them on the terms of the deal.
Details on when the season will begin and how many games each team will play haven't been announced, but it is possible a 48-50-game schedule could begin Jan. 19 or even a few days sooner.
ckuc@tribune.com
Twitter @ChrisKuc
Deal reached to end NHL lockout, season could begin Jan. 19
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Deal reached to end NHL lockout, season could begin Jan. 19
