National Hockey League to cancel games through Dec. 30 as lockout continues

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A nearly empty hockey stick rack in the Buffalo Sabres locker room is shown at the First Niagara Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres NHL hockey team, in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. The earliest a shortened NHL season will start is Dec. 31.The league is set to cancel another 104 regular-season games later this afternoon, according to a source. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-David Duprey

NEW YORK, – The earliest a shortened NHL season will start is Dec. 31.

The league is set to cancel another 104 regular-season games later this afternoon, according to a source.

In total, the ongoing lockout has seen 526 games — roughly 43 per cent of the season — wiped away along with the Jan. 1 Winter Classic and Jan. 27 all-star game.

The entire schedule through Dec. 30 is now off the books.

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association appeared to be closing in on a deal last week before negotiations fell apart.

Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league needs to have at least a 48-game season for “integrity,” which means a new CBA likely has to be signed within the next month.

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