"[Today] is going to be a very dark, bleak day for hockey," said an NHL source in this Newsday piece. In one sense, if the rumors are true and the NHL is going back to the NHLPA with a cap response to their bogus 24% PR ploy, it's going to be a long, cold, hockey-less winter. That is "dark and bleak" but in another sense, it's the darkness before the dawn. The NHLPA has to get it and get it soon: the NHL business model is broken. There are better models out there in professional sports and the NHL needs to adopt one. NOW. Or the NHLPA members had better get used to playing for less money in worse conditions in Europe because professional hockey in North Amercia is just not going to be available. And that really IS dark and bleak....