On the Forecheck, a Nashville Predators community

Many assume that eventually NHL players will get a similar deal to that of the NFL and NBA. But blowing up their union may provide a more lucrative model to follow.

Now that the first slate of pre-season games have been cancelled by the NHL, the lockout is truly starting to impact both teams and individuals from a hockey perspective.

Now that we're several days into NHL Lockout 2012, games are starting to get cancelled, including five for the Nashville Predators, and the first two dates at Bridgestone Arena.

Yesterday we got the first word of staff layoffs for certain teams, and this morning's hockey notes include word of the first game cancellation, a special event which, ironically enough, is supposed to celebrate Canada's passion for hockey.

In what may be a sign that they don't expect a lockout resolution coming soon, the NHL has shut down the affiliate marketing program tied to their online merchandising operation.

Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations are notoriously complex affairs, so how better to explain what's going on than with another installation of those surreal, but all-too-accurate Taiwanese animations?

When either side in the lockout debate says that they understand that the fans suffer the most, your BS detector should activate immediately. This morning, we hear word that team staff are already being laid off in one NHL city.

The players seem to be more organized and involved than ever before, so does that translate into the resolve to hold out for months?

NHL Lockout 2012 is ready to roll, now that the CBA has expired, and the two sides have failed to reach agreement on how to divide up the ever-growing pile of cash that fans and corporate sponsors have brought them in recent years.

Nothing more than pure avarice is needed to explain why a league enjoying healthy revenue growth needs to shut down like this, but as fans we have little option but to wait for the two sides to get something done.