Due to CBA uncertainty,
#FlaPanthers have cancelled rookie tournament (#nhlCanes#tbLightning#Bruins) scheduled for Sept 15-19 in CSprings
Thus Tweeted OFP’s George Richards on Monday. No “official” word from the club as of this writing but evidently the Florida Panthers, along with the Bruins, Lightning and Hurricanes, have cancelled their Rookie Tournament scheduled to begin on September 15. Yep…the very same expiration date of the current collective bargaining agreement between the league and players association (which, it’s worthy to add, none of the tourney’s participants belong to at this stage). The Red Wings cancelled their annual camp less than a week ago, so expect everyone else to follow with similar actions soon. A “united front”, and all that crap.
The NHL has already stated it won’t hold training camps if negotiations are not completed with a new CBA by the above date, but anything is possible as each party scrambles for the upper hand in what has (very expectedly) become a public relations war. Next on the chopping block: the aforementioned training camp, so far due to begin September 22.
Update: GR has more on the situation here, which assistant GM Mike Santos confirmed.