Another Lockout? - We Can Only Hope Not

We are now in yet another offseason of hockey but as always that doesn't mean things are quiet. Starting at the end of the season things become very busy for management of the teams with the draft and then the push to sign players that have contracts ending, this after the decisions take place on who to keep and who to let go. Then you have free agency when teams are throwing out their best bids for the players that they think will help their team the most in the coming years. Throw in the HHOF selection, the awards show, and development and rookie camps all before you even get to training camps and things are busy indeed.

This year happens to be even busier yet. Earlier in the year the NHL club owners voted to cancel the final year of the current CBA so as of September 15th there again won't be a CBA in place unless an agreement is come to by then. The last time this happened the league locked out the players and the entire 2004-2005 season was lost. Hockey came back stronger and better than ever but still the pain of losing an entire season was real. Now we face a similar situation this year where despite claims that the NHLPA is ready to play even if a CBA is not in place it is very possible the league won't start on time if there isn't, just as it was eight years ago. At this time the first discussion between the party is to take place at the end of June, and while the lack of intelligence of not having any discussions between the parties prior having known of the impending end of the CBA for some time seems obvious, that isn't the point of this writing. Neither is the point of this writing to champion my thoughts on why if we lose hockey yet again less than a decade after the last lockout it should cost some high profile people their jobs. Rather the point of this writing is to point out a few things in my opinion that truly do need fixed. Yes, hockey has come back strong and the sport has been very successful, however that doesn't mean that things can't be improved or don't need addressed either.

Past Meet Present - An End ... For Now

While I haven't played in some time because of this or that, mostly work, the campaign was picked up by the group and put through another small adventure by one of those previously playing.

Perhaps someday we'll all be able to find the time to return to the game and finish things up properly. I know that I had a pretty large amount of storyline left for these characters and their relationship with Bastion. Daisy's brother still sits out there somewhere.  Temeris still is looking to become part of the Royal Explorers. What of Bastion and this man they wanted the group to track down?  Lots of story lines left out there still...

For now though, here is the recap of the sessions they went through recently thanks to the writing of Jeremy once again (and placed here for completeness).