NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recently called for a 14-day break from labor negotiations, prompted by the lack of progress 60 days into the NHL lockout.
Taking a break might allow both sides to regroup.
The move was met by sarcasm, annoyance and anger from the players and NHLPA.
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Joe Haggerty says the move may be a ploy by the league to put some pressure on the players so they begin to feel the season slipping away.
This week the players missed their third paycheck of the season. Bettman's two-week proposal would cause the players to miss another check. While the league thinks this will cause a sense of urgency among the players, Haggerty suggests that missing another check could actually backfire and cause the players to feel 'pot-committed,' almost guaranteeing that they would dig in their heels and be willing to lose an entire season.
On Sports Tonight, Bettman's job security was brought into question, but Michael Felger objected, essentially calling Bettman the puppet with the NHL owners acting as puppeteer.
Whether it's Bettman or someone else sitting in the commissioner's office when hockey resumes, it remains to be seen if any fans will be left in the rinks.