Bruins' Neely 'Optimistic' About NHL Season
BOSTON (CBS) - Despite talks breaking off between the NHL Owners and NHLPA, Boston Bruins president Cam Neely remains optimistic there will be a season.
"I've been half full this whole way, so I'm staying half full," Neely said from the Bruins Annual Toy Shopping Event at the Woburn Target on Monday morning.
"It's frustrating; I think a lot of people felt we'd be playing by now," added Neely. "I'm optimistic something will get done. At least that's my hope."
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It appeared the two sides were heading towards an agreement last week, but talks stalled when they could not agree on the length of the new CBA and length of player contracts.
The NHL cancelled games through December 30 on Monday, bringing the total of games cancelled up to 526.
Should a resolution come soon, there could be a drastically shortened season, much like the 48-game schedule the NHL had back in 1994-95.
Neely was still a player then, and knows the stakes are high right from the get-go when you have a shortened season to work with.
"It was like a sprint to the playoffs. It will be just that," said Neely. "I don't know how many games we'll get into the schedule, but it will be a sprint to the playoffs. Everyone will know that, and it's just a matter of what kind of condition the players are going to be in because it's going to start fast and furious."
