Throughout this entire lockout, it seemed, Kimmo Timonen was among the upbeat guys.
Any time I ran into him at Skate Zone, he expressed concern about the on-going NHL lockout, but also a deep sense of optimism that something would get done.
He had a perpetual smile that made you feel this would be resolved at some point.
Late Saturday night, I saw Timonen at Caesars after Operation Hat Trick. He wasn't smiling.
"How are you?" I asked.
"Not good," he replied. "There won't be an NHL season, Timmy."
Timonen was among the 25 players who attended Donald Fehr's pre-game NHLPA update meeting at the hotel 4 hours before the game.
With the latest developments of the two sides throwing up their hands and more or less writing of the mediators, I am convinced we have gotten much closer to losing the season.
Once I thought it could be saved but now it's probably less than 50/50 by Vegas standards and 40/60 by my count.
Next week, the Board of Governors will meet in New York City and I expect two things: The Commish, Gary Bettman, will ask for a "drop dead" date as the final date for an agreement to be in place and also for advance permission from the owners to cancel the season on such-and-such date if that doesn't occur.
The league has proposed that the players join the 30 owners and meeting among themselves without any of the Big 4 or lawyers but I don't think that's a good idea on several fronts.
First, too many players despise Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs. It wouldn't be safe for him in that room.
Second, I don't trust enough owners out there that if one of their players spoke up and they didn't like what he had to say that it would be held against them. Especially, if the meeting went badly.
Finally, I never feel it's a good idea for a union to cast aside its lawyers in something like this. The owners have already taken enough from the players with representation. Who can trust them without such?
No, what has to happen here is that the "moderate" faction among NHL owners need to stage a coup next Wednesday and force Bettman to give the players a deal they can live with - moreso than the owners can live with.
Either that, or the season is lost.
Here's more on the lockout & Flyers from CSNPhilly.com:
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