Last week’s negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA gave us a glimmer of hope before quickly and embarrassingly falling off course, leaving North American hockey fans even more frustrated and angry with the ongoing lockout. Monday didn’t bring any great news either, as the NHL reportedly has announced the cancellation of all games through December 30th.

If you’re a desperate hockey fan looking for any positives you can take away at this point (like myself) you can take solace in the fact that this is a very small block of axed games considering the all games were previously cancelled through December 14th.

You can also be glad this potentially leaves the door open for a glorious return of hockey on New Years Eve, when the NHL has 13 games slated for play, including a Sidney Crosby vs. Alexander Ovechkin headliner. I’m sure the league could find worse ways to usher in an abbreviated season, no?

But, as with any news that comes out of this giant mess, you should proceed with cautious optimism.

[Puck Daddy]