Lockout over: NHL, NHLPA reach tentative agreement

After 113 days, the National Hockey League lockout is over.

The league and its players reached a tentative deal early Sunday morning after a marathon bargaining session in New York.

The deal needs to be ratified before the season can start on either January 15 or January 19.

If the season begins on the earlier date, teams will likely play 50 games. If things start on the latter date, the season will likely be 48 games.

The new collective bargaining agreement is a 10-year pact with a mutual opt-out after eight seasons. The two sides will split revenue equally.

One of the most-contentious issues was agreeing to a salary cap in the second year of the deal. The league budged from its initial stance of $60 million and settled at $64.3 million which will give teams like the Canucks—who spend to the salary cap—a little more flexibility to operate.

Individual contracts can be no longer than seven years except when teams re-sign their own free agents, and in those instances contracts can (but few will be) a maximum of eight years.

A brief training camp is expected to begin later this week.

With two Lady Gaga shows booked for Rogers Arena on January 11 and 12, it's likely the Canucks will have to open their camp at UBC.

A handful of Canucks players have skated regularly at UBC throughout he work stoppage, but others will have to scramble now to join the team. Cory Schneider, Jannik Hansen, Dale Weise, and Mason Raymond have all been playing in Europe during the lockout.