The Ballad of Wendel Clark

Halle-frickin'-lujah, the NHL lockout is over! The rumblings started at TSN at about 10 a.m. and were confirmed just after noon in a terse statement from the NHL and NHLPA. The two sides have a deal in principle that must now be ratified by the owners and the players before it becomes official, which the league estimates will take about a week.

And then, the fun begins. Sportsnet believes the entry draft will take place on July 30; the lottery to determine who gets Sidney Crosby could happen as soon as next Thursday. It's still unknown how the draft lottery will be structured: will everyone get a even shot or will it be weighted by a team's record the past few years? If it's 30 balls for 30 teams and the Rangers or LA wins, get ready for the conspiracy theories. Flyers GM Bobby Clarke, for one, thinks it will be a weighted draft.

My hometown club, the Leafs, will have to find a lot of players on the cheap, although as I've said before, I think they'll buy out some of the expensive guys (Owen Nolan, for one) they've got under contract to make some more room under the cap. They've been forced to do what I've wanted them to do for a while: stop spending money on geezers and start growing their own talent.

Check out the always great Off Wing Opinion for reaction from other hockey bloggers to the NHL deal.

Aiight, must get some work done as I get ready to go on vacation. We're heading down to the Joisey Shore again for a week starting Friday night. But I might post something tomorrow if I have time. Then again, I might not. Decisions, decisions.