NHL lockout 2012: NHL cancels games through Oct. 24

October 4, 2012 - 02:07 pm

The National Hockey League has canceled its regular season schedule through Oct. 24 due to the ongoing lockout.

The cancellation of nearly the first two weeks of the schedule will ax 82 total games from the 2012-13 NHL season, which was scheduled to start on Oct. 11.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Thursday, “This is not about ‘winning’ or ‘losing’ a negotiation. This is about finding a solution that preserves the long-term health and stability of the League and the game."

On Sept. 27, the National Hockey League canceled what remained of the league's preseason schedule. The first salvo in the dispute between the league and its players association came weeks earlier, when preseason games in the month of September were canceled.

The Washington Capitals were scheduled to open their season on Oct. 12 with a home game against the New Jersey Devils, the defending Eastern Conference champions. Subsequent home games against Florida, Toronto and Winnipeg have already been canceled.

If no more games are canceled, the Capitals would take the ice for the first time on Oct. 27 on the road in Calgary. However, as the lockout drags on, the likelihood of more cancellations increases.

In total, the Capitals had seven games canceled, including:

Date	Opponent	Location
Oct. 12	New Jersey Devils	Verizon Center
Oct. 13	Ottawa Senators	Scotiabank Place
Oct. 15	Florida Panthers	Verizon Center
Oct. 17	Toronto Maple Leafs	Verizon Center
Oct. 19	Winnipeg Jets	Verizon Center
Oct. 20	Montreal Canadiens	Bell Centre
Oct. 23	Winnipeg Jets	MTS Centre