'Tentative Agreement' Has Been Reached To End NHL Lockout; Season Could Start In Nine Days

Katie Strong of ESPN.com is reporting that the NHL and players' association have reached a "tentative agreement" to end the lockout. Details still need to be worked out, but the two sides are hoping to begin a 48 or 50-game schedule within the next two weeks.

According to Strong, the deal needs "language clarification, legal fine-tuning and ratification from both sides," but that the two sides have reached a "verbal agreement" on all of the major stumbling blocks.

It is believed that the two sides are hoping for either a 48- or 50-game schedule. According to Strong, a 48-game season would begin on January 19 and a 48-game schedule would begin on January 15. The Stanley Cup Finals will be pushed back to the end of June.

The two sides have not reached an agreement on participating in the Olympics. That point will be negotiated in a side deal according to Strong.

The deal would guarantee labor peace for at least the next eight years. The 10-year deal has a mutual opt-out clause for both sides after eight years.