Trevor Linden (left) and Vincent Damphousse

On Feb. 19, another round of negotiations between the NHL and the union was held in New York, only to leave the canceled hockey season beyond saving.

Bettman and the players' association executive director weren't in attendance, but two of hockey's greatest stars Trevor Linden and Vincent Damphousse were.

"It's certainly not going to be resurrected after today," players' association senior director Ted Saskin said.

The decision was the culmination of a labor dispute that began Sept. 15, when the owners locked the players out of training camps because the union would not agree to the owners' demand for a National Football League-style salary cap.

The demise of the season creates enormous uncertainties for the NHL, which has tried unsuccessfully for years to achieve a stature equal to that of the other big three sports leagues in the United States. The NHL, which claims its teams have lost $1.8 billion during the past decade and that 20 of its 30 clubs lost money last year, is left with an unsatisfied core fan base, no national television contract and a future very much in doubt.

The Japan Times Weekly: Feb. 26, 2005
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