ESPN's Summer Skate

Oh, ****. Today's September 15th - the drop dead date for NHL owners to...(using my Glenn Kulka voice) "drop the proverbial hammer" by locking out the players by 11:59 pm. From a blogging standpoint, this is going to be a new experience. I did not start writing until a few years after the NHL's last work stoppage, so the most obvious challenge will be being able to maintain that consistent level of content that is expected by our audience. Despite the obvious drawbacks to any lockout, it's going to be a unique opportunity to challenge myself and the other contributors to provide original and worthwhile content during these dire times, but with the likelihood that Gary Bettman will remain as the commissioner for the foreseeable future, the timing of it will just prepare me for the inevitable fourth work stoppage of his tenure. So while I should be bracing myself for the rate of Senators news slowing to a crawl, I will still leap at any opportunity to comment on ...