The NHL lockout continues to crawl agonizingly along.
The players have voted to ratify the new collective bargaining agreement, the NHL Players' Association announced this afternoon, but the league remains closed for business.
Lawyers for both sides continue to work on the memorandum of understanding, which is a written account of what the players and owners voted for in recent days. Until it is done and signed, there is a hold on trades, signings and the release of the schedule.
There remains hope it will be completed tonight so training camps can open Sunday.
---John Vogl