During a normal campaign, players are only paid during the regular season. Nobody’s going to be in a hurry to get a deal done when it isn’t costing them anything not to play.

"I don’t feel there will be a lot of negotiating between now and September," Phoenix Coyotes managing partner Wayne Gretzky said.

Six months into this feud, the acrimony and mistrust only seems to be growing.

"They never offered us a proposal that we could work with," said Detroit Red Wings goalie Manny Legace, one of many players slamming Bettman.

"The guy’s been killing hockey for 15 years. He’s so (upset that) he screwed the owners in ’94 (during the last lockout) that he’s trying to get it all back in one year."

"He’s asking us for a partnership with a gun pointed to our heads," NHLPA president Trevor Linden of the Vancouver Canucks said of Bettman.

On the owners’ side, there was also acknowledgement of the work that needs to be done to bring the two sides back to the table.

"Obviously, the relationship between players and owners has broken down," admitted Toronto Maple Leafs president and CEO Richard Peddie. "It’s not just about getting a deal done. We need to mend fences."

"Whenever this gets done, there’s going to have to be a long healing process — with fans, management and players," Detroit general manager Ken Holland said.

Goodenow questioned Bettman’s strategy throughout the process, especially leading into the drop-dead date.

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"The threats, ultimatums and take-it-or-leave-it tactics ultimately prevented a deal here," he said.

A deal that evaporated when the NHL opted to fade into oblivion, lurching hockey into completely unchartered territory.

Where do they go from here?

"There are many possibilities, from breaking the union to starting a new league," predicted New York Rangers broadcaster and former NHL goalie John Davidson.

Perhaps to the courtroom, if the NHL decides to seek an impasse through the National Labor Relations Board, a move which could open up the possibility of replacement players, much like the NFL utilized during its 1987 players’ strike.

"At some point, I suppose that could be an option," Bettman said. "As a league, we owe it to ourselves to explore all possibilities."

Jeff Zehr, who played four games for the Boston Bruins in 1999-2000 and who currently plays senior hockey in Aylmer, Ontario, had only one question regarding replacement players.

Where does he sign up?

"I’d be stupid not to be a replacement player," said Zehr, a 1997 second-round draft choice of the New York Islanders. "Seventy-five percent of the guys playing in the minors would cross. They’re not going to turn down the opportunity to make good money, even if it’s for a short period of time.

"It’s a chance to get noticed and that’s what everybody is looking for."

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