...and is a lot more optimistic than others. In an interview, centered around his support for John Kerry (yeah!!), he implied hockey fans shouldn't believe all we've been reading or hearing. Bettman and Saskin are "good poker players" and are actually closer than we've been led to believe. Soon, Shanny said, they'll get together again "and crunch the numbers once more" and meet in the middle. He's confident we'll see NHL games again around the end of January--or, as he put it, "around Kerry's Inaugural." By the way, he recalled going to the White House following the Stanley Cup Finals and being met by "blank stares" by both Clinton and Bush and Shanahan is looking forward to the day when the championship team arrives at the White House and sees, in John Kerry, a fellow hockey player who recognizes the players.

~Adam

I hope he is right on both counts Adam.

In new Brendan Shanahan news, he's organized what he's calling a "think tank to talk about the game itself" with players, officials, and a few owners. Some participants will attend in person while otehrs will teleconference. Shanahan says labor relations will not be "directly talked about," the focus instead being on ways to "improve the product for fans."

~Adam

Ways to improve the product? I've got Step 1: Offer a product to begin with.