Bob Wojnowski gives us the next 11 months

The Detroit News columnist has a very humorous roadmap of the NHL's lockout (extending all the way to January 20th, 2006) in today's edition. Highlights include:

• March 1: NHL Board of Governors meet in New York; NHL Players Association meets in Toronto. The Hockey News and ESPN, citing sources close to someone who knows Mario Lemieux, report a deal is done and the season will start March 2.

• March 2: It's revealed the Board of Governors actually spent most of the meeting in the hotel game room, smoking cigars and playing video golf.

• March 4: Union executive director Bob Goodenow, in a letter addressed to commissioner Gary Bettman, lowers salary-cap demand from $49 million to $48.95 million. Bettman responds by dropping owners' offer from $42.5 million to $12.3 million, Canadian.

....

• March 20: The Hockey News and ESPN report a deal is done and a nine-game season will start March 21. ....

• March 27: Carolina owner Peter Karmanos denies small-market hard-liners are out to get big-market spenders.

Karmanos makes a multimillion-dollar, front-loaded offer to a key Mike Ilitch pizza executive. Ilitch matches it, promptly raises pizza prices. ....

Jan. 11: NHL commissioner Wayne Gretzky and union executive director Brett Hull meet for beers, hammer out agreement in 35 minutes. • Jan. 20, 2006: Season starts. Red Wings fans complain about their goaltender.

Really, the whole thing is funny. I wouldn't be surprised if half of it actually happens. This whole thing is frankly that unbelievable. It'll make a great book someday, if anyone decides to write one.

The resolution Wojnowski proposes may not be that far off. I think this has become a personal war between Goodenow and Bettman and everyone would be a lot better off if both of them were handed the pink slip. I wouldn't be shocked if someone else has the reigns of both organizations before the end of this thing.

I'm not sure how I feel about Brett Hull as the top guy at the NHLPA, though. That would be interesting, to say the least. The Great One leading the League is something I can see (and hope for).