NHL Cancels 2013 All-Star Game, Two More Weeks of Schedule

(SB Nation News) -- The NHL officially announced the cancelation of the 2013 All-Star Game on Friday afternoon, in addition to all regular season games through Dec. 14. The cancelations are due to the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations between the NHL and NHL Players Association.

The All-Star Game was scheduled to be held at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on Jan. 27, 2013. In addition to the game, the league will also be canceling the weekend's worth of events, including the annual skills competition and player draft. This was going to be the first time that the Columbus Blue Jackets franchise has ever hosted the event.

In the official announcement, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daley stated that the league will work to return the All-Star Game to Columbus as quickly as possible.

With Friday's announcement, the NHL has now canceled 423 regular season games including the 2013 Winter Classic, which was going to be played between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium.

As of Friday afternoon, the NHL insists a significant gap still remains between the owners and players union on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement.

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