Daily Cupcakes - Links from the Locked Out NHL - September 26th, 2012

The NHL refs are better than the replacement NFL refs.

"This has shown how vital good officials are to a sport," the NHL referee said. "Hopefully they get back to work soon."

The same goes for the NHL's zebras, although they don't have a say on when the NHL lockout might end.

500 days until the Winter Olympics in Russia!

Around US$30 billion has been earmarked for building facilities and developing infrastructure in Sochi.

Right now, Sochi is "the biggest construction site in the world," Chernyshenko said.

More than 355 kilometres of roads and 200 kilometres of railway have been built for the Games. Facilities in the mountains and along the coast will be tested this winter.

This will be the first time Russia hosts the Winter Olympics, although it is traditionally one of the strongest competitors.

What is ex-Avalanche Darcy Tucker doing these days? He is now an agent.

Acton, who might yet surprise one and all by making it to the bigs one day, was grateful to earn a one-year AHL contract and a raise to $85,000 a season, courtesy of his new agent, ex-Leaf Darcy Tucker.

"I found I could really relate to (Tucker) on a lot of different levels," said Acton, who still opted to get in a few work days at Sleepy Hollow Golf and Country Club in Stouffville to be on the safe side.

"He feels he can help my development."

Some NHL'ers think this lockout may last more than a season.

Daniel Cleary of the Detroit Red Wings issued this warning through the Detroit Free Press: "I think people don’t think it can go a year. As players, we think it can. Maybe longer." His teammate Niklas Kronwall added this comforting thought: "Well, it could be. It could be two years. But I think everybody is looking to end this sooner rather than later."

In other words, make all the veiled threats you like NHL owners, we will not give in like last time when you got your salary cap. At least Kronwall, like Daly, added an optimistic note.

The Oilers might move to Seattle?

"The Katz Group has been listening to proposals from a number of potential NHL markets for some time," the statement read.

"After more than four years of trying to secure an arena deal and with less than 24 months remaining on the Oilers’ lease at Rexall Place, this is only prudent and should come as no surprise."

The team added it would not comment on discussions with other potential markets.

CBC - the channel that hosts Hockey Night in Canada - has said that a lockout will be bad for their business.

CBC president Hubert Lacroix will be as disappointed as any hockey fan if the NHL lockout drags on.

An iced or delayed season would be just the latest financial hit for a public broadcaster already facing more than a $200-million shortfall over the next three years, he said Tuesday as the Crown corporation held its yearly public meeting in St. John's, N.L.

"We have replacement programming for that, it's not like we're going to go to dead air," Lacroix later told reporters.

"It's disappointing to everybody who's a hockey fan not to have Hockey Night in Canada."

And for the CBC, "that's a cash flow challenge for us," he said.