The NHL canceled games through Jan. 14, meaning more than half the season has been wiped out.

And the next announcement from the league will probably be that the season has been scrapped. The general feeling is that a 48-game season couldn't be workable unless it starts by mid-January.

Here is the league's release:

NHL ANNOUNCES CANCELLATION OF 2012-13 REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE THROUGH JANUARY 14


NEW YORK (December 20, 2012) -- The National Hockey League announced today the cancellation of the 2012-13 regular-season schedule through January 14. The cancellations are necessary due to the absence of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL Players' Association and the NHL.

A total of 625 regular-season games – 50.8 percent of the season – were scheduled for October 11 through January 14.