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Season on ice: NHL imposes lockout

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The clock struck midnight, and the NHL turned into another sports league closed for business.

Unable to reach agreement on a new labor deal, the National Hockey League locked out its players at 12:01 am on Sunday, the third major pro sport to impose a work stoppage in the past 18 months, behind the NFL and NBA.

The action also marks the fourth shutdown for the NHL since 1992, including a year-long dispute that forced the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season when the league successfully held out for a salary cap.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the shutdown was in effect. The union said it would have no comment.

The sides were so far apart in their discussions that they didn't even meet face-to-face for negotiations on Saturday.

The core issue is money - how to split a $3.3 billion pot of revenue. The owners want to decrease the percentage of hockey-related revenue that goes to players, while the union wants a guarantee that players annually get at least the $1.8 billion in salaries paid out last season.

Hours before the deadline, the lockout was considered a foregone conclusion.

"We talked with the union this morning, and in light of the fact that they have nothing new to offer, or any substantive response to our last proposal, there would be nothing gained by convening a bargaining session at this time," Daly said in a statement earlier on Saturday. "I'm sure that we will remain in contact in the coming days."