The National ice Hockey League's labor dispute has forced cancellation of this year's All-Star Game scheduled for Atlanta, Georgia, in February.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's announcement came on the 49th day of the lockout, which started after the collective bargaining agreement with players ran out September 15.
The two sides are at odds over a player salary cap. Players say they will never accept the limitations while team owners say they are necessary to keep teams viable.
No regular season games have been played this season and NHL arenas have been given permission to release dates on a 45-day rolling basis. With the All Star Game now canceled, the next announcement could be the cancellation of the entire season.
The NHL said Atlanta can hold the All Star game in 2008 since the 2006 game has been awarded to Phoenix, Arizona, and plans for the 2007 game are nearing completion.
Some information for this story provided by AP.
