TORONTO (Reuters) – The National Hockey League and locked out players called a time out on their rancorous labor negotiations on Monday, allowing the hockey spotlight to shine on the induction of Pavel Bure, Mats Sundin, Adam Oates and Joe Sakic into the Hall of Fame.

With the lockout lurching towards two months and talks on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) stalled, the hockey world was left to celebrate its past accomplishments of four former-greats while surveying a bleak future and the prospects of a second lost NHL season in eight years.

TORONTO (Reuters) – Canadians may be depressed about the ongoing National Hockey League (NHL) lockout that has darkened arenas across the hockey mad nation but they are not crying in their beer about it, at least not Molson Coors.

As the labor war between billionaire owners and millionaire players drags on trouble appears to be brewing for the NHL with fans, sponsors, television networks and those who earn a living on the fringes of the sport angered over the prospects of losing a second season in eight years.

By Steve Keating

(Reuters) – National Hockey League owners and locked out players wrapped up three days of talks on Thursday with league commissioner Gary Bettman warning, “there is still a lot of work to do” before teams return to the ice.

With the lockout in its 54th day, a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) remained out of reach as both sides emerged from nearly six hours of talks agreeing on nothing more than a return to the bargaining table on Friday for a fourth successive day.

By Steve Keating

(Reuters) – After a second day of marathon talks National Hockey League (NHL) owners and players appeared no closer to a new labor deal on Wednesday and ending a lockout that is threatening to wipe out the entire season.

The two sides huddled for nearly five hours at an undisclosed location in snowy Manhattan before breaking off negotiations for the night around 9 pm ET and agreeing to resume bargaining on Thursday.

By Steve Keating

(Reuters) – The National Hockey League (NHL) and players union returned to the bargaining table for nearly eight hours on Tuesday in what is seen as a last ditch effort to hammer out a new labor deal and salvage a season.

Having already canceled hundreds of regular season games along with its showcase event the New Year’s day Winter Classic, owners and players’ representatives huddled at an undisclosed Manhattan location trying to lay framework for an agreement.

TORONTO (Reuters) – The Winter Classic became the latest casualty in a bitter labor dispute between National Hockey League (NHL) owners and players on Friday, when the league cancelled the showcase event with negotiations stalled.

The New Year’s day extravaganza featuring Original Six rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings was scheduled to be played at the University of Michigan’s football stadium in Ann Arbor, attracting a potential NHL record crowd of over 110,000 fans to the venue known as the Big House.

TORONTO (Reuters) – With ice hockey on hold due to the NHL’s protracted labor dispute sports fans in Toronto turned to basketball for their Halloween entertainment on Wednesday, but despite giving Indiana a scare the Raptors lost 90-88 in their NBA season opener.

George Hill’s lay-up with two seconds left clinched the win for the visiting Pacers at the Air Canada Centre, but the rebuilding Raptors delivered enough tricks and treats to give encouragement to head coach Dwane Casey for the rest of the National Basketball Association regular season.

DETROIT (Reuters) – Detroit’s mood was as dreary as the foul autumn weather as the city awoke to a World Series hangover on Monday from the pounding the Tigers took at the hands of the San Francisco Giants.

What was supposed to be a three-day party in the Motor City turned into a two-day wake, Tigers fans left drowning their sorrows following a 4-3 Game Four loss on Sunday that completed a stunning 4-0 Giants sweep of the Fall Classic.

DETROIT (Reuters) – Nearly three decades after leaving Detroit as a World Series loser, San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy exited the Motor City on Sunday as a champion after a 4-3 win over the Tigers capped a four-game Fall Classic sweep.

As a reserve catcher for San Diego, Bochy made his only appearance in the World Series as player in 1984 and had one at-bat as the Padres fell in five games to the Tigers.

DETROIT (Reuters) – The San Francisco Giants capped a wild post-season ride by beating the Detroit Tigers 4-3 in 10 innings On Sunday to complete a four-game sweep and be crowned World Series champions for the second time in three years.

Marco Scutaro, the most valuable player in the National League Championship Series, was again the hero for the Giants, cracking a sharply hit single into shallow center to bring in Ryan Theriot with the winning run.