NEW YORK (AP) — NHL players are ready to go back to work, but the lockout isn't over yet.
After a 36-hour vote that ended Saturday morning, the players' association announced that its members approved the deal reached with the league last week.
However, the sides continued to work to complete a difficult memorandum of understanding that must be signed before camps can open and the new schedule to be released.
Until then, hockey can't get back to regular business.
The league's board of governors unanimously ratified the contract on Wednesday. The plan was for training camps to open on Sunday, assuming the memorandum of understanding was finished. Voluntary physicals and medical exams were permitted to begin on Friday.
The remaining transition rules, such as when players can go on the ice and for how long, were still being finalized.
"While the players' vote ratifies the new CBA with the NHL owners, a written memorandum of understanding consistent with what the players voted on, must be completed before the agreement becomes final," a union statement said Saturday.
Less than a week after the league and the union worked all night to secure an agreement to save the season, players followed team owners and approved the tentative deal that was reached last Sunday — the 113th day of the lockout.
Unofficial team workouts have been taking place around the league all week. A 48-game season is expected to begin Jan. 19 without any preseason games in advance, assuming there are no more glitches in negotiations.
A total of 510 games, the Winter Classic and the All-Star game were all casualties of the four-month lockout that began Sept. 16. The regular season was supposed to open on Oct. 11.
Thursday, May 23 2013 10:19 PM EDT2013-05-24 02:19:38 GMT
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The Boston Bruins are on the brink of the Eastern Conference finals, and they got there on the backs of their suddenly offensive defensemen and a potent fourth line of forwards.
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Daniel Paille snapped a tie with 3:31 left in the third period, and the Boston Bruins put the New York Rangers on the brink of elimination with a 2-1 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on...
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Nate McLouth homered leading off the bottom of the 10th inning, Chris Dickerson hit a pair of solo shots and the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees 3-2 Tuesday night to snap a six-game losing streak.
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Mike Leake pitched three-hit ball for seven sharp innings and the Cincinnati Reds parlayed star third baseman David Wright's early error Tuesday night into a 4-0 victory over the New York Mets.
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The New York Yankees are going into the soccer business.
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Tuesday, May 21 2013 5:53 AM EDT2013-05-21 09:53:31 GMT
Jay Bruce hit a tiebreaking homer and drove in two runs to back Johnny Cueto's wild but effective return from the disabled list, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 4-3 Monday night.
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