This summer, the American Hockey League's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the league and its players' union expired. Throughout the summer, the league and the Professional Hockey Players Association (PHPA), which represents players in the AHL and other lower professional leagues in North America, have been in negotiations to work out a new CBA and get ready for the coming season.
Hockey fans are unfortunately rather familiar with the consternation that CBA negotiations can cause. Most notably, fans will remember the NHL lockouts of 2004-05 and 2012-13.
The AHL, in stark contrast to the NHL, has been rather quiet about its negotiations with the PHPA.