Is there good news on the horizon?  The Penguins majority owner Ron Burkle supposedly armed with principles discussed with minority owner, Mario Lemieux took over the CBA bargaining negotiations on Tuesday in a meeting set up by Commissioner Bettman for six NHL owners and 18 NHL players to have discussions without his or NHLPA head Donald Fehr’s presence.    Players were reportedly lead by Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby who worked with Burkle to discuss what the next proposal had to include to get a deal done with several reports coming out of the meeting that the Penguin constituents were “a voice of reason” in the negotiations.

The Board of Governors, comprised of all NHL owners, met Wednesday afternoon for the first time since they decided upon locking the players out in early September.  The BOG meeting had been scheduled previously and it has been reported that the owners had this week circled to get a deal done for several reasons including  the paychecks missed by the players would not have to be reimbursed to this point and they could add additional games at the end of the season to make up revenue without paying the players additional funds and the ending of the college football season allowing for sun belt markets to be able to pull in steady attendance without competing with the big college football programs of the SEC.

The same group that met Tuesday, including Burkle and Crosby, are scheduled to continue negotiations tonight again without Bettman and Fehr where the NHLPA is supposedly to put forth a new proposal to try and end the lockout.

Additionally, it has been reported that Bettman said he wants the deal done by Friday and Nick Kyperos of TSN reported there are rumors circulating that coaches are touching base with players telling them to be prepared for training camp on Dec. 14^th.

Will it fall apart again in the 25^th hour?  It’s possible but for the first time in awhile there is some positive news that may allow fans to turn off the Voice and watch NHL hockey soon.

Keep your fingers crossed.

After Penguins’ management made the decision to sign goaltender Thomas Vokoun over the summer, it was clear that Brent Johnson’s future was not in Pittsburgh.  With Johnson’s career-worst season in regards to statistics, and Marc-Andre Fleury’s worrisome playoff performance last spring, a concerned ownership group felt the need to move in another direction.

That hasn’t stopped the thirty-five year old veteran from working hard and surveying all options that would keep him close to the game he loves.

April 20, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalies Brent Johnson (1) and Marc-Andre Fleury (29) react after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in game five of the 2012 Eastern Conference quarterfinals at CONSOL Energy Center. The Pittsburgh Penguins won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

Johnson hopes to find a team in need of his services once the lockout is lifted and has continued to practice with a number of Pittsburgh Penguins at Southpointe; the complex which has become home to the infamous informal workouts.

One thing the goaltender hasn’t done, however, is minimized his options.  In the instance a net-minding job isn’t offered to him in the NHL, Brent has begun pondering the idea of coaching in the National Hockey League.  Although he knows that a job won’t just fall from the sky into his lap, nor will their necessarily be many options without having somewhat of a coaching background or resume, it hasn’t worried him the least.  If the lockout continues, he plans to look around Western Pennsylvania for chances to coach a school or run hockey camps.  The same will likely happen if the lockout is lifted and he remains unemployed.

Either way, Brent Johnson seems set on finding some coaching opportunities now or in the future, and wherever he ends up, the Penguins’ will surely miss this great, locker-room guy.

Dec 26, 2011; Buffalo, NY, USA; Washington Capitals goalie Tomas Vokoun (29) stops a shot by Buffalo Sabres left wing Thomas Vanek (26) during the second period at the First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-US PRESSWIRE

After signing with Pittsburgh this past summer, Thomas Vokoun will be playing hockey with a different team for the first time since leaving the Washington Capitals, and it isn’t even the Penguins.

Thanks to the everlasting lockout, Vokoun is headed to Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic where he has signed to play for his hometown team.  The backup goaltender became the Pittsburgh Penguins’ fourth player to sign with a team outside the NHL, all due to CBA negotiations stalling out as the two sides’ sit in a stalemate.

The decision to play in Europe followed the National Hockey League’s announcement of the Winter Classic’s cancellation.  The 36 year old goalie has two years and $4 million dollars remaining on his contract.