Around the League 10/5

• NHL, NHL Officials’ Assoc. reach tentative 4-year deal
  The National Hockey League and the NHL Officials’ Association reached tentative agreement Monday on a new four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. The tentative Agreement is subject to ratification by the membership of the NHL Officials’ Association as well as the League’s Board of Governors.
  NHL.com
• Decision time is near for cap-strapped New Jersey Devils
  D-day has arrived for the New Jersey Devils—or , more accurately, cut-down day. The time has come to pay the piper for the $100 million signing of Ilya Kovalchuk and give some veterans on the roster bubble a little peace of mind. “As much as everybody’s been professional about it and staying pretty focused and picking each other up, it’s been difficult,” team captain Jamie Langenbrunner, a potential cap casualty, told the New York Post. “It’s better if it’s over with, I think.”
  TSN.com
• Hodgemail: Do you like shootouts more or less now?
  Since the 2005-06 season, the NHL has adopted the shootout to settle ties in regular season games. And since its inception, the debate has continued - is it the way to decide a hockey game? The traditionalist will tell you it’s nothing more than a gimmick to sell the game, while for many fans it’s the most exciting moment in hockey.
  TSN.ca