N.H.L. Exhibition Games Canceled - NYTimes.com The National Hockey League announced the cancellation of the first week of the two-week exhibition schedule on Wednesday, the first games wiped out by the owners' lockout imposed last Sunday. For a sixth straight day, there were no formal negotiations between the league and the players association. However Bill Daly, the deputy commissioner, and Steve Fehr, the union's special counsel, spoke via telephone late Wednesday afternoon. Also Wednesday, the N.H.L. informed its employees that they were being put on a four-day work week with a corresponding 20 percent salary reduction starting Oct. 1. That is far less drastic a cutback than the one imposed by the N.H.L. at the start of the last lockout, in 2004-5. Then, the league laid off some 100 employees, more than half its office staff. Four days into this year's lockout, some teams have imposed 20 percent workweek and salary reductions on their staffs. Two teams, the Ottawa Senators and the Florida Panthers, announced temporary layoffs. The exhibition games canceled Wednesday were scheduled for Sept. 23 through Sept. In addition, the league canceled the annual Kraft Hockeyville game, scheduled for Oct. 3 in Belleville, Ontario, between Ottawa and Columbus. Stirling-Rawdon, a town of 5,000 near Belleville, held the right to host the game after winning the annual contest as Canada's best hockey town. Not yet canceled is the Oct. 2 Islanders-Devils game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The exhibition schedule ends Oct. 8, with regular-season games slated to start Oct. 11.