NHL Owners Approve New Labor Deal; Players to Vote NHL owners have ratified the tentative labor deal. All that now remains is player approval to finally start the hockey season. The league's board of governors met Wednesday in a Manhattan hotel and voted on the agreement that was reached early Sunday on the 113th day of the NHL lockout. Players are expected to vote Friday and Saturday. If two-thirds of the more than 700 members agree to the terms, training camps can open Sunday. An expected 48-game season can then begin Jan. 19. The regular season was supposed to begin Oct. 11, but the lockout wrecked those plans after it took effect Sept. The outdoor Winter Classic and the All-Star game won't be played this season.