(UPDATE 11:28 AM)- Ben Bishop was on the Binghamton clear day roster last season but is not currently on the list of players headed to the team's AHL training camp.  Murray addressed the situation this morning and seemed to be hopeful they could have Bishop join the team down there in the weeks to come.

(UPDATE 11:03 AM)-  After yesterday's speculation, Erik Karlsson has made his lockout plans official.  He will be joining Jokerit of the Finnish Elite League.  Karlsson is on a month to month contract with his new team and will make his debut on Saturday night.

The Ottawa Senators should have played their first game of the preseason last night at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Instead of excitedly discussing the result of a meaningless hockey game, Sens fans are left to wait for the next meeting between the NHL and NHLPA.  The league has now been officially locked out for nine days but with last night's missed preseason tilt, the reality of the lockout has started to sink in.

In the end, the Ottawa 67's came up short in their season opener at Scotiabank Place but it was a familiar face that stole the headlines.

Ottawa Senators first round pick Cody Ceci, was by all accounts, one of the best players on the ice for either team.  Ceci racked up four assists for the hosts and was on the ice in all situations.  Ottawa's next game comes on Saturday when they host the Peterborough Petes.

National Hockey League players have been locked out for the past four days and there hasn't been the slightest indication of progress between the NHL and NHLPA.

This morning, a report out of the Swiss League indicated that Sens star Jason Spezza has agreed to a contract with the Rapperswil Lakers of the Swiss Elite League. 

The National Hockey League may be officially locked out but Sens forward Milan Michalek has still found a way to get injured.

According to Bruce Garrioch, Michalek recently underwent surgery for an abdominal injury suffered while training in Montreal.  The recovery period is expected to be 4-6 weeks.

Tonight at midnight, what has seemed inevitable for the past couple months will be made official.

The National Hockey League will do the unfathomable and once again take hockey away from people that Gary Bettman called the best fans in sports. The owners are to blame. The players are to blame. Nobody is innocent in this process and both sides should be ashamed that they let it come to this.

Because some folks would rather not read about the details of our recently created NHL 13 league, I thought it would be a good idea to set up a separate thread.

Any discussion related to the league can happen here.  This thread won't appear on the home page but you can always access it directly through the archives.  Good luck to all the participants!

After another rough day in the current CBA negotiations, this seems like a good time for an entry in our Chirp of the Week Feature.

This week, longtime SensChirp reader Chad takes a look at how a potential lockout could impact fringe players in the Sens system that were hoping to make their mark with the big club in the 2012/2013 season.  Take it away, Chad.

Whether it ends up being in with the BSens or here in Ottawa, it’s safe to say the Senators are expecting big things from defenceman Jared Cowen next season.

And at 6’5, 230 lbs and still growing, you can see why that might be the case.  The Saskatoon native is coming off his first full season in the National Hockey League and will be expected to take on an increased role in the organization heading into the 2012/2013 campaign.