September 30th 1994, Calgary Hearld

The Calgary Flames unveiled their new uniforms yesterday.

But players are nowhere to be seen.

It was impossible to miss the ironies of the Calgary Flames unveiling new uniforms Thursday.

First, the new-look outfit contains a lot of black, somewhat of an omen considering that today could be called Black Friday as a National Hockey League lockout moves closer to fact.

Second, no players were on hand for the ceremony.

Instead, two mannequins were adorned with Joe Nieuwendyk's uniform.

The reason is that the NHL Players' Association has told the players not to participate in any team promotions as a reaction to the 19 rollbacks league commissioner Gary Bettman imposed at the start of training camp.

So it was on a day when the players promised not to strike -- in return for a cancellation of the lockout and the removal of the rollbacks -- in an effort to get the season started, that the Flames' uniforms were unveiled.

Mike Board