The NHL lockout could be coming to a poker table near you.
In an effort to find a solution to salvage the season, PokerRoom.com, one of the world's largest online poker gaming sites, delivered registered letters to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman NHL Players' Association executive director Bob Goodenow Tuesday, inviting them to settle the longstanding labour dispute like men - in a game of winner-take-all Texas Hold'em.
The popular online pasttime simply proposes that the first player to capture all his opponent's chips wins the challenge and the season is saved.
"Hockey fans in North America have had enough of the current high-stakes game of brinkmanship that led to and continues to disrupt the 2004-2005 NHL hockey season," said PokerRoom.com casino boss Patrik Selin in a statement.
"If they can't resolve this dispute through traditional negotiations and compromise, then the PokerRoom.com tournament offers them the best, and quickest, way to declare a winner and let the fans enjoy hockey again before it's too late. With no downloads required to play and the tournament hosted on-line, Mr. Bettman and Mr. Goodenow can easily take on the challenge from their respective offices in New York and Toronto."
The NHL and the players' association met last week in Toronto and the league made a counter-proposal to the players submission of last week. Both parties have rejected the other's proposal and no date has been set for future negotiations.