Several players have confirmed to TSN that the NHL Players' Association's membership voted 706-22 on Friday to give the union the power to file a disclaimer of interest by Jan. 2.
The NHLPA's executive board now has the option of dissolving their union - which would allow players to file a class-action anti-trust lawsuit against the league.
The NHL responded to news of the vote last Friday by filing a class action complaint seeking a declaration confirming the legality of the lockout along with an unfair labour practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board.
While the 30-member executive board of the NHLPA now has the green light to disclaim interest, there are no guarantees that it will do so.
NBA players filed a disclaimer of interest while they were locked out last season, but the players and the league ended up agreeing to a new CBA 12 days later and the union was reformed.
