About an hour and a half from now, NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly will meet with assembled media in Montreal to tell the hockey world what it's known for months now: They're sticking within the collective bargaining agreement, for all its ills, and declaring labour peace for the next two seasons.

Also on hand will be the union's general counsel Ian Penny, director of player affairs Glenn Healy, and a handful of all-stars: Zdeno Chara, Mike Komisarek, Vinny Lecavalier, Sheldon Souray and Joe Thornton.

The PA's press release yesterday called the gathering "a media conference ... to announce the decision of the NHLPA’s Executive Board regarding its option to terminate the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NHLPA and the NHL following the 2008-09 season" – which sounds just a tad more ominous than it needed to.

The real news is all good for hockey fans, who don't have to worry about another lockout until at least 2011-12. The next two seasons will be incredibly interesting as the CBA comes under true duress, as it's all but certain we'll now see the cap stagnate and likely fall in that time. There will likely be a crimp on salaries this summer, perhaps most evidently for those on the lower end of the payscale, and that could provoke unrest going forward.

I'm en route to Montreal at the moment, but there'll likely be coverage coming out of the presser soon. I'll post anything of note.