NHL lockout: Sidney Crosby discusses rumors of secret ownership plan

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby responded on Thursday to the rumor that the NHL owners have a secret mid-November deadline for a resolution to the lockout.

Under this proposed situation, the NHL owners want to have the labor issue resolved prior to December. This would allow the league to continue with plans to hold the 2013 Winter Classic, which has become a staple of the NHL calendar year. If the regular season is in full-swing by the start of December, HBO will still be able to produce the highly popular four-part documentary series "24/7," which profiles the two teams participating in the event.

Crosby acknowledged that the NHL Players Association has heard the rumor but hope its not true, via Shelly Anderson's Twitter stream:

"We've heard that. That's been talked about a lot. I really hope that's not the case. I think everyone hopes they're negotiating in good faith and they're not stalling because they have a certain date in mind. That's not the way to do it."

This year's Winter Classic is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013 at Michigan Stadium between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.