The Minnesota Wild are gearing up for a possible NHL lockout by preparing to send players under entry-level contracts to their American Hockey League affiliate in Houston. Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Jonas Brodin, Brett Bulmer and Marco Scandella are all likely headed to Houston.

The Minnesota Wild are preparing for training camps, but the chance that the camps actually open across the NHL as scheduled is growing less likely by the day, the Star Tribune reports. Labor negotiations between the NHL and the NHL Players' Association ended abruptly Friday. No future talks have been scheduled, and with the collective bargaining agreement set to expire in 12 days, a second lockout in eight years appears inevitable.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman offers the players a new deal to end the lockout. He wants a 50-50 hockey-related revenue split to ensure a full 82-game season.

The National Hockey League and its players have less than 10 days to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. The current contract expires on Sept. 15 and no new talks are scheduled. Businesses surrounding the Xcel Energy Center are concerned. Tom Reid, owner of Tom Reid's Hockey City Pub, tells WCCO Wild home games generate more than 30 percent of his annual business.

The NHL lockout has some St. Paul business owners concerned about their bottom lines. Former player and now restaurant owner Tom Reid says losing the hockey season would be a big blow to businesses near the Xcel. Less than 24 hours into the lockout, Wild defensemen Jared Spurgeon has signed on to play in a European league.

The impact of the NHL lockout hit preseason hockey on Wednesday as the league canceled the first 60 exhibition games. The move wipes out the first official week of hockey, including four Minnesota Wild games.

NBA Players Association Executive Director Billy Hunter says the league is about to cancel games until Christmas unless a deal is reached 4:00 p.m. CT Wednesday. The Timberwolves have 14 games scheduled in December, 12 of which are before Christmas.

The league says they will cancel the first two weeks of the upcoming season if a new labor deal isn't reached by next week. The first five games of the Timberwolves' season are scheduled at the Target Center. Without those games -- local parking ramps, bars and restaurants will suffer.