Former Shark Roenick still urging players to agree to deal

NBC analyst Jeremy Roenick had some thoughts on the NHL lockout. Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area filed this report.

Roenick says that he stands by the players and that he will always have their back, but says they should sign a new deal as soon as possible. The new collective bargaining agreement is, in his opinion, a deal that definitely favors the players. Roenick believes Donald Fehr should get the players ready to sign that deal as soon as possible and that he's doing an irresponsible job at this point.

Most of all, Roenick believes that this lack of a deal will hurt the league. Fans not being able to see games and people who work at the arenas not being paid will eventually come back to bite the NHL from a PR standpoint.

Roenick is being paid by NBC, who currently owns the TV rights to the NHL. He probably isn't too pleased the impact this lockout has on his wallet, but he also probably knows that not making an agreement soon could have a detrimental effect on his sport.