Fans might have had no say in the "negotiating process," but now they can choose where to spend their money with the hockey options that remain. After all, Philadelphia, Edmonton and Chicago will have hockey this season. It'll be the American Hockey League's Phantoms, Road Runners and Wolves, but it'll be hockey.

And there might even be some names fans recognize on the jerseys. Players who could become stars will start minor league training camp this week. Oh, and a goaltender named Dominik Hasek intends to spend a little time rehabilitating his groin injury with Binghamton, N.Y.

Other minor leagues might see a little rise in attendance and interest, but the AHL, which will provide the highest level of hockey played in North America, stands to gain the most from the NHL lockout. According to the AHL, attendance in 1994-95, the NHL's last lockout season, increased 15 percent over what it was in 1993-94.

Among the rising stars, center Jason Spezza will be Hasek's teammate. Blue Jackets winger Nikolai Zherdev will play for Syracuse, N.Y., and Hurricanes center Eric Staal for Lowell, Mass. Panthers defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has been assigned to San Antonio.

Prospects who normally would be bursting into the NHL this season will stay in the AHL, unless there's a settlement. They include Thrashers goalie Kari Lehtonen with Chicago, Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pa., and Devils center Zach Parise with Albany, N.Y. Blackhawks forward Tuomo Ruutu was assigned to Norfolk, Va., but the organization still is pondering whether to send him to the Finnish Elite League.

And if you can get out to the arena to see an AHL game, you'll see the new rules that likely will come the NHL's way whenever play resumes. For the first seven weeks, the great goaltender experiment will be under way in the AHL--goalies will be allowed to play the puck only in a small area on each side of the net and behind the goal. After the trial period, the league will decide whether to continue using the rule.

There will be other new rules in place for the entire season: no-touch icing, tag-up offside, a bigger neutral zone and wider blue and red lines. There also will be a shootout to decide regular-season games that are tied after a 5-minute overtime.