The wheels are in motion to get a shortened NHL season under way sometime next week after a tentative deal was reached to end the 113-day lockout.

The owners and players will vote on the 10-year deal over the next couple of days, and if it's ratified -- as it's expected it
will be -- the regular 82-game season will be shortened to 48 or 50 games.

The puck would likely drop on a 50-game season on Tuesday of next week, while a 48-game season would probably start on Saturday the 19th.

Montreal Canadiens forward Travis Moen says a short training camp won't be a big problem.

Moen says NHL players are pros, and should have stayed in shape during the lockout.

However, Vancouver Canucks centre Manny Malhotra says no matter how hard a player works to stay in shape, ``there's no substitute for actual game action.''

(The Canadian Press)