Give the NHL credit for one thing. It certainly knows how to keep its fans in suspense.
Bruins fans, in particular, have been waiting throughout the day on Thursday for the announcement of the arbitration award to forward Blake Wheeler. The Bruins and Wheeler exchanged figures and presented their cases on Tuesday, and decisions are supposed to be announced within 48 hours.
There was a report on Twitter by ESPN.com’s James Murphy that the award was for $2.4 million, but Wheeler’s agent, Matt Keator, reached by phone late Thursday afternoon, denied that any decision had been announced.
"I know nothing right now," said Keator, who added he was not sure when the award would be announced.
Keator did confirm the report from The Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa that the reason for the delay in the announcement is that the same arbitrator who heard Wheeler’s case is also involved in Chicago goalie Antti Niemi’s hearing on Thursday.
