Blackhawks defenseman Steve Montador couldn't find any good words to describe the current situation the league, the players, fans and those who depend on hockey in some way to make a living are in right now.

Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell broke his own news when he tweeted late Tuesday that he's headed overseas to play in Austria during the work stoppage.

"Tomorrow is the day I bring my skills overseas. #Austria," he said on his @bbick29 account.

A day before the first formal meetings between the NHL Players' Association and the NHL in weeks, the league cancelled what remained of its preseason schedule on Thursday.

The cancellation of the preseason schedule was necessary because of the absence of a collective bargaining agreement between the NHLPA and the NHL," a league statement said.

Veteran defenseman Michal Rozsival, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman's final signing of the summer, is the second Hawks player to sign overseas during the lockout.

Rozsival will apparently be joining Plzen of the Czech Extraliga, according to Czech media reports on Tuesday. Winger Michael Frolik was the first Hawks player to sign in Europe, signing with Chomutov of the Czech Extraliga last week.

Like Frolik, Rozsival is from the Czech Republic. He's from Vlasim in the Czech Republic, which is about two hours away from Plzen.

While other Blackhawks prefer to wait and see how negotiations progress before signing overseas, winger Michael Frolik has reached a decision.

Frolik became the first Hawk to sign in Europe during the lockout, opting to join Chomutov of the Czech Extraliga League. His first game is scheduled for Tuesday.

A day doesn't go by during the lockout where an NHL player doesn't sign overseas. But Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane won't be joining the growing list of NHLers in Europe anytime soon.

I wanted to introduce a new weekly feature this season with some observations that hopefully provide readers with an inside look of the Blackhawks.

With the lockout in full swing, I'll try to do as many as possible. Thursday seems like a good day do it (and it sounds good with "thoughts").

So here we go:

The NHL announced Wednesday that preseason games through Sept. 30 have been cancelled because of its lockout of players.

While the list of NHL teams that are laying off employees due to the lockout has grown, members of the Blackhawks' front office have received some good news.

Hawks owner Rocky Wirtz has informed team president John McDonough that there will be no layoffs or cuts in the foreseeable future.

On Sunday morning, Blackhawks season-ticket holders started receiving emails from the team with the NHL's third lockout since 1994 beginning Saturday night.

The email thanked their season-ticket holders for their patience and continued support, saying "the Blackhawks depend upon you for our success and are eager to provide you with the best possible service."

But more important, it offered the organization's plan and options for season-ticket holders during the lockout.

Preseason games are expected to be cancelled as soon as Sunday or Monday. The Hawks also postponed their annual training camp festival, which was set for this Saturday.

Here is the Hawks' plan for season-ticket holders: