With the NHL owners probably locking out the players once again, many had the belief that this time around would work just like it did in 2004-05.

(By the way…, how silly is it to refer to a “last time” that was just seven years ago?)

Well, not so fast. There was a very real possibility that veteran players on two-way deals would also be locked out because they are on their respective NHL clubs’ rosters.

What this means is players like Chris Mueller and Scott Ford would not be allowed to suit up for the Milwaukee Admirals or Peoria Rivermen.

I spoke with Ford about the possibility. The positive would be that he would be on a NHL roster at the start of a season and would be a member of the NHLPA. The negative, obviously, is he would be locked out and would not receive a paycheck as long as the lockout endures. He (and players in the same situation) would not be allowed to work out at team facilities nor would they be able to work out with the team’s strength and conditioning coach or deal with any member of management.

Well, a big move was made Tuesday for fans of AHL teams and, I guess, for the players.

RDS, the French equivalent of TSN, reported Tuesday the NHL and its Players Association have agreed to allow waiver-eligible players with two-way deals to be cleared to play in AHL if the lockout occurs. The NHL and NHLPA have agreed to a special waiver period, running through Saturday, which would allow players to be sent down to the AHL before the lockout begins. Players would not have to clear waivers should they be assigned to AHL teams, and would not be subject to re-entry waivers if they were recalled following the lockout.

Expect a flurry of transactions over the next few days.