It's a Monday edition of Marek vs. Wyshynski beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, and we're talking about the following and more:

Special Guest Stars: Frank Seravalli of the Philadelphia Daily News on his controversial Ed Snider piece and the NHL lockout.

• Breaking down the Gary Bettman Q&A.

• Marek meets a famous person at a concert.

• News and notes from around the hockey world.

Question of the Day: How should Gary Bettman show the players he loves them?

Email your answers to puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or tweet them with the hashtag #MvsW to @wyshynski or @jeffmarek.

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Getty ImagesGary Bettman has managed to remain above the day-by-day labor war being waged across the hockey landscape. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly is the guy in front of the camera, and working the media behind the scenes. While Donald Fehr has been the face of the NHLPA, Bettman hasn't had the same face time.

Why? Because he's the single most divisive figure in NHL history, and a lightning rod of loathing for fans, media, players and their agents. Anything he says can and will be used against him in the court of public opinion; witness the way one line in his Hockey Hall of Fame speech about the lockout was parsed, and the awkward reaction to it.

So the less Gary Bettman says, perhaps the better it is for the negotiations. And yet here we have an extensive Q&A with some tough questions by Gary Lawless in the Winnipeg Free Press, in which Bettman does his usual stick-and-move responses.

We were able to glean some information from the interview, which you can read here. Among them:

1. The players aren't entitled to anything.

Remember how we said that the more Bettman speaks, the more fuel it provides to angry players? He's something that might get passed around at the next NHLPA meeting:

"The union has shown an unwillingness to negotiate. So certainly, if they're not negotiating in a meaningful way now, what would they be doing if we were playing under the old system? The entire strategy appeared to be an attempt to maintain what the union had under the expired CBA, which is something they're not entitled to."

This statement tracks back to something Donald Fehr has asked at every turn: What is the owners' motivation for the lockout, other than "other leagues did it so we can too?"

sherwood-novelty-mini-stick-1on1-torDespite the overly optimistic among us clinging to hope, the 2013 NHL Winter Classic and all its accoutrement are D-E-A-D for this season.

Among those impacted: The tens of thousands of puck-crazed hockey fans from Ontario that would parade through Windsor and invade Detroit for the festivities.

So how is Windsor coping with no Classic? By potentially holding one of its own.

No, it's not an open-air stadium with attendance records being set; nor would it even feature professional hockey teams battling it out. But that the Investors Group is proposing, and what the Windsor City Council is expected to consider on Monday night, is a charming, wholesome reaction to the Winter Classic being felled by corporate avarice.

According to Windsorite, The "Windsor Classic" would be a street hockey tournament held on Dec. 28 and 29 in Downtown Windsor:

The two day street hockey game will be centered around the rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, with each registered team choosing to represent one of the two teams. There will be three simultaneous 45 minute games every hour over the course of the two days, with games organized by age group, with one cumulative score for all games.

How great is the idea that the Leafs/Red Wings battle will be taken up by the fans in a street hockey game?

Furthermore: How great is the idea that Windsor would attempt to hold an event (with charitable aspects) as a giant kiss-off to the NHL for allowing this year's outdoor game to die on the vine? If Ann Arbor, Detroit and Toronto don't have similarly inspired quasi-protest events, we'd be disappointed.

So attention Bob Boughner, Ken Daneyko, Tie Domi, Ed Jovanovski, Zack Kassian, Joel Quenneville, Aaron Ward and the rest of the NHL Windorites — clear your calendars for Dec. 28-29 and support the game.

(Unless of course there's an actual NHL season to be played that weekend, in which case we'll all understand.)

Former Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens goalie David Aebischer is now tending goal for Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of the National League A.

According to this YouTube video, he recently made the "Best 2 Saves in Hockey History" in a 3-2 shootout loss against EV Zug. Yes, you read that right: hockey history.

Hyperbole aside, those were an incredible pair of stick saves by Aebischer: Sliding over to cover a gaping net and deflect a shot away; and then a preposterous lunge with his stick to steal a goal from the Zug shooter. The first save was solid; that second one might shove it's way into Save of the Year contention (especially since he won't be facing much competition from the NHL ... sniff).

That shooter, from the sounds of the video and the YouTube summary: Edmonton Oilers shootout ace and unappreciated forward Linus Omark.

Weep not for Linus: He had a goal and assisted on a Henrik Zetterberg tally later in the game. But he'll still no doubt be haunted by David Aebischer's stick. Which sounds awkward.

It's this kind of play that earned Aebischer a 1-year extension on his contract with the Lakers, who said in the announcement: "With strong performances and spectacular saves, David Aebischer played in the hearts of our fans." Sounds messy.

s/t Dirty Dangle

(THE VENT is a forum for rants, raves, pleas and laments from hockey fans across the world about the NHL lockout. It runs every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. If you've got a take on the lockout and need to let it out, email us at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com, Subject: The Vent.)

Here's Charley Thomas with an open letter to the NHL and NHLPA:

For too long we have watched billionaires squabble over measly percentage points with millionaires, only to see the game that we love and cherish put to a grinding halt just as we got a whiff of the pre-season in the crisp September air. For too long we have over-paid for lackluster game performances and tickets that cost more than an average person makes in a week. For too long we have been silent. We will no longer stand by while the greed of owners and players alike crush our beloved game into a fragment of what it used to be.

The family of four who can't afford to take their children to an NHL regular season game due to ticket, concession and merchandise prices will no longer stand by with unwavering support. The faithful fan who grew up watching boys grow into men and skate and score their way to be labeled a champion and lift Lord Stanley's Cup will no longer watch you kill the game. We will no longer wait while you quarrel over millions of our hard earned dollars. For, without the fans, you have not a skate to stand on. We pay your salaries; we purchase your merchandise, we buy your over-priced game tickets, we pay the ridiculous prices for sub-par concession items.

It's time to take the fight to your front door and let you know we won't do it anymore. We're going to the mattresses…and it's going to be one hell of a battle.

It's high time that the local boys who play "for love of the game" and not "for love of money" see our support and our flags - the guys who go out and skate for the fans, and because they love the ice, the feel of a puck connecting with a stick and the glory of a perfect shot. It's time for OUR game to come back to the place it belongs.

You have put hundreds of people out of work and are contributing to the downturn of the ever so fragile economy while you argue over billions of dollars that those people helped you earn. People such as concessions attendants or the friendly usher in your arena now have to look for alternative employment. We're left to ask if you even care.

Many of us have been left pondering the definition of "fair" in light of the recent negotiations between billionaires(or in this case, lack thereof). From small children to adults, the standard meaning of "fair" is 50/50, half and half. You will have to forgive us if we don't see your side. The only side we see is greed. And it's ruining our game.

It's now time for us fans to hit you where it will hurt the most…your wallets. Sure, we may be sacrificing the game we love, but as far as many of us are concerned, it's already suffered irreparable damage by both sides. So whenever you kids come to an agreement, by all means play on. There will be no one in your stands to fund your paycheque.

As they say…it's money that makes the world go 'round. So to you we say: Goodbye, goodnight…and good luck.

It's signed: "Sincerely, The Fans."

Getty ImagesLos Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar was part of the initial wave of NHL stars that jetted to Europe when the lockout formally began, playing with his brother Gasper with Mora of HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden's second-highest league.

Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks has been a player that's held out from making the move to Europe — and at times has seemed set against doing so.

But according to Expressen (via Aftonbladet), Mora is in talks to bring Ryan over to Sweden.

From Aftonbladet (rough translation):

"Yes, we're looking at it, but there is nothing that is clear," confirming the club director Peter Hermodsson [to] the newspaper.

Previously, Mora superstar Anze Kopitar during the lockout - who came to play with his brother. But since Mora also has two [international players], Tyler Gotto and Prestin Ryan, a strengthening of Bobby Ryan did not take place without the get go.

"Yes, that's right. But because it's not something that is done than I can not comment on that," says Hermodsson.

(Keep in mind Ryan's already committed to a charity game in Atlantic City next weekend.)

While nothing's official — and hey, maybe these new talks between the NHL and the NHLPA produce a Turkey Day miracle — it would be fascinating to see Ryan head to Europe, considering his previous thoughts on the matter.

The Adirondack Phantoms are the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. So, with that established: Line brawl!

This brawl occurred at 18:01 of the second period in the Phantoms' 5-2 loss at the Binghamton Senators. That's Garrett Roe with the hyperbolic head snap to spark the melee; the main event was Tyler Brown and Derek Grant in a helmet ripping, bomb-tossing bout that ended with a stiff punch that dropped Grant.

The penalties, via the Post Star:

Bourdon Adk (fighting, game misconduct), 18:01; Brown Adk (fighting), 18:01; Roe Adk (cross-checking, fighting, game misconduct), 18:01; Testwuide Adk (fighting, game misconduct), 18:01; Claesson Bng (fighting, game misconduct), 18:01; Dziurzynski Bng (fighting, game misconduct), 18:01; Eckford Bng (fighting, game misconduct), 18:01; Grant Bng (fighting), 18:01.

We know what you're thinking: All of that goes down and Zac Rinaldo wasn't involved?

s/t to Flyers Nation.

Getty ImagesIn case you were worried you hadn't seen everything in this preposterous lockout, worry no more: Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider could be the hero that helps end the work-stoppage.

Frank Seravalli of the Philadelphia Daily News reported on Saturday that Snider has soured on the lockout as it's dragged on through what he hoped would be a Dec. 1 start to a truncated season. With labor talks at a stalemate and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman offering a two-week moratorium on talks, that target date is looking mighty bleak.

From the News:

Put simply: Snider and the rest of the NHL's owners were promised a big win by Bettman, with player concessions on revenue division and contracting rights. The best they'll get now is a small win in revenue split - coupled with a demoralized fan base and all-important corporate sponsors that are ready to quit.

The sponsorship issue is becoming more prominent for the NHL the longer the lockout goes.

COO John Collins had been tasked with keeping the League's benefactors in line early in the process, and it was a significant task: The number of high-profile sponsors paying large sums to partner with the NHL has dramatically changed since the 2004-05 work stoppage. The stakes are higher now among sponsors, as they are for a League that has an American television deal it didn't have seven years ago.

When the CEO of Molson Coors is openly talking about reparations from the NHL after beer sales plummeted in Canada during the lockout, it echoes through ownership.

So can Ed Snider be the driving force to end the lockout?