The N.H.L. canceled the first two weeks of the regular season Thursday, a total of 82 games from Oct. 11 to Oct. 24, because of the absence of a collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players union.

“We were extremely disappointed to have to make today’s announcement,” Bill Daly, the N.H.L. deputy commissioner, said in a statement. “The game deserves better, the fans deserve better and the people who derive income from their connection to the N.H.L. deserve better. We remain committed to doing everything in our power to forge an agreement that is fair to the players, fair to the teams and good for our fans.” The players were locked out Sept. 15, when the collective bargaining agreement that had been in place since 2005 expired. The latest round of talks between the league and the N.H.L. Players’ Association broke off after a two-hour bargaining session Tuesday, and no negotiations have been scheduled.

“The decision to cancel the first two weeks of the N.H.L. season is the unilateral choice of the N.H.L. owners,” Donald Fehr, the executive director of the union, said in a statement. “If the owners truly cared about the game and the fans, they would lift the lockout and allow the season to begin on time while negotiations continue. A lockout should be the last resort in bargaining, not the strategy of first resort.”

Daly said in an e-mail message that it was “tough to say” whether the canceled games could be rescheduled if there was a prompt settlement. He said earlier this week that the N.H.L., which earned a record $3.3 billion last season, lost close to $100 million because of the cancellation of the preseason schedule.