Lou Lamoriello, the Devils general manager, has not been involved in talks on a new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and its players.

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty)

As the NHL inches closer to the cancellation of the entire 2012-13 season, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello is still hopeful that a partial schedule can be saved.

But with the lockout having reached its 102nd day without any hint of a breakthrough on a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players, Lamoriello voiced his frustration yesterday.

"I’m embarrassed for the game," Lamoriello told The Star-Ledger.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said no talks have been scheduled. With regular season games having been canceled through Jan. 14, the rest of the season will be scrapped unless the two sides can come up with a new CBA in the next two weeks.

"It’s coming down to the wire right now," Lamoriello said. "We’ve just got to trust the people that are involved. I’m embarrassed we are where we’re at. That’s the best expression I can use."

He is not alone.

Phoenix Coyotes forward Shane Doan told the Arizona Republic the lockout players are starting to feel embarrassed about saying they play in the NHL.

"You’ve always been proud to say you’re an NHL player, to tell people that you play for the NHL. ‘I play in the NHL,’ " Doan said. "I think now it’s getting to the point where you’re losing some of that pride because it’s been tarnished so much. You care so much about the sport, you want it to be doing well. Obviously, we have to find a way to get this going."

Lamoriello didn’t want to think it would take this long.

"I really didn’t know. Like everybody, I hoped not," Lamoriello said, "but we are where we are right now and we’re getting to the 11th hour. I’m just hopeful everything can work out."

In past lockouts, Lamoriello has taken an active role in negotiations, working alongside commissioner Gary Bettman in 1994-95, but that hasn’t been the case this time.

"I’m not involved the way I was in the past. I can’t answer why," Lamoriello said.

It’s easy to speculate why.

One of the points in which the owners have held firm during the lockout is the length of contracts. They want five or six-year term limits on new contracts and seven or eight-year limits on re-signing a team’s own players.

Lamoriello defied the league by signing Ilya Kovalchuk to a 17-year, $102 million contract in July of 2010. That deal was nullified by the NHL, which penalized the Devils $3 million and the loss of two draft picks (first and third rounders). Kovalchuk’s contract was changed to a 15-year, $100 million deal.

As the new year approaches, the question can be asked: What will hurt the NHL more, 15-year contracts or the cancellation of another full season?

Notes: The Devils have not had any layoffs or pay cuts in the organization to date.

"Right now everything is status quo," Lamoriello said. "Jeff Vanderbeek has done a tremendous job of trying to keep everything in perspective. He deserves a tremendous amount of credit."

Lamoriello said Adam Henrique, who suffered ligament damage in his left thumb and underwent surgery in late November, is expected to have the cast removed in the next week. Then he will begin rehab.

As for the Devils veterans: "We only have two players playing right now. That’s (Ilya) Kovalchuk and (Anton) Volchenokov (playing in Russia). The other players are renting ice and they’re on their own."

Volchenkov has been playing for three weeks since returning from a fractured ankle.

Rich Chere: rchere@starledger.com; twitter.com/Ledger_NJDevils