Happy holiday roster freeze!

The games: Pittsburgh vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Colorado Avalanche, and Portland Winterhawks vs. Tri-City Americans (December 3, WHL).

Go ahead, score the hat trick already: Sidney Crosby has already scored two goals, it's only the start of the third period and the Pens are up 7 - 2.

Or not: Final score Pittsburgh 7, Columbus 2. Crosby racks up two and Paul Martin shines with two goals (both unassisted), 3 shots and 20 minutes of ice time.

Things that are hot that are not on the ice: Guy Boucher and his evil plan have the Lightning leading the Avalanche 4 - 2 with two minutes to go in the second period.

Or not: Colorado just scored twice in the last minute of the game to close the lead to Tampa Bay 6, Colorado 5. That is the final score. The evil plan succeeds.

The Winterhawks are back. They're really, really back: Thanks to the Ross-Johansen-Niederreiter line, who collectively scored all of the team's five goals in a 5-1 routing of the Americans.

The rules: NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 13, Waivers and Loans of Players to Minor League Clubs. 13.13, Waiver Notification, 13.14, Transfer Form, 13.15, Holiday Roster Freeze.

13.13, Waiver Notification: (a) The Player and the NHLPA shall be notified within 2 hours whenever the Player is placed on waivers, clears waivers, or is claimed waivers. Notification to the NHLPA shall be by fax in accordance with Exhibit 3. It's not all bad; the player can request to right to talk with other Clubs about their interest in him during the waiver period, which of course must be provided to the NHLPA by fax.

Pop quiz...how many pieces of paper does this rule require?/I thought the NHL was going green?: 13.14, Transfer Form. (a) Players loaned to or recalled from a minor league club shall receive a transfer form. In order to make said loan or recall effective, the Club must send a copy to the NHLPA and NHL by facsimile, in accordance with Exhibit 3 hereto, prior to that player being in an NHL game and, in all other circumstances, immediately. If the team recalls a player to replace someone who's been injured, is ill or has been suspended, they must submit a transfer form indicating whether the player's status has converted to regular recall or is loaned to his minor league club. (c) Club will provide written confirmation that players loaned or recalled from the minors will receive or have received the per diems required in Article 13.12 by way of the club checking the appropriate box on the revised version of the Transfer Form attached hereto as Exhibit 26.

13.15, Holiday Roster Freeze: For all players on the NHL Active Roster, Injured Reserve, or Players with Non-Roster and Injured Non-Roster status as of midnight local time December 19, a roster freeze shall apply through midnight local time December 27, with respect to waivers, trades, and loans; provided however that players may be recalled to NHL Clubs during this period, and provided further that if a Player is placed on regular waivers or re-entry waivers prior to the roster freeze period and is claimed during such roster freeze period, the roster freeze period shall not apply and the player shall report immediately to the claiming club.

Morals of the story:

The game: How like Corporate America hockey is. You can fire people at any time with only a few hours notice, you have to fill out paperwork for everything and if someone's let go, they get a break, only in this case it's the chance to be claimed by another team instead of unemployment.

Life: I want a roster freeze for my life this holiday season. From December 19 through the 27th I will abandon the rat race and everything that goes with it to rethink what I'm going to do with my life in the coming year. And if I've already begun seeking new opportunities when that kicks in, the freeze will not apply and I will move onto the new thing(s).

Up next: 13.16, Waiver Prices.