One hundred and thirteen: the number of days the National Hockey League (NHL) lockout lasted, and my level of anger on a scale of 1 to 10. All that time, I wondered if an agreement would be made, or if there would even be a 2012-2013 season.

On Jan. 6, the hockey gods answered my prayers. The NHL and the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) reached a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which answered everyone’s burning question: will this happen again? Thanks to the CBA, we won’t have to worry about another lockout for at least eight years.

The sides also agreed to split hockeyrelated revenue 50/50 over the duration of the ten years (which they could’ve done on the first day of the lockout, but I digress.)

Many of the NHL players went to play in other leagues around the world, often in their home countries.

Many high-profile players, including Alex Ovechkin, signed contracts with teams in Europe.

However, there’s no need to worry, as all of these contracts have “out clauses,” meaning the players knew when signing the contracts, they could continue to play in the NHL as soon as the lockout ended.

As an avid Capitals fan myself, my emotions are mixed over the whole situation.

I’m angry that NHL owners and the Commissioner acted so senselessly for well over three months. They could’ve ended the lockout after a few meetings, but instead acted selfishly and unnecessarily prolonged it.

They were more concerned about securing their positions and salaries, than actually accomplishing a deal and pleasing fans.

On the other hand, I’m also excited that the dreadful nights of not being able to watch the Caps crush their opponents are finally over.

In the end, we can all finally let out a sigh of relief at the fact that it’s all settled. The ice is being prepared, that stands are being filled, and most importantly, hockey is being played.