By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

FALMOUTH – There were times when Eric Weinrich wondered if he’d ever really miss hockey.

As the National Hockey League lockout continued through the winter and the Gardiner native and former Maine Black Bear immersed himself in his family life, Weinrich couldn’t help but feel too comfortable away from the game.

“As far as being involved in hockey, I was so far removed from it,” said Weinrich, who spent most of the winter in Philadelphia with his wife and two children. “I’ve got to be honest, there were certain times that I thought: If hockey was over now, would I miss it that much?’ I probably would have, but there were certain times that I had to kick myself and remind myself that I was still a hockey player. That was the toughest thing mentally.”

That all changed last week. The NHL owners and players reached a tentative labor agreement, ending the longest work stoppage in the history of North American pro sports.

As Weinrich worked at his charity golf tournament Monday at the Woodlands, he couldn’t help but be excited about a St. Louis Blues training camp waiting for him in September.

“I kind of feel like a rookie again,” said Weinrich. “It’s like I’m starting over. Our team is pretty much in tact. So when we get back, it will be back to business again, but there’s a lot of teams that are going to be totally revamped. I’m excited to get back to the team. I only played two months with them. It will be fun to get back and really get to know those guys and build something for this year.”

Weinrich said players had been advised to prepare for a lengthy hibernation. The NHL Player’s Association had told its members that the labor dispute over a new collective bargaining agreement could last as many as two years.

“I think everybody was pretty prepared for that,” said Weinrich, who has a one-year deal with the Blues and still hopes to play a couple more seasons. “It was get ready for a whole year of no hockey and find something to do.”

Weinrich spent the winter working and training periodically but spent time with his family and enjoying his children’s activities.

The players were told that progress could be made this summer, and that July 1 was a target date for a conclusion. It took a few weeks longer, but the deal was finally brokered.

“I was really happy,” said Weinrich, whose golf tournament was in full swing. The tournament to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association had two flights and nearly 200 golfers. “I couldn’t wait to get back to work.”

Weinrich said he’s still not aware of all the details in the new agreement, which is expected to be ratified this week. The players certainly made some concessions, including a salary cap, set at $39 million per club. Top salaries will take a hit, and minimum salaries for new players will be slashed.

Weinrich had confidence in the negotiating committee and is satisfied with the deal. At the same time, he understands there might be players who are disgruntled over what was ultimately settled upon.

“They’re probably not jumping up and down over it,” said Weinrich. “Everybody’s saying that we probably could have gotten a better deal earlier in the year, but it’s the way negotiating goes. You try to play it out and play your cards, and this is what happened.”

Weinrich has little doubts that hockey will rebound despite the strike.

“I think it will be great still,” he said. “Everybody I talked to said, We missed hockey so much.'”

Some rule changes will come with the new agreement. There’s been talk about increasing the scoring and eliminating the stifling defensive game that has repelled viewers. Some of the changes could include scaling down the bulky equipment goaltenders use, to widening the net and eliminating the red line. Weinrich said some of the changes might spark some interest, but he hopes the new rules aren’t too radical.

“I’m kind of a traditionalist,” he said. “The goalie equipment thing, that’s something they should have done awhile ago. We’ll see how it goes in training camp.”