The NHL rarely has a shortage of intriguing storylines. This year is no exception.

Collective bargaining, wheeling and dealing, firings and general controversy. The league always has its share of interesting subplots to go along with the big picture -- the quest for the Stanley Cup.

Here's a quick primer on some of the items of interest people are talking about around the league as pucks begin to drop on the 2003-04 campaign.

Three important letters C-B-A: Hockey fans have already heard all about the Sept. 15, 2004 expiration of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement with the NHL Players' Association. This is only the beginning. Expect many more reports, rumours, meetings, press releases and conferences throughout 2003-04 as the two sides try to hammer out an agreement and sidestep a seemingly unavoidable work stoppage in 2004-05.

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Going foward in Atlanta: The car accident that killed forward Dan Snyder and injured all-star Dany Heatley dealt a tragic blow to the young Atlanta Thrashers just days before the start of the regular season. Both Snyder's family and Thrashers' brass have said, as difficult as it will be, the team must move forward. The question is -- how will the players and coaches respond to the death of a teammate and the media circus sure to follow the subsequent legal fallout in the days, weeks and months ahead?

Off-season action: Sometimes in the NHL it's just a case of the rich getting richer. Just look at the Colorado Avalanche, who added snipers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne to a lineup which already boasts offensive superstars Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Milan Hejduk. All the talk up front has taken some of the heat off goaltender David Aebischer, who takes over for retired future Hall of Famer Patrick Roy.

The Red Wings also bolstered their roster, luring back Dominik Hasek and adding free-agent defenceman Derian Hatcher from the Dallas Stars. With Hasek back in the Motor City, the big question remains - where will Curtis Joseph ply his trade this year?

It wasn't all gains for the Wings this summer, as centre Sergei Fedorov left the team after 13 seasons in Detroit. Fedorov is now out West with the Mike Babcock's Anaheim Mighty Ducks, who were the surprise Western representative in last year's Stanley Cup final. Vaclav Prospal, the Tampa Bay Lightning's leading scorer from 2002-03, also joins the Ducks, making up for the Kariya loss.

Musical goaltenders: Okay, grab your programs and update accordingly. Roman Cechmanek moves from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. Felix Potvin goes from the Kings to Boston. Jeff Hackett heads from the Bruins to the Flyers. Each squad hopes this netminder shuffle can solve what ailed them between the pipes in the past.

Canadian Cup contenders: Hopes are high in both Ottawa and Vancouver for a taste of Lord Stanley's Cup. The high-flying Senators and Canucks enter 2003-04 with much of their cores intact and each side says they've learned from last season's playoff disappointments. Could this be the year for either the Sens or Canucks?

Welcome to the show: Three new head coaches make their debuts at the helm of NHL benches this season. Ed Olczyk -- Mario Lemieux's friend and former teammate -- has the daunting task of guiding the rebuilding Pittsburgh Penguins. It's the ultimate test of on-the-job training for the 16-year NHL veteran who has no previous coaching experience at any level of hockey.

Olcyzk won't be the only thirty-something rookie patrolling an NHL bench this season. Mike Sullivan takes over in Boston, replacing Bruins general manager Mike O'Connell.

O'Connell stepped in on an interim basis after firing Robbie Ftorek with nine games left last season. At 35, Sullivan is now the youngest coach in the NHL, 18 months younger than the Carolina Hurricanes' Paul Maurice.

Meanwhile, Steve Stirling takes over on Long Island. He replaces former bench boss Peter Laviolette, who was fired in June after the team's disappointing first round playoff exit to the Ottawa Senators. Stirling coached the Islanders' AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, over the last two seasons. He guided the minor league club to an 83-51-19 record.

Parity: Only six points separated the top five teams in last year's overall standings (Ottawa 113, Dallas 111, Detroit 110, New Jersey 108 and Philadelphia 107). Need more proof of balance among the NHL's elite? Three of the six divisions in 2002-03 were decided by just one point (Colorado over Vancouver 105-104 in the Northwest; New Jersey over Philadelphia 108-107 in the Atlantic and Tampa Bay over Washington 93-92 in the Southeast).

Rivalries: The NHL schedule maker has increased divisional play in 2003-04. Each squad will face divisional rivals six times on the year instead of last year's five meetings. This means one more Battle of Alberta and another Battle of Ontario on this season's slate.

Old school: The Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens will take part in the much-anticipated first outdoor regular-season game in NHL history on Nov. 22. The event, dubbed the Heritage Classic, is expected to draw a crowd of more than 55,000. Prior to the contest, a team of Oilers alumni, led by Wayne Gretzky, will take on a squad of former Canadiens, headed by Guy Lafleur, in a dream matchup of hockey superpowers.

Back in black: Host teams are turning in their traditional home whites for dark jerseys in 2003-04. The move marks the first time home sides will sport dark uniforms at home games since 1970-71.