NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL canceled its entire September preseason game schedule, the first on-ice casualty of the four-day lockout of the players' association.

The league is wiping out all games through Sept. 30, a move it deems "necessary because of the absence of a collective bargaining agreement."

The regular season is scheduled to begin on Oct. 11.

Also, a person familiar with the plan says NHL employees at the league offices will switch to a four-day work week Oct. 1 because of the lockout.

The move will effectively cut salaries by 20 percent. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the NHL hadn't made the plan public.

The news was first reported by The Canadian Press.

The Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators have let staff go because of the lockout.