NHL commissioner Gary Bettman  has apologized to hockey fans for the lockout that delayed the start of the season by three months.

He says he knows the apology will not ease hard feelings that have built up over the past few months but he thinks the fans deserve one.

The apology came during a news conference to announce that NHL owners have voted in favour of ratifying the new collective bargaining agreement with their players.

The two sides came to a tentative agreement to end the lockout early Sunday morning.

The players aren’t expected to start their own ratification vote until Friday.

Bettman wouldn’t say specifically what the league would do to make it up to the fans.