Eight years after one of the darkest periods in NHL history,
another labor dispute is forcing fans to go without hockey for the time being.
By Tyler Piccotti
Early October is normally a time when NHL
teams are hard at work. Training camps draw to a close as coaches make their
final roster cuts. The Zambonis are prepped for the upcoming season. The arenas
are given a good cleaning and small renovations if need be. All the while, fans
become more and more excited about their team’s chances during the upcoming
season.
This year, however, an eerie silence has
once again descended upon the NHL landscape. It appeared a mere three weeks ago
when the league’s collective bargaining agreement expired. As things stand now,
the owners and the National Hockey League Players’ Association are locked at a
stalemate. The league’s stars are fleeing to Russia and other countries in
order to play the game they love. Now, it has been revealed that two weeks
worth of games are canceled. Basically, the lockout seems as if it is only
beginning.
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| (AP Photo/Jim O'Brien) |
There is one group, however, that seems to
be feeling the urgency of the situation: the fans. Simply put, they are
disgusted by the current work stoppage and are worried that another long
lockout may deal a crippling blow to the league’s popularity.
Hockey fans are some of the most dedicated
fans in all of professional sports. For this reason, they are taking the
current lockout personally. They are also not afraid to speak their minds,
especially when discussing the efficiency of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
“I’m sick of the NHL playing second fiddle
to the other leagues, and Gary Bettman should recognize that yet another
lockout is not going to help this,” said Cathleen O’Hare, who is a disgruntled
Rangers fan. “If there is no hockey this year, there better be no Bettman next
year.”
Whether one believes Bettman is to blame
for the lockout or not is really irrelevant in terms of the overall anxiety
felt by fans. The biggest fear is that a prolonged stoppage will scare away
both new and casual fans. Coming off one of the most memorable postseasons in
league history that saw the Los Angeles Kings win the Stanley Cup for the first
time in franchise history, it was believed that hockey’s stock would rise. Now,
however, the general consensus seems to be that the lockout will cause the
NHL’s stock to take a depression-like tumble.
“I just think Bettman and the NHL are
going to lose not just money and a season, but they will lose the common fan as
well,” said Sharks fan Avi Hanel.
Essentially, the severity of the lockout
will be defined by its duration. There are still many fans that remain
optimistic that the issue will be resolved relatively quickly. However,
something drastic would have to occur for the negotiation tides to shift.
According to Red Wing Dan Cleary, there is no reason for optimism.
“I think people don’t think it can go a
year,” Cleary told the Detroit Free Press. “As players, we think it can. Maybe
longer.”
Fans are hoping that Cleary’s grim
portrayal turns out to be a false one. After what happened in 2004, however,
his prediction has merit. Labor disputes can often drag on for weeks, even
months. In addition, this is not a normal company. This is the NHL, one of the
country’s four premiere sports leagues and it is dependent on the support of
its fans. Should the lockout continue, that support is likely to erode.
The lockout could essentially become a
scar that never heals. In the meantime, the fans are the ones that will be
feeling the sting of this growing wound. They have been loyal to their teams
and players, and they believe that they deserve better. Quite frankly, it’s
hard not to agree with them.
