By Joel Smart (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: September 19, 2012
Here we go again. It’s lockout time. It’s less of a surprise this time around, but it may actually bode worse for the NHL than it did last time. Maybe I’m just buying into empty threats offered online—and a feeling in my gut with little actual substance—but I really believe that this time around the fans aren’t going to rush back when the two selfish sides of the collective bargaining agreement finally find common ground.
Both teams feel they have justified reasons to be stubborn, though. The NHL is arguing that while the last lockout resulted in “remarkable growth and momentum” and “corresponding on-ice benefits” the new system still isn’t “fair” or “sustainable” economically. The players, alternatively, argue they shouldn’t have to give up more of their salary, since they are the product on the ice being sold to fans. After all, it is the players putting their lives on show and their health on the line – the owners, meanwhile, are merely investors hoping for a bigger piece of the pie.
It’s pretty clear though. What we’re talking about are greedy multi-millionaires squabbling over who gets more. The players are being selfish. The owners are being selfish. It’s a new low for the game of hockey and it’s embarrassing to be a fan right now.
The big question now, though, is whether 2012 will be more like 1992, 1995 or 2004. In 1992, the strike lasted just 11 days and only 30 combined games were lost in the season. In the 1994-1995 season, 468 combined games were lost, with the season officially starting on January 20. Most memorably, though, was the entirely missed season in 2004, when the NHL made the record of being the first major sports league in North America to cancel a season based on a labour dispute. Classy. Of course, if the current trend holds, the 2012 strike may last even longer.
The worst part, as a fan, is that I’m not so sure we’ll be worse off without the NHL this year. Maybe it’s the chance we need to find the passion in other hockey leagues – to rediscover our love for the game itself.
Maybe it’s time to look into Vancouver Giants tickets, or Abbotsford Heat tickets (especially if you can snag tickets to a Wolves game).
As much as I hope Canucks fans will still seek out some hockey to fill the void, though, there are some major setbacks. For those looking to watch consistently-televised games for a particular league, it’s just not available. It’s hard to follow a season if your only way to watch the majority of games is to buy tickets. If it’s anything like last lockout, most will opt simply to put their love of hockey on hold.
It’s something that fans of the Canucks may struggle with, but more and more, people will simply find other sports and other hobbies that treat them better. When the NHL returns, will they come running back? Will casual hockey fans in Phoenix and Columbus still remember the sport even exists? Or, will the bitter taste left in everyone’s mouth prove that this lockout was not good for the league, for the game or for the fans?
Time will tell, but I’d suggest that Gary Bettman had better start crossing his fingers, because things aren’t looking good for the league right now.
