NHL Lockout

NHL Lockout
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For the 2nd time in 8 years there is an NHL Lockout. It is also the 4th time in 20 years there is a labor dispute. The last lockout lasted an entire season. That doesn't give many people much hope that this lockout will be any different. The 1992 strike lasted 10 days during the middle of the season. The 1994-95 lockout lasted a little more than 3 months and cut the season from 84 games to 48. History isn't in the NHL's favor. The NHL is not the only league that has had labor issues in recent years. The NFL had a lockout last year but didn't miss any regular season games.  The NBA had a shortened 2011 - 12 season due to a lockout. Let's not forget the NFL Referees that are currently in a lockout. Recently the MLB, however, has not trouble getting a deal done.

The big issue looks like the revenue split. The players got 57% of the Hockey Related Revenue in the last agreement. The league's 1st offer had that percentage decreased by 14% to 43%. They have since moved that offer up to 49% in year one, then 47% for each of the final four years. 

If the NHL Lockout ends up going into the regular season, like the NBA Lockout, the best time resume the season would be on New Year's with the Winter Classic. It would be great timing, like the NBA coming back on Christmas last year. It is one of the league's main days and would  pump up the fans. Since it will be played in Michigan with two Original Six teams will face off.  Toronto will face Detroit. That will make it even better because both teams have loyal fan bases that will be excited for the game. With that said,the owners and the players should resolve the differences quick and try to start play as soon as possible.

Evgeni Malkin with Metallurg
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Players are already making plans to play overseas. The 2011-12 Hart Trophy (MVP) Winner Evgeni Malkin has already agreed to play with his former team in Russia, the Metallurg Magnitogorsk.  They play in the Kontiental Hockey League (KHL). Joining him on team are former Penguins' teammate defenseman Sergei Gonchar and forward Nikolai Kulemin. Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk is joining AK Bars Kazan, also of the KHL. Ilya Kovalchuk will sign with the KHL's SKA (Saint Peterburg) soon. KHL's HC Dombass of Ukraine signed forwards Ruslan Fedotenko and Alexei Ponikarovski. The KHL is a top hockey league in Europe, with most of it's team's in Russia, but the countries of Belarus, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Slovakia, and Ukraine have 1 team in the league.  During the lockout, each team in the KHL is allowed to have a maximum of 3 players that are currently signed with NHL teams. Jaromir Jagr will play for the team he owns in Czech Extraliga, HC Klado. Forward Tomas Plekanec will join Jagr in Czech Republic. This is just the start of what is expected to be many players from the NHL moving to play this year in Europe.

If I am the NHL, I would be the most worried about losing fans and their support. The 2012 - 13 season is planned to start October 11th. This probably won't happen based on how little the sides are talking. The NHL had a great postseason last year, that definitely got the league more fans. Those new fans aren't going to wait around for the lockout to end. They may go back to watching what they did before coming to hockey. Then, there are the die-hard fans and they don't deserve this. They stayed loyal to the NHL through the 2004-05 lockout. These fans are being shoved out of the way because of money issues. If there are no fans, there will be no money.