NHL Lockout: Another Lost Season?

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I admit that I am not a huge hockey fan. I enjoy going to the games and was excited for the LA Kings this season but aside from that I could care less. This probably because I am from a Southern state that up until I was in high school didn’t have a pro hockey team, we now have the Carolina Hurricanes(you may remember that they won the Stanley Cup a few years back). And despite hockey’s Southern expansion people in South are fair weather fans at best. Regardless I recognize that there are many avid hockey fans in the US that might be affected by the current lockout.

If you haven’t been following the news the players and owners are in a debate over revenue. Before the lockout, which started Saturday night, the players were making 57% of hockey-revenue and owners want that number to go down. The owners also want to have contracts with players that are less than 6 years in length. The last lockout occurred seven years ago during the 2004-05 season which is now known as the lost season. Lockouts are never good for leagues who have not only players but arena employees depending on games for jobs. The lockout has already sent players like Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Evgeni Malkin to sign deals with Russian leagues.

Personally I think that hockey is a brutal sport and the players should fight for as much as they can. With that said there isn’t room in the Russian leagues for everyone so players will definitely lose money the longer they hold out. Judging from the past lockout which results in a whole season passing without anyone hitting the ice, I wouldn’t bet on this matter being resolved anytime soon.

-M

Tags: Alex Ovechkin, contract, Evgeni Malkin, fans, hockey, Hurricanes, Ilya Kovalchuk, la kings, lockout, lost season, money, nhl, official, parody, players association, resolved, revenue, Russian leagues, sign, song, Taylor Swift, video, why