If There is a Lockout, Can the NHL Recover This Time? - Joe Chacon's Blog

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Joe Chacon's Blog

If There is a Lockout, Can the NHL Recover This Time? Stuck

Posted on August 17, 2012 at 12:19 AM.

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A few days ago I logged onto the official website of the Los Angeles Kings to purchase a mini season ticket plan that a few friends and I were going to go in on.

We are longtime King's sufferers. The highlight reel of Wayne Gretzky playing for the Kings during the 1993 playoffs was wonderful, but after a while we realized we'd never really go deep in the playoffs -- yes, "we". When you are a fan of a team that never meets expectations and you continue being a fan, you then become one with the team.

After pooling the money together it was time to make a splash for some tickets. I'm a frugal fan. I buy my tickets the day of most games on Stub Hub or eBay with the idea in mind that I will be getting my seats for 75% below face value. To actually get the money together and make a commitment for a decent amount of games is a big deal for me.

The mini plan we had decided upon was selected and the "purchase tickets" button was pressed. I was greeted with a screen that said "Sorry, the mini-plan you have selected is sold-out". I repeated this process four more times until finally the only option was to select a full season plan. Of course, that is well beyond the time and financial commitment any of us are able to offer.

I bring up this experience because Los Angeles has finally become a hockey town of sorts. The fans are passionate and the game experience at Staples Center is phenomenal. This was brewing before the Kings won the Stanley Cup. If you were fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be a Kings fan for at least the last decade then you know the swell of momentum I'm referring to with regard to the Kings fan base.

My story is echoed across the country. The fans are showing up to the arena in record numbers for many teams. In fact, only two teams (Dallas and Phoenix) averaged less than 80% capacity for their home games during the 2011-12 season. Even more impressive is that 21 of the 30 teams saw their arena filled to at least 96% capacity on average for all their home games combined.

The NHL was able to capitalize on the lockout the NBA went through. Hockey also captured the attention of sports fans who may have not otherwise given the sport a chance. Should the NHL have a lockout next month they will lose every bit of momentum they gained...even here in Los Angeles.

Hockey gives fans the feeling that the players are a group of blue-collar workers going through the daily grind to give people some entertainment. They throw their bodies around more in a calendar year than the other major sports do, and fans are drawn to the selfless attitudes each team projects night in and night out.

The sport has finally captured the attention of fans in a way they've been trying to for years. Once the entire 2004-05 season was canceled many people left hockey in the same way baseball fans left the ballparks in the mid-90's.

The NHL can't afford a lockout of any kind. Sure, fans would miss the sport, but with the NBA, NFL, and NCAA Football seasons all in full swing, hockey no longer becomes a necessity for the average fan.

OS Voice: Will the fans come back to the NHL if there is a lockout?

Joe Chacon is a staff writer for Operation Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @JoeChacon.

Comments

# 1 drewst18 @ Aug 17

I will always like hockey but no, it won't come back the same way it did...

I grew up pretty much strictly on hockey. I watched football and baseball a bit but was a hockey fan first and foremost. The 2005 lockout really made me look into watching other sports as I needed a sports fix.
I found that I had been missing out on football for all this time. The season was more exciting and games mattered more, and with less of them you really cared about each game like it was a playoff game.

Then hockey came back, my team won a cup lost another and made playoffs every year and while it sucks when they lose it doesn't have that devastating feel it did before. Now these idiots are going to take another season off?!

This falls 100% on Gary Bettman. He is going to take money away because teams aren't making money, you take a niche sport and place teams in some of the most obscure places and think its gonna make money hand over fist like in canada?

Get rid of Columbus, Pheonix, Florida, the Islanders (yes the historic Islanders their owner is an idiot) give these owners a buy out or something and fix the league. No reason this league should not be making money with the cost of tickets and an 82 game season.

# 2 scottyo60 @ Aug 17

I disagree of getting rid of Columbus... Give us better management and fans will come back. The city has been screwed over so many times and top ownership even with the best of intentions still makes mistakes constantly. We had a protest lol to remove GM and presidents. To my knowledge we are one of the few teams ever to hold one. Nationwide had great attendance numbers the first decade and with the new Nationwide deal the bleeding of money should stop. Columbus can be a great hockey city they just need to provide the team a winner.

one of my favorite sports memories is from the Jackets and mind you I'm a devils fan, but the energy in the playoff season when Pittsburgh came to town was electric. Standing room only. Great mix and what sports is about.

I can't speak for others in the city, but we will survive a lockout here just for the amount of downtown activity. Catch a jackets game, have a few cold ones and go to the Arena District after to party. Business, college kids and even away younger fans I've met love it here for the downtown fun after.

# 3 drewst18 @ Aug 17

Fans will go to any team that wins, but players don't wanna go there and the ownership hasn't shown any indication they know what it takes to run a team. Some bad luck with some lotteries (Yak, Ovechkin) but overall it has not been very well run or had very good fan support. Best finish was 17th, 19th and then all a bunch of bottom 5 in league attendance.

# 4 woodjer @ Aug 17

If there is a lockout, maybe but if it means another cancelled season...nope, I don't think so. I wasn't much of a hockey fan as a kid but really got into it in college and stayed that way until the lockout/cancelled season. As a Michigander, the Red Wings were my team and I could list each line without a second thought before the last lockout. Now, I'm lucky if I can name 3-4 NHL players total, let alone an entire line of the Wings. Sure, there would be some diehards that would come back but a second cancelled season in less than 10 years probably wouldn't be received well by anyone else.

# 5 Retropyro @ Aug 17

Fans always say that if there is a lock out or strike, the game will never recover. Doesn't matter what the sport it. In the end, the fans come back. Sure some will never return but the majority will.
Some non-traditional markets will die off, but that's going to happen anyway.

# 6 thegoons21 @ Aug 18

I'll be pretty pissed, but it'll be back. Same as its back now after '05. It's the greatest sport on the planet played by the only.

# 7 psymin1 @ Aug 18

"Why is it the fans seem to be the only ones able to see that?"

That's exactly it, js3512. Most on the inside are blinded by greed, and, frankly, just don't seem to give a damn about the fans. It's all about the money, and it's sad. Without us fans, they'd be out of jobs entirely. I adore hockey and will watch no matter what, but it'll never get the respect it deserves because the management doesn't care about respect, just money. Of course the same argument could be made for virtually any sport, but it feels like hockey fans are reminded of it most.