The End of the NHL Lockout

On January 6^th, the NHL ended its 113 day lockout when a tentative deal was reached between the players and the owners. This was the third lockout to hit the league after ones in 1994-1995 and 2004-2005 the latter of which wiped out the entire season. The NHL was really riding a slippery slope this time after the previous work stoppages so it is good that this dispute was resolved. If the season had indeed been cancelled outright, the effects would have been devastating. The fans have been through one cancellation and were certainly not wanting to go through another one. The NHL owners and players did right by coming to an agreement and there will be labor peace for at least eight years. Despite the end of the lockout, many fans are not happy and have thought about boycotting some games in protest. Whether or not it will work remains to be seen.  While the popularity of the NHL is smaller compared to the NFL and MLB, it is still a popular sport in North America. If the NHL wants to keep its fans, it has to make a concrete effort to reach out to them. Discounts on merchandise and players signing autographs are a good thing. The NHL and its teams need to capitalize on that goodwill otherwise it will never learn from its mistakes.