Canada just owned the USA..

[YOUR Hero]

Originally Posted by PureHatred There's a lock-out because teams can't afford to pay the players' salaries due to a decrease in team revenue. The TV contract is shit. And ticket sales are in the dumper, even in traditional NHL hotbeds like Chicago. So yes, there isn't a strong enough fan base to keep the NHL alive in its present state. People care. Just not enough.

Here's something to keep in mind. Hockey is a 'blue collar' sport. (most are I suppose) With the building of all the new stadiums, the real fanbase that supported teams cannot afford to go to as many games as they used to. Ticket prices are so much higher than they used to be. A sport like baseball for example, you can still get tickets still for 10 bucks or even less. Not hockey. In hockey the cheap seats are like 40 bucks. A parent would have a hard time taking his 1-2 kids to 40 or 30 or 20 games a year. I find once you become frustrated by the fact you can't go to the games, it takes away from your desire to even follow your team on TV. Chicago is in fact the perfect example.