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Fans Happy NHL Deal Struck, Not Eager to Pack Arenas

Posted on: Friday, 15 July 2005, 21:00 CDT

OTTAWA: Canadian hockey fans expressed mixed emotions about a deal reached Wednesday between the National Hockey League and the players' association to end a 301-day lockout.

Anxious to see their favorite teams return to the ice, but still bitter that it took almost a year to hammer out an agreement, fans are now wavering in their support.

"I'm seriously pissed off," Vancouver hockey fan Michael Sloane told AFP. "I won't support them when they return to the ice, but I'll probably still watch the games (on television) 'cause it's the only sport I like."

Montreal Canadiens defenceman Patrice Brisebois, speaking to the Globe and Mail newspaper, echoed those feelings: "It's about time."

The National Hockey League and the NHL Player's Association announced Wednesday a "deal in principle" had been reached to end the longest labour dispute in North American professional sports.

Bargaining teams had met on 82 occasions during the past year, but it took 10-day marathon talks in New York that culminated in a 24-hour overnight session to hammer out a deal and end the lockout.

The NHL is the only major North American sports league to cancel an entire season due to a labour dispute. This year, the Stanley Cup was not awarded for only the second time in more than 100 years - in 1919, the tournament was cancelled due to a flu epidemic.

The announcement Wednesday made front page news across the country: "NHL deal signals new ice age" (Toronto Star), "Finally" (Province) and "Game On" (Sun).

National columnists chimed in with demands that the league offer incentives to woo back "disenchanted customers" and fears that the loss of a lucrative US television contract and ratings "that fall somewhere behind poker and arena football" will cause several US teams to fold, despite player concessions.

Others saw a silver lining in the new collective bargaining agreement, calling it "small-market-friendly" because it reduced team expenses to a level affordable to cities like Winnipeg where rumours of the return of their beloved Jets began circulating. The Jets moved to Phoenix in 1996.

Players, quoted by several Canadian newspapers, expressed frustration with the result and the process, but resolved to move on.

"We went in to play poker against the big guy (NHL commissioner Gary Bettman) who's got all the chips now. It was a frustrating year," said Vancouver Canucks forward Brad May.

Ottawa Senators forward Todd White called the process "not enjoyable" while Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Smyth said, "It'll be tough (to return) because of everything that's gone on during the lockout. Some things that have been said have been very hurtful. But we have to go out and play and do our jobs. This was the coolest game on earth and it still can be."

Calgary Flames' captain Jarome Iginla looked forward to "the free- agent frenzy." Retired hockey icons offered their views too.

"At the end of the day everybody lost. We almost crippled our industry. It was very disappointing what happened. For everyone to say 'all right, let's forgive and forget, let's move forward,' that's all fine and good but it's a lot easier said than done. It's going to take a long time, it's going to take a lot of hard work," said Wayne Gretzky, rumoured to become head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes.

"We disappointed a lot of people and I don't just mean the average fan. I'm talking about TV partnerships, corporate partnerships, the fan, the guy who goes to one or two games a year with his son. We've got a lot of work ahead of us. It's not going to all change and be all nice overnight," he said.

Bobby Hull questioned the guidance of Players' Association executive director Bob Goodenow, saying: "You can't fight fire with fire when the flame on the other side is a heck of a lot hotter and a heck of a lot bigger."

"They should've realized hockey couldn't go on the way it was. You can't have 75 per cent of your outlay (going) into salaries and they should've realized that. They milked the old cow until she was dry and there was no more left in her," he said.

Source: China Daily; North American ed.

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