Oh well, one could dream.

Excellent points. The new CBA needs to be 10 years, with the option after 8 years. I doubt the players would opt out after 8 years. It would be a public relations nightmare for them.

(I’m sick and tired of people telling me that there’s going to be a season. I have a shred of hope but after people saying their “sources” were saying there would be a season back in September, October, November…. Seriously shut up, you dont know anyone on the inside just give it up. If the season does start when you claim then its by sheer coincidence at this point. You don’t know anything. I don’t know anything. The best we can do is ride it out.)

Ten Bears: maybe one of the soldiers who escaped from the fort ?

Crazy Dog: he’s all alone, let’s kill him !

Blomfeld: no brothers ! … I know this type of man and he is good … we will talk with him …

Woodstakes – Excellent post yourself friend ! I and everyone else here at PHT hears “exactly” what you’re saying, yet you mustn’t ever let yourself get too down about this business. Look, I’m as sure that we’ll have NHL hockey starting next month, as I’m sure the sun will rise tomorrow! Now whether or not you part with your “hard-earned” dollars supporting these idiots is completely up to you. But never forget my friend that hockey is forever in your heart, just as it is with many of us … and that’s something that their stupid shenanigans can never take away from us! I was just talking about our old “road-hockey lingo” on some other article earlier and a few seconds after I signed off, my eyes were actually starting to water, so powerful are the emotions and memories still to this day. So be happy friend and let’s look forward to a great year, eh ?

ps: hey man, there’s even an actual game starting today at 0400 hrs PST !

Sadly, THAT, that statement right there.. “the passion and intellect of the NHL fans.” is what they don’t seem to get. So many of us are smart enough to know that this is complicated, but we are also smart enough to know that there was no reason for it to go on so long. No where on this site or the sister sites you mentioned will you find the same level of passion. Do you really believe there would be conversations with such passion on the NBA site… well, there sure wasn’t when they were locked out. Perhaps the NFL could pull this sort of thing from its fans. But, I seem to doubt it. True hockey fans watch hockey at all levels. From pee wee’s and midgets up the NHL and EVERYTHING in between. How many NFL fans do you think go watch high school football? My guess not many unless they have some sort of personal connection to that particular team. Yet you see hockey fans watching little kids play, bigger kids play, college kids play, major juniors and on up to the NHL. THAT is what they don’t get. They don’t get that these are the types of fans you have and they/we DO NOT deserve to be treated this way.

In the end our passion and love will bring us back to the best of the best. Some of us will be bitter. I for one will be, as i’ve stated earlier I got a refund on my season tickets and I will purchase no tickets or merchandise equal to everyday that was missed by this lockout, however many of you will not and that’s ok too. Because I do understand why you will go back right away, I don’t blame any of you because I will want to be right there with you my friends. But, I made a promise to myself and i’m going to keep it. I just really hope for the sake of the sport that THIS time will be a lesson learned and THEY realize that this type of thing cannot continue to happen every 7-10 yrs. That what is truly unsustainable is NOT the losses these teams are taking financially, but the loss of fans gained over these last 7 yrs. Maybe they come back this time, but if this happens again they will surely find something better to spend their hard earned money on in these tough economic times that are hurting many of us.

In the end whether we like it or not, the NHL needs its casual fans. It needs to gain more of them. WE need them, because in the end the casual fans are where the future TRUE hockey fans will come from. They insure sustainability, they insure growth and this league needs as much growth as it can get. I just truly HOPE that they realize there is a better way. Because through all of this with all the people they’ve hired on both sides to research what this lockout has done to fans opinions and sponsors trust, what else has to happen to make them realize they should thankful… VERY THANKFUL for the fans they’ve GOT!!

Very true Brough … not to mention the fact that doing so would also equate to “mutual suicide” and then the end. But we shouldn’t let ourselves be afraid, as that simply isn’t going to happen. “Good times” and the resumption of NHL hockey are now just around the corner, I guarantee it! Even my old friend “Stransky” (physicist and expert in forensic causation analysis) said to me earlier today in his Christmas call, that he was now going to re-order his NHL Center Ice package!

Looking back on things though, my philosophy has been to always try and see the “silver-lining” which exists with any setback or upset in life. It’s always there friends, though the challenge at times is to try and find it. But once you do, then the hurt which you originally felt doesn’t seem quite as bad. The way I see it, this lockout business has brought so many of us together here at PHT in a way that we could have never possibly imagined before. Heated and passionate discussions about labor relations and collective bargaining, economics, finance, marketing, history … we’ve done it all friends. And by doing so, we’ve all “learned” and we’ve all become “wiser” for sure … at least I know that I have. From time to time, I peruse the other NBC sites (PBT, PFT, PGT, PCT, etc). And I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anything even remotely comparable to the lively, intelligent, entertaining, passionate and thought-provoking discourse which we have here at PHT! A “tip of the hat” is therefore in order, not only to the excellent PHT writers themselves, but as well to “everyone” who comes to this excellent site, irrespective of whether they speak or simply read. Merry Christmas everyone and “stand by” as NHL hockey is a coming !!!!

PS: I don’t give a crap what anyone says … it’s time for an excellent Elvis video !

NHL goes bye bye.