And we’re back.
The NHL and NHL Players Association finally ended their 113-day squabble, and professional hockey is set to return with opening day on Jan. 19.
While many are questioning if there was a clear winner from the lockout, and it is tough to say if there was, there is a bright spot in the outcome for the fans. Yes, 48 games were robbed from the fans, however a shorter season means more exciting games and more intense rivalries.
With the lockout beginning on Sept. 16 and finally ending after a 16-hour marathon negotiation session on Jan. 6, both parties finally ratified the Collective Bargaining Agreement as of Sunday. Along with the start of this season, the CBA had another clause that will please fans; it is a 10-year agreement with an opt-out clause after eight season. That means hockey fans have eight seasons coming up where this situation cannot occur.
Because of the length of the lockout stretching more than half the season, the league has been forced into a 48-game season without inter-conference action instead of a normal 82-game season.
This abbreviated season not only means fewer games, less revenue for all businesses involved and the second 48-game season since 1994-1995 after a 103-day lockout, but it also means that every single game will affect who makes the playoffs.
While it’s easy to see all of the negatives and be frustrated as fans for another season cut short, I like to look at it in a more positive light. The structure of the season is essentially giving us 48 games plus post-season of playoffs.
Since every game will affect each team’s playoff chances, we can expect even more brutal fights, more meetings with rivals and an even more exciting game almost every time the teams take the ice, because no team is going to be willing to sacrifice those two points and have that be the breaking point for making the playoffs.
Since the teams will only be playing within their respective conferences, this season lends itself to the development of new rivalries and the growth of the existing ones. You can expect fierce rivalries across the board this season.
Get ready to see the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins duke it out in several heated games, the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadians engage in brutal battles and the Chicago Blackhawks square off against the Detroit Red Wings.
The lockout was nonsense and a clear winner cannot even be identified. However, on the bright side, the fans did find a small victory; we are poised to see one of the most exciting hockey seasons to date.
That being said, I say it’s time to drop the puck.
