The NHL is suffering one of its worst years in the hockey league's celebrated history. The current lockout has created such negative energy around the league that even a momentous event such as the NY Islanders moving to Brooklyn yesterday did little to appease fans of the sport.
The problem has grown so much that one fan felt it was essential to bring up the issue with the highest authority in the country: The President.
During President Barack Obama's Wednesday night appearance on The Tonight Show one fan asked him "Can you pull some strings and end the NHL lockout?"
Obama's response was a strong one, though it would be hard to determine whether it can help. Obama responded by saying "Every time these things happen, I just want to remind the owners and the players, you guys make money because you've got a whole bunch of fans out there who are working really hard, they buy tickets, they're watching on TV. Y'all should be able to figure this out. Get this done."
The President's response is quite clear and certainly puts a spotlight on the issue at hand. The current labor dispute is between a group of millionaires (the players) and another group of billionaires (the owners) disputing over who should take a bigger share of the pie for the next few years. However, these millionaires and billionaires would be making none of the money if not for the investments that fans around the country make into the sport. The current work stoppage is nonsensical because it only hurts the sport and league more.
Hockey is not a dominant sport in the US like football, basketball, and baseball. The NHL saw growth in its last few years since the 2004-05 lockout, but that momentum could shift away if the fans decide they've had enough with two lockouts in less than 10 years and three in the last 20 years. Hockey is not the only sports market in the US and with the other markets growing and remaining stable, the instability and lack of compromise in the NHL could serious affect the league..
The NHL has let another deadline pass today as they refused to meet with the player's union. With this deadline passing, there is likely no chance that the NHL sees an 82 game season in 2012-13.