The 2004-2005 NHL lockout was a lockout that resulted in the cancellation of what would have been the NHL’s 88th season. It was the first time since 1919 that the Stanley Cup was not awarded in a season. This was the first lockout that canceled an entire season due to labor disputes in major professional sports American history. This lockout is similar to what the NFL is going through now. In the 2002-03 NHL season the NHL owners lost $273 million dollars due to player salaries. NHL owners spent about 76 percent of their gross revenues on players’ salaries.
I feel when a league goes through situations like lockouts it affects the way the fans look at the game. Me being a NFL and NBA fan if either league decided to go into a lockout it is going to sway my judgment on spending $90 for a ticket. Many experts say that the NHL lockout hurt the sports popularity in the United States. According to Couch, “I don’t think the sport has ever recovered from that, ” said Boland. “While the sport has made the revenue back, I would argue it’s a regional sport."
The only point that these owners have is that the players are making larger salaries than they should be making. I feel that a slight rollback on the player’s salaries is needed, but only a slight rollback, nothing over 20 percent. Another solution to these labors disputes could be having the minimum salary for rookies to be lowered. If an owner is spending millions on a rookie contract this doesn’t allow him to have the flexibility to compensate the veterans of the team.
I feel the NHL handled the lockout in a good manner, and by doing this it helped their league in the long run. The league was able to make some rule changes and present the league as if it was a new sport. The rule changes made the sport faster and higher in scoring, and fans rushed to the arenas to support their favorite sport. Another positive that came out of the lockout is that the NHL was able to sign a lucrative broadcast agreement with a major television network. Overall, I think other leagues can learn from the NHL and try and turn their crises into a good situation.
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