It is also a way to show that you don't mind watching a game full of crappy talent. No thanks, I don't want to misrepresent what I want. What I want is to see the best players in the world play the sport I love. I want to see my favorite team take part of that. I saw it last season, and I didn't this year.
I always said I didn't want a salary cap or luxury tax at the sake of an entire season, and I still stand by it. Frankly, I don't care either way anymore, now that the season is long dead. I'd like to see something done in time for their to be a draft, and I don't care what it is.
But this attitude of the NHL as saints and the players sinners is pretty ridiculous. It is clear the NHL wasn't willing to do what was needed to get a deal done. They are set on winning every major point they've had since day one. They were never willing to get some of what they wanted now and build on that with the next CBA.
I still don't see the NHL as having any major problem with fair competition. There is such a thing as having too much even competition from season to season, where a team can be built in one or two season through free agency. The NFL comes
close to approaching this, but as is I don't mind their system.
I do agree there are problems economically, though who knows how much of that a cap would fix. You'd think the NHL would support some form of revenue sharing to cure economic problems within individual teams.
People don't not watch hockey because they don't think the teams have a fair shot at being competitive. They don't watch hockey because they don't like it. Rule changes won't fix this (check AHL goal stats this season compared to last). Neither will a cap. Grassroots efforts are the only way to turn kids into hockey fans, who will go out and bear hockey-fan children.
Either that or the NHL could have ads with the Black-eyed Peas singing a dumb song about the NHL playoffs.