The reputation of the NHL is already piss poor, the only thing that makes it worse is your beloved NHLPA leader stepping to the podium and announcing that the players should put up their middle finger and go play in Europe. Any momentum the NHL has in gaining most of these southern markets has been obliterrated. This is the work of Bob Goodenow. Maybe if the players didn't drive salaries through the roof, the game could be promoted properly with some finances thrown into marketing, the casual fan would pay attention more. When the playoffs were on the NHL had a lousy marketing scheme for it (actually they has no marketing scheme and of course since the players suck all the money out of the system, they couldn't actually afford to invest in one). Commercials on ESPN had boring workers at a plant which was a boring commerical which is ESPN's idea of marketing. Maybe some joint stuff with the NHL with some money behind it after things get reset. This is all a joke, and the sport won't get better until the players start taking the problems of the sport seriously. They are entrenched in a market economy nothing else. In reality, we're in this mess because Goodenow has done nothing but hurt the sport since he walked into the door. He was more concerned with sucking the well dry, and teetotalling to millionaire players that figure it is their god given right to be paid like other sports regardless of revenues. They ask for New York money regarless of what their city's market is for hockey.
To suggest that this disaster will be made up in a short time is dilusional at best. Their 54% of revenues now is likely as good as it will get because in a calendar year, they will get their linkage, except the pie will be much smaller. Maybe if some of these teams had some cash for marketing schemes, sane business partners in the players, exposure, just some competance by the Players Association , we wouldn't be in this mess, and the sport would be thriving. All of this has to do with player salaries, it has been an issue forever with players in all small markets giving up players they can't afford, and trying desparately to keep up with the Jones' of the NHL and be competitive by spending a little more than you have. And now we are on the verge of doing something not even baseball has done, and that is cancel an entire season. We all saw what happened to baseball and that is America's pasttime, they still haven't completely recovered and it's 10 years later. What happens to a sport in America that's not even one of the top 4 or 5 sports as it is? It goes down the toilet is the answer and will probably be as popular cricket is.
You can take whatever side you want in CBA neogeotiations, but the fact of the matter is we're in this mess because of Bob Goodenow. The owners have nothing to do with all the things I just mentioned that Bob Goodenow has done. Now if there is no season, you will see empty arenas. It's not because angry fans are boycotting the sport, it's because they could really care less. There were really only 3 markets doing any kind of good in the south, one is Los Angeles (they were always up and down), one is Tampa Bay (only because they won a Stanley Cup), and one is Dallas (won a Stanley Cup, but is also legitmatelly developing a viable hockey market, they have built about 25 new ice rinks, has good attendance rates and one of its hockey programs called the Texas Tornado has developed legit NHL prospects and sent them to division I hockey schools). The others are screwed because they are handcuffed by payroll that won't allow them to grow the game. Other than that you have Bob Goodenow trying to force market economies down the throats, when the league needs to make sure of the viability of all franchises. If hockey can't make it down south, why is there a CHL, UHL, and on and on, and they seem to make it work. Obviously these markets don't care because the payrolls of players not only make it impossible to market the game, but unaffordable for the average person to take their kids to a game. That is what grows the game, regardless of where you are. As far as the southern markets go, it would also help them to have some success, but with payroll dispairities it isn't like they have a shot at contention any time soon.
It's really quite simple. I call myself pro owner, because although I don't agree with a hard cap, I agree that having two sides as partners with a guaranteed stake in the game. You get your share and we get ours, and as the game grows, so does both shares. I understand why the players like Goodenow, he made you rich. But if the cost of your riches kills the league, it is bad for everyone.