Canada’s national past time took another blow on Sunday. The collective bargaining agreement that had been in effect since 2005 expired and the National Hockey League locked out its players.
The main disagreement between the league and the players is money and how revenue is divided between the players and owners.
“I haven’t paid much attention to it, but I think it’s a very unfortunate thing when it comes down to the number one thing; money,” said Drumheller Dragons head coach and general manager Brian Curran, who played in 12 seasons of the NHL.
“If you’re making $1.2 million or even $800,000, yeah that’s a lot of money, but relative to other sports it’s not. I’d say football and baseball are probably the biggest sports. In baseball, you’re talking salaries that are outrageous, but they have the numbers and the television rights. The NHL, although it’s considered one of the big four leagues, doesn’t carry as much of a television following.”
However, the lockout goes beyond how it affects the players and the team owners. Businesses rely on a steady stream of NHL action. In rural Alberta, none may feel it more than the bars and restaurants who regularly show hockey games to their patrons. Without hockey, bars will be moving on and showcasing other sports.
“We’re doing a big focus on football, NFL and CFL. We’re playing all the games in the bar and trying to stay positive. We’re incredibly disappointed to not have hockey, because it’s a huge draw for crowds and we’re all fans here too,” said Stacey Stewart, general manager of Drumheller Boston Pizza, who shows NHL hockey nearly every night. “I think bars across Alberta will feel a hit without hockey. With things like Hockey Day in Canada, every person in the bar is wearing a jersey.”
Mike Yavis, owner of Yavis Family Restaurant and Lounge estimates it will not have a severe impact.
“It probability is not going to majorly hurt our business, but it’s something we always have on. Now, we’ll have reruns of tennis or whatever on these sports stations. Baseball will fill in for awhile,” said Yavis. “In bars in Calgary I can see it hurting, it’s a social event and after the games the bars fill up.”
In the end, it may be the fans who suffer the most.
“The players are going to hurt, the fans are definitely going to hurt. Unfortunately it always comes down to the dollars,” said Curran.
“It seems like that’s the big topic in the lounge when I talk to guests. They’re complaining about the lockout and they don’t understand why Bettman isn’t fired. It’s the biggest conversation piece, that’s for sure,” said Stewart. “It might be a boring winter for Canada.”
“People are just mad with the NHL and the players. They need to get back to reality and what real people make for a living,” said Yavis.
In the meantime, there are still outlets in the area where hockey fans can get their fix.
“There’s a lot of hockey around,” said Rod Knelsen, Dragons co-owner and president. “There’s minor hockey, Junior B in Three Hills, Western Hockey not far away, and of course the Dragons.”