Life Without NHL Hockey Isn't Good





It Seems Inevitable But The NHL
Can't Afford Another Lockout


So my 3yr old son loves hockey.  He loves everything about it.  He loves running around the basement when the Penguins score a goal.  He loves getting out his little sticks and sending slap shots into his mini nets.  He even loves watching Penguin highlights on YouTube whenever his Dad will let him.  The other day, upon request, he wanted to watch his favorite video clip "Sidney Crosby - Magic".  I've placed that video, and his second favorite "Evgeni Malkin - Coming Home" below.  Take a look at the talented young players this Pens team has.  Anyways, as I was watching these clips for the 1,000,000th time I realized something.  I realized that I am REALLY going to miss hockey if the season is delayed even for a day.  I love hockey, and have always loved hockey.  I loved playing it as a kid, and grew up watching the dominant Pens in the early 90s.  Mario Lemieux was my hero (along with Andy Van Slyke and Barry Foster). 

The fact that as fans we are potentially looking a the 3rd potential NHL work stoppage in the last 20 years is astounding...astoundingly horrible.  Think back to the days when ESPN would roll out the NHL carpet once a week with "Hockey Night in America".  Barry Melrose and Jon Buccigross would anchor down the coverage as they would pick the game of the week.  Who were we seeing this week?  Mario and Jagr ruling the Eastern Conference?  Wayne Gretzky out on the West coast with the Kings?  Mark Messier up in New York with the Rangers, Pavel Bure of the Canucks, Sergei Federov and Steven Yzerman of Detroit, or maybe Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic up in Colorado?  I could go on and on about the great players of that era.  Hockey was just as popular as baseball...then the work stoppage of '94-'95 came and the NHL's success came to a halt.  ESPN dropped the league and their TV contract, forcing them to be picked up by the Outdoor Life Network, which turned into Versus, which is now the NBC Sports Network.  It hasn't been a pretty decade for the NHL, but believe it or not it is gaining popularity again.  The young stars are coming out in bunches.  Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Kane, Toews, and even that dirt bag Giroux from Philly.  I could even expand on that list! 

I realize that there are 4 days left before the NHL drops the hammer and locks its players out again.  Most are speculating that if they are locked out it won't be an entire season lost, but I don't want to see any time lost.  I want training camps to open on the 21st as scheduled, and I want to see the Pens play some hockey!  I hate how the NBA shortened its season.  There were too many games in not alot of time, and the product suffered.  The same would happen with the NHL.  I know it is bound to happen that the Penguins and the other NHL teams are going to get locked out, but I just pray it isn't for long...for my son's sake!