On September 15, 2012, the Boston Bruins and 29 other teams of the NHL went into a lockout. The team owners and players could simply not agree on the terms of their contracts. You would think it wouldn’t be that complex, considering terms are agreed on every single season. Now, some people are blaming the players, arguing that they should be happy with the millions of dollars they make every year. Others blame the owners, pointing out that they are insatiable for money and will never be content. But really, it is irrelevant who is at fault. What matters is that the lockout does nothing but negatively affect all people who are involved in hockey.

First of all, the lockout is costing millions of dollars. Since nobody will be purchasing tickets to view a hockey game until the lockout is through, the amount of lost cash will really damage the NHL. There could also be the issue of potentially lost fans who feel that the teams let them down. Not to mention team merchandize, which I doubt anyone will want to buy right now. Also, obviously the players, coaches, and owners are all losing money too. Since the players aren’t practicing or playing at the moment, they are regressing in their skills. The teams could also lose players who decide to draft to an overseas league. Of the Boston Bruins, Tuukka Rask and Tyler Seguin have both signed with an overseas team. On an online poll, 76.5% of people said the lockout will hurt, rather than help, the Bruins.

The people who are going to be most affected by the lockout are the workers who depend on the teams such as the Bruins for their salaries. Concessions stand workers, security guards, referees, and even zamboni drivers are all out of work and pay. If you worked in an office, and your colleague couldn’t agree with your boss, would you think it would be fair for you to lose your job? No, because you had absolutely nothing to do with the matter. This is how the workers are feeling. Eric Lampedecchio, a stand attendant at the Bruins TD Garden says, “Not to be selfish, but it isn’t the fans who suffer the most, it’s the workers who depend on it for income. And it’s not just the Garden workers, but the people who work across the street at the bars, writers, TV freelancers, you name it.” Lampedecchio also talked about the previous lockout saying, “You can only imagine how tough a time it was.”

Jaci Donahe, a waitress at the Sports Grill, located around the corner from the TD Garden, says the restaurant will be really affected by the lockout. She says, “On a regular day, the staff might be lucky to ring in $1,000 to $2,000 in sales. On a game night, that number could hit or surpass $10,000.” The only solution is to stop the lockout. Many people agree that the 50/50 revenue split is the best option. The owners and players need to stop proposing new deals. All they need to do is agree that each party will get half the revenue. The lockout is nothing but bad. They need to stop the lockout, start the season, and start making money. It is not worth it for anyone for the lockout to continue.

So basically, a discrepancy between owners and players has caused thousands of people grief. Not only does the lockout affect the NHL but also all the fans, people who work at arenas such as the TD Garden, reporters, writers, and more. None of these people deserve to be upset merely because the players and owners are being stubborn. All the people involved share one thing in common: they love hockey. Once the owners and players can stop being selfish and stop the lockout, everyone will be satisfied and the world of hockey can resume.

Works Cited
“Boston Bruins.” Bleacher Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1347707-how-the-nhl-lockout-will-impact-the-boston-bruins-young-crop-of-stars.>
Connolly, Jesse. “From NEHJ: Closed for Business.” New England Hockey Journal. N.p., 7 Oct. 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://hockeyjournal.com/news/bruins/2011-12/From_NEHJ-_Closed_for_business>.
“NHL Lockout 2012: It’s Not AboutA Blame.” SBNation.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2012/9/3325818/nhl-lockout-2012-blame-players-owners>.
“Sports.” TribLIVE.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/2802942-85/nhl-deal-union-revenue-labor-oct-agreement-penguins-owners-season>.