There’s an extremely good chance that you’ve already heard the news. The NHL and NHLPA have reached a tentative agreement that would end the lockout. We may have gone 9 months without Lightning hockey, but that’s coming to a close. Our boys are coming back and games will get going very soon.

It’s been an extremely tumultuous 2013 for NHL fans so far. From no talks to talks that seemed to reach an impasse to today’s jubilant reactions. What better to illustrate the fan’s experience than through internet memes?

» Continue reading “An NHL Fan’s Emotions As Told With Internet Memes”

Ah, Festivus. It’s a celebration that has come to mean a lot of different things to people. It’s a chance to get away from the rampant commercialism of traditional winter holidays and take pleasure in the simple joy of telling people how they’ve disappointed you in the last year.  This should tell you all you need to know if you’re unfamiliar with today’s holiday.

One of the key components of any Festivus celebration is the “Airing of Grievances”. This traditionally takes place after Festivus dinner, but we’re making an exception this year. You see, NHL fans have had a lot to be pissed off about lately and this is catharsis is exactly what we need before 2012 comes to a close.

I got a lot of problems with you people! And now, you’re gonna hear about it!

» Continue reading “A Festivus For The Rest Of Us”

Photo by Alexis Boucher

As a fan of the NHL, it’s difficult to know what to say today. If you happened to miss it, the NHLPA submitted a proposal yesterday which was quickly rejected by the league. What followed was a series of bizarre press conferences from Don Fehr & Gary Bettman. Fehr stated the sides were close to an agreement. Bettman said this wasn’t true. A number of the items on the negotiating table, like the “make whole” provision had been pulled back by the league. No future meetings have been scheduled. The drop dead date for this season is looming out there in January. Where exactly do we go from here?

» Continue reading “The Lockout Diaries: Don’t Stop Believing”

Tampa Bay Times Forum & Esposito’s New Statue Photo by Linda Hamilton

It’s been a week of highs and lows when it comes to the NHL. First the league presents a proposal, the NHLPA responds with three of their own, and all are unceremoniously turned down. On the heels of this gut punch, the league has announced that all games have now been cancelled through November 1st.

What does this mean for the Lightning? Four more games have been axed. Road games against the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks are gone. They also lose a home game in which they would have hosted the Winnipeg Jets.

On a completely unrelated note, here’s Teddy Purcell in a PSA.

» Continue reading “Lightning Lose 4 More Games To The Lockout”

Mike Commodore Photo by Jason Haas

During the NHL lockout of 2004, social media as we know it was in its infancy. Facebook had just been founded and Twitter was years away from being born. In order to get the players’ opinions on the negotiations, fans were left with sports publications or NHLPA statements.  Given how much time hockey players now have on their hands, that may have been a blessing.

Sure, there have been some signings in Europe but no giant exodus has started yet. A lot of guys seem to be sticking close to their respective cities and skating with their teammates. This is pretty much business as usual for them in mid-September, albeit on their own dime post CBA expiration. What’s different is how much activity has been going on on Twitter in particular.

» Continue reading “Bolts On Twitter Offer Lockout Insight & It’s Terrifying”

’04-’05 on the Stanley Cup Photo by Linda Hamilton

Something weird has been happening this summer. Excitement is rippling through the hockey fans I know, especially since the 2012-2013 schedule was announced. People are planning road trips and circling must see games on the calendar.  I just don’t have it in me to celebrate, and regularly have to chime in with “if there IS a next season”. Apparently this makes me a Debbie Downer.

The problem I have with being painted that way is that there is a very real possibility that there won’t be an NHL season in the fall. It could be wiped out due to collective bargaining negotiations. Others have dissected the technical aspects of how the new CBA stuff could go down, but that’s not really the point. I’ve seen a lockout. I watched it take away my team’s legit chance at defending their Stanley Cup and I am still insanely bitter about it.

It’s happened before and it could happen again. I’m happy you’re happy about imagined hockey adventures you’ll be having, but be realistic about the situation our game is in. The landscape has changed a lot since 2004. The league has experienced a pretty huge amount of growth and profitability. They can’t exactly go into negotiations and cry foul about many issues that were on the table back then.  The NHLPA is willing to play the season while negotiations go on, but it’s highly doubtful that ownership is going to be that willing to play ball… er, puck.

The last NHL Lockout lasted 310 days. From September 16th of 2004 until July 22nd of 2005 not a single game was played. It was the first time that the Stanley Cup was not awarded since the influenza epidemic of 1919 caused the cancellation of the Cup Finals. The last work stoppage is too fresh in my memory to believe that it won’t happen again this time. I’m not reminding others of this fact to dampen their spirits but rather to prepare them.

2004-05′s season that didn’t happen broke my heart. I just don’t want my fellow fans to feel that pain if history repeats itself.