In many ways doomsday finally arrived for the NHL at Midnight on September 15th as the owners and players were unable to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement. And with no agreement the league officially locked out it’s players for the second time in the past decade and for the fourth time in NHL history.
The two sides made one last ditch effort this past Wednesday with proposals being shot back and fourth before each and every one eventually was shot down. From there the lockout was inevitable as no new meetings were to take place before the weekend.
With training camps delayed and the locks on the doors the NHL will begin cancelling exhibition games which were to start September 19th. From there a delay in the start of the regular season could be next which is scheduled to start on October 11th.
But it isn’t just the players, owners and fans being affected by this lockout. In a report by the Boston Business Journal, businesses are set to suffer in Boston which could could ultimately be the same fate in other NHL cities in the United States and Canada.
“Roughly each [Bruins] home game is worth anywhere between $850,000 to $1 million,” said Pat Moscaritolo, CEO of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. “… Money that is generated outside the four walls of TD Garden. That means spending in the North End, North Station area, spending at restaurants and sports bars, sports paraphernalia, etc.”
Now fans and the businesses that rely on the crowds that attend NHL games can only hope that the two sides come to an agreement sooner rather than later to save most if not all of the NHL season.
h/t: Boston Business Journal
