Adrian Dater's post on Colorado Avalanche | Latest updates on Sulia

People who say "the NHL/fans came back strong last time, so why won't this lockout be any different" forget that...

1. Even the most hard-core fans agreed the system was broken in 2004 and needed a good cleansing. It conditioned the fans to expect a long lockout better. 2. There was a brand new product on the ice when play came back last time. Shootouts were implemented. The red line was taken away. Puck-handling changes for goalies were made. Obstruction was cracked down upon. The game had a brand new, offensive feel so people were more prone to check it out. 3. Brand new stars entered the league - the biggest being Sidney Crosby. None of these factors are in place for whenever this lockout ends. This is why I believe the NHL is going to suffer a big drop in business even when it comes back, possibly long and last damage from fed-up fans who see this lockout for what it is - an unsavory greed-fest in which there are no winners.