What Happened To Patriotic Dedication Hockey? NHL Lost A Fan

In the last couple of months, hearing about NHL Having a lockout, cancelling pre-season games, cancelling a lot of practices and hearing the owners and a lot of the players wanting more and more money seems to be the trend setter these days with a lot of greed going around. Not just the NHL But everything else. Okay, I understand the NHL (National Hockey League) needs money and everything and it takes money to get far, but this greed has got to stop, and this childish behavior of he said she said, needs to stop. What happened to patriotic hockey? What happened to the dedication and love for the game? Yes some Players are passionate about the game, but greed ruins everything. Your just getting millions of dollars just passing around a puck on the ice for 82-84 games throughout the season, whereas people who work their butts off in real society and reality get minimum wage or low pay. Is that really fair? To go to hockey games in the arenas it costs an arm and a leg to attend the games. Make it cheaper for the fans, and easy accessibility for low income families who are fans of the game, but cannot go to a game because the money is tight. Gary Bettman and the league should open up their eyes. I know a lot of people who have stopped being an NHL Fan because of all this behavior.

Where is the integrity? Where is the passion? I guess that was back in the early years up to the 90’s and then it was all down hill from there. I used to be a real hockey fan, and I never missed a game, I used to go to so many card shows, I never missed an opportunity to see players at different venues across the city, and I used to be a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens clubs, and used to collect a lot of memorabilia, sports cards and everything, but now, its lost its value and I don’t think I can be a fan to greedy people anymore, and I don’t want to be sitting down watching a Hockey game and seeing a bunch of owners and players only playing for money anymore and not for the love of the game. That is how I am feeling that money is overpowering everything and it is not such a good thing anymore. I can surely tell how hockey was played before and how hockey is being played now. More fighting, more penalties, and its a form of he said she said type of thing. I can tell how the old timers of hockey really enjoyed the game, but now not so much anymore. If NHL wants to keep their fans, then its time to smarten up, take initiative to keep costs to go watch the game low and listen to the fans and their expectations. Without the fans, NHL will not exist, and without NHL Fans, all of you would be out of a job. So in order to keep fans happy, listen to them, be on the fans side, don’t break their heart, and leave childish and greedy behavior.

This year, the lockout will hurt all the fans, but even if the lockout does happen or does not happen, I choose to no longer follow hockey and be part of hockey pools anymore. I’ve lost my flame. I hope they make smart decisions from now on. If they decrease ticket prices and food prices at the games, they will make more money and more revenue, but they think the more they increase it, the better it will be for them, but on the contrary. People with seasons tickets, people who have that love for the game, whats going to happen to their feelings? Whats going transpire? Greed just takes away all the fun and all the patriotic feelings away of the game. Money comes and goes, but the fans are the true essence of hockey, without them NHL Is nothing, sorry but that is the honest truth, sorry I still stand with my decision. I am an NHL Fan no longer, until I feel the dedication, patriotism and love for the game, I won’t be either of that to the league. Open up your eyes owners and smell the coffee.
Thanks.

Do You Like NHL Hockey? My Team Is The Montreal Canadiens!

I have been an NHL Hockey fan for quite sometime now since I was a kid. I remember going to so many card shows, hockey games and meeting players too. It was awesome. Years ago back in 1997, I had met Mats Sundin, Wendal Clark, Todd Warriner, and Tie Domi at Canada’s Wonderland in North of Toronto when they came for a Leafs fan day in September, 1997. Now as the years went by, I had met Mats Sundin again and as well as Tie Domi and have pictures with them and I have autographs from them too. They were all part of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now in 2003 I became a huge Montreal Canadiens Fan, and I went to a couple of Montreal Canadiens games and they have been super fun. I remember getting into the Bell Center / Centre Bell and the energy coming from that stadium was unlike anything I had ever seen before. More than the Air Canada Centre in Toronto when I went there for a couple of games. The Montreal Canadiens are my favourite team now for the past 8-9 years now. I love them so much because of the sole reason because I love the City Montreal and Laval a lot too. So it goes hand in hand. I am so happy to have had these hockey experiences. I want to go to a couple of Montreal Toronto games. Which in fact they played last night and won 4-1 Montreal over Toronto which I was jumping for joy. I didn’t watch it, but I saw the news in my e-mail updates I receive from Montreal Canadien’s Site. They call Montreal Canadiens the Habs… GO HABS GO!