If you’ve ever watched hockey, you may have heard the commentators mention the dreaded “lockout.” Even if you’re not that familiar with the game, you may know exactly what it is because it is such an integral part of hockey conversations.
But what is a lockout, and what does it mean for your favorite hockey team?
In Major League Baseball, a lockout is when the players and the owners can’t come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. During a lockout, games are canceled, and players aren’t allowed to join teams. For the NHL and the NHLPA, a lockout means that they can’t come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. This also means that players can’t join the NHL until the next collective bargaining agreement is settled. In the meantime, they have to play in a league where they aren’t paid very well or at all.
Table of Contents
A Need To Fill A Void
While the NHL and the NHLPA are involved in different negotiations, both sides share the desire to have a successful season. However, with no pre-approved terms, the void that needs to be filled is mainly focused on how many games the players will actually be able to play in the upcoming season. It’s not unusual for the owners to be against including players in any of the negotiations, especially when the players aren’t directly involved, but the owners still have to pay the bills. The NHL and the NHLPA have been in a lockout for 50 of the past 56 years. There have been no pre-approved terms since the 1978-79 season. Some argue that since the 2016-17 season ended with a partial “super-lockout” (thanks, Donald Trump), the void that needed to be filled is greater than ever before.
But the owners still have to pay the bills, and they wonder why the fans aren’t showing up. Fans want to see their teams play, especially during the regular season, but the owners are preventing that through a lockout. In an effort to save the season and to give the fans what they want, the players are willing to take a stand and risk the lockout to keep the puck moving and the games going on. While the owners are focused on making money, the players are more focused on having a good season and providing fans with something to cheer for.
The Impact On Players
Aside from the fans, the players are also affected by a lockout. If there is no approved collective bargaining agreement in place, the NHL will continue to operate under a provision called “emergency certification” that was implemented after the 2004-05 NHL lockout. As a result of that lockout, players were still allowed to be awarded the NHL pension plan, which is a form of deferred compensation; the NHLPA received a 50% stake in that plan back in 2008. A lockout also means that undrafted free agents can’t sign contracts with NHL teams, and the league can’t sign any new international players. Finally, it prevents professional players from joining a team in the same city for the start of the season. For more information on the potential effects of a lockout, check out this informative piece by Forbes’ Matthew Kokinos.
While a lockout is never fun, especially for the players, it doesn’t have to be this way. The NHL and the NHLPA could have easily reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement before the start of the season. But, according to Kokinos, the possibility of an agreement didn’t seem realistic because of “the acrimony that has characterized the talks and the numerous contentious issues that have prevented an agreement.”
The Impact On The Businesses Built On Hockey
In addition to the fans, players and the general population, many businesses are also affected by a lockout. Because of the massive market that hockey enjoys, many companies and brands rely on the sport for their marketing success. Some of the most notable ones to do this are Bauer Inc., CCM, and New Era.
But because of the lockout, these companies don’t get to enjoy the benefits of having an NHL team. Instead, they are forced to rely on the “luck” of the draw to get their products in front of the right audience – all while the league and the NHLPA fight over the terms and the money. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), many businesses have laid off their sports marketers because they don’t have any marketing campaigns to run due to the lockout. The business ramifications of a lockout are clear — it hurts.
A Need To Fill A Void In The Media
One of the biggest effects of a lockout is on the media. Due to the sport’s popularity, journalists and bloggers try to cover as much hockey as they can within their means. However, because there isn’t a ton of new news to write about due to the lockout, many writers have turned to traditional journalism and looked for scoops. Due to the access that they get to NHL players because of their affiliation with the sport, freelancers can get amazing stories that the general public doesn’t usually get to see.
Overall Impression
In the end, a lockout is never good for anyone. The fans don’t get to see their teams play, the players don’t get to showcase their talent, and the media don’t get to write about the sport they love. However, due to the nature of the sport and the business of sports, a lockout is something that happens all the time and is almost inevitable.