Sorry NHL, All Not Forgotten

This shortened NHL season is quickly coming to an end with about 20 games left at this point. The season was shortened some of you may recall due to the lockout and subsequent butting of rich guy heads. On the one side you had the owners who are mega rich and the other side the players who aren't all equally rich but certainly well paid.

Left out in the cold were the fans. People like you and me who shell out our hard earned cash to attend games and buy merchandise of our favourite teams. My team being the Montreal Canadiens of course.

I won't sit here and pretend I'm still all bitter and refuse to watch the games because that just isn't the case and I'm sure for the majority the anger over the lockout has subsided. Sure I've let go of the resentment I had towards these wealthy individuals who made a mockery of the world greatest game. I'm no longer angry at those people. I'm angry at myself for just accepting it and moving on as if nothing happened.

We were denied one of our winter passions for far too long and in the end we the fans got nothing once the game returned. Oh sure, we got to see our boys back on the ice hitting, fighting and scoring but while the owners and players reaped the rewards of an extended summer break and a new deal, the fans saw nothing significant as a gesture to say sorry.

In all honesty, what could they have done? What grand gesture would have smoothed things over with the NHL fan base and appeased the masses enough to forgive and forget? Probably nothing and the NHL knew that. They also knew the fans would come back. Well, they came back in the arenas where they always show up. The non-hockey market teams continue to see more empty seats than filled.

Carey Price & PK Subban celebrate another win.

This fan is glad the NHL is back but I haven't forgotten their selfishness and disrespect for the people whom without their support, these players and some owners wouldn't have their wealth or comfortable living. I still tune in every game to watch my Habs in action and luckily this season so far Montreal is having a good showing sitting in first place in the East Conference. But one thing I haven't done this season is buy tickets to games, subscribe to the Center Ice package or purchase NHL team merchandise like I have in the past. I refuse to spend any of my small income on anything that will directly fund the owners, players or league.

I realize my one small gesture won't make a difference on the bottom line of these greedy owners but if I just continued on as I have in the past, then I'd just be giving them a free pass as if nothing had ever happened and I couldn't live with that. There has to be consequences with someone wrongs you and no matter how small the gesture, it helps me to justify continuing to enjoy the game I've loved my entire life.