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The Fan’s do have a voice: Project: Unfollow Hockey The NHLPA, NHL, Lockout, Escrow, Hockey Related Revenues, KHL, Cancelled Pre Season, Core Economic Issues, Non-Core Economic issues, Collective Bargaining agreement, Players, Owners, fans, 50/50 split, 57/43 split, talks resume, talks cancelled, meaningful proposal, we care about the fans, it’s the fans fault, we just want to play hockey, we just want there to be hockey, 3.3 billion, revenue, growth, small market teams, large market teams, and the FANS CANNOT DO ANYTHING. I believe that statement is wrong. The fans can and should be heard. There is something small and easy we can do to make our voice heard or limit the voice of the NHL and the players. I will get to this shortly. We the fans love this game, we are passionate about it, we eat, sleep and breathe it, and we support it with our hard earned dollars. It is a funny thing being a fan, or more appropriately, a fanatic. We are so emotionally invested in the performance of teams and players that we rarely have any true connection with. It just helps us to believe that besides playing for the love of the game (and making more money in one year at league minimum than most fans will make in a lifetime) that they appreciate us and our devotion. What really bothers me about this lockout is that once the puck finally drops whether it be at the beginning of a shortened season or next season, I will go right back. I also know I won’t be going back alone. We just love this sport too much. It is part of our upbringing, culture and lives. Sure some fridge fans will leave and the small market teams will definitely be hurting but the big market teams and most teams in Canada will be fine as soon as the season begins. Our inevitable return makes me angry but I know it will happen and you know it will too. Why do they get to know we are coming when they need us but they don’t come when we need hockey? You feel helpless because we are allowing the league to continually have labour disputes because we just love the sport too much. It’s a fantastic sport that has never been better we love it too much not to go back to it. Being a hockey fan is a way of life. Social Media has been booming since the last lockout and has revolutionized the business. Players and teams have Facebook and Twitter accounts and as a result fans have never felt so close to their favorite team or players. It gives insight to the life of an NHL player and their team and organization as a whole. It gives you something fun to read each and every day. The most amazing part is we can actually communicate with our heroes. If you have not realized where I am headed, my simple solution for the fans to stop following NHL players and teams. It may seem like nothing but each follower has a value associated with them. Just like we are all dollar signs to the NHL and NHLPA. Just like any business there is a cost per interaction and a cost linked to how many followers you have. It helps drive sales, gets fans into the seats, and promotes hockey merchandise that a player has a stake in. It has taken these teams and players years to get to the level of followers they currently have so if we all decide to un-follow, unlink or insert any relevant social media term here we can actually make a difference. We can show them that the fans have a voice and that the fans are fed up with the NHL/NHLPA. Trust me they do care about how many followers they have. Do we really need to follow the players on twitter during a lockout? I am sorry but the stuff they are posting shows that we do not need to feel sorry for them and they seem to be enjoying their time off. They are not being hurt by this lockout they are going to Vegas, Chicago for Ryder Cup, playing golf, and having an all-around good time. Fans do not want to see what you do on your free time when they work 9-5 jobs that pay very little and are not enjoyable and fulfilling they want to see you play hockey because yes you are exceptionally talented and deserve the money you make in the NHL but you should be playing in the NHL not Europe. What does that show? You don’t care about taking someone else’s job that makes pennies compared to you? These players who are losing jobs need to support a family. What about people’s businesses and livelihoods that rely on the NHL? Bar and restaurant owners will have empty seats and they will require less staff, removing jobs from our fragile economy and money from the pockets of people who actually need to make more money. Team twitter accounts are where there is a real dollar figure associated with followers. Promotions can reach a huge audience in seconds. Companies can get you in their CRM (definition?) database with one small promotion. There is tremendous value to an organizations follows and if we reduce that number substantially they will notice. The big business owners will take notice when their social media groups are losing fans left right and center. We do not want to hear from our favourite teams unless there is a season! Sure we may all go back and follow players and teams as soon as a CBA is agreed upon, but we can show the league that the fans have a voice and they want to be heard. This is not the previous lockout this is a lockout in 2012 where FANS DO HAVE A VOICE! THE FANS ARE SICK OF THE LABOUR DISPUTES! THIS IS THE FAULT OF BOTH THE OWNERS AND PLAYERS. WE DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR PR MOVES! JOIN THE PROJECT AND UNFOLLOW NHL PLAYERS AND TEAMS! Twitter-@Unfollowhockey Email-unfollowhockey@hotmail.com

Yup, lets start cancelling the regular season games. Both sides meet for two hours and they got to the point where they "agree to disagree". I guess it is hard to split a $3.3 billion dollar pot. I would like to thank both sides for refusing to compromise in this situation. I would also like to thank both sides for making my decision to not purchase tickets to attend anymore NHL games an easy one. I am pretty pissed. The rampant greed of the NHL and NHLPA have killed the NHL brand as a whole. I hope they stay locked out for many years to come. I will watch KHL and AHL hockey for now. Yes, I will enjoy the games more than the greedy NHL fools that run or play in that league. Fehr and Bettman can both jump off a very tall building.

Just wait until playoffs, Thornton will suck.

Every time Mark Mowers stepped on the ice, it was a strange moment.

I thought this was a neat little story from the Wings 97 Cup run. I actually remember this game and a play that was made after Fedorov came back into the game where he skated down the ice and beat Foote to an icing call and then tried to move the puck towards the net and drew a penalty. I remember the crowd going nuts because it was such an electric play. I never knew the injury he came back from was that bad though. http://www.freep.com/article/20120930/SPORTS05/309300242/Dr-John-Finley-The-former-Red-Wings-healer-of-Hockeytown

Just another "soft euro". A Canadian player would have done it himself with a drill. Just ask Don Cherry. It's cool, I have that very same litho of the Russian Five, it's autographed by all 5 guys along the bottom. Never knew this even happened and doubt it would in another sport. I would like to send this book to Cherry and highlight this portion.

Wow, they met a whole two hours? They must be exhausted. I think what Daly means by compromise is "agree to our ridiculous demands." Again, it looks like the union should have used removal of the salary cap as a starting point so they could "compromise" to where they're at now, which is a reasonable place from which to negotiate. It's a waiting game to see who breaks first. Start canceling the regular season.

I've stopped buying NHL merch. VOTE WITH YOUR WALLET.

There is no way we will ever know. Point is that the lack of urgency on one side does not excuse the behavior or attitude. I believe that negotiating early would not have hurt. I agree. They should just get a mother to come in and split everything evenly for them. A professional mother negotiator.

I already unfollowed NHL, NHLPA, and all players. I understand where you are coming from and I already went down the road you suggested when the lockout started. None of these people deserve your support at this stage.

I like where your heads at, but there is no way I am unfollowing any of them. I like to hear what's going on and unfollowing all the players, agents, and gm's would do me no good.

Konstantinov. God, I wish he could've played a full career..