I think you'll be getting your wish, JR. Get used to 4,000-5,000 attendance figures, even in Philly. You'll see an initial surge and then it will fall off a precipice.
I don't blame players' greed per se, I blame the sport as a whole for: overexpanding into markets that don't care, overpaying on unsustainable revenue, interconference games that mean little or nothing to the fans, and ticket prices that mean younger fans or large families can never reasonably afford to attend games and build interest for the next generation.
When the NHL folds or dramatically contracts, in spite of this new agreement, remember all of the above.
I can't wait to see the attendance for the next Columbus vs. Atlanta game. I hope it's nationally televised.
In the early 90's I ended a 40+ yr. love affair with the game, so don't worry JR, I won't be back.
I don't know if it'll be nationally televised, but if it's in Columbus, it will be well-attended. Columbus has better attendance than some Original Six teams. Expansion is not the problem. Do your homework before you spout off.
The NHL's troubles can be traced directly to the owners, from offering contracts they can't afford to hiring a basketball lackey to run the league. Bill Wirtz is their posetr boy in Chicago, where "fans" openly hate their own team. Player egos are just fuel for the already-blazing fire of idiocy that is NHL ownership.