Yeah, the NHL is a mess, but maybe the AHL will replace it. Here in Connecticut we have two good AHL teams in Hartford and Bridgeport - let the NHL go, the AHL games are just as enjoyable to watch and actually affordable for a family.
I have had some AAA hockey league experience as a devotee of the short-lived San Francisco Spiders. I can't afford good seats at a Sharks game, but got decent seats at the antiquated Cow Palace for the Spiders. The team sucked for the first month, but caught fire after a trade, and ended up winning more games in their first (and only) season than the Sharks won in their first two.
IHL hockey wasn't NHL hockey by any means. But after being forced to watch college and amateur puck on cable, a downgrade to the AHL may not matter.