2012-13 NHL Season Preview: What Season?

This was the year, I tell you. The year that I would've picked the Sharks to win the Stanley Cup, Guaranteed. Oh, but there's a lockout instead. I was convinced this time despite the evidence that the Sharks choke every year in the postseason. You had me, San Jose, but there's a lockout. What a shame.

Hockey here in North America hasn't learned it's lesson, has it? The NHL and the NHLPA have gone into lockout mode (again) with both sides refusing to budge on the issues. Okay, the one issue really and that is shared revenue. The players get 57% of the total NHL revenue and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (insert your boos here) wants to make that number is closer to half and half and possibly under it. Suggestions like a more rigid salary caps, no signing bonuses or back loaded contracts are the goals of the league. The Players, obviously, want to keep as much as possible.

It pains me to see the sport go through another lockout here considering how bad it affected Hockey after the 04-05 lockout which came at the cost of that season. Now we are not missing any games yet but it just doesn't look any good to me or some of the players. Quite a few of them have either signed to play in another league or are talking about playing in another league. Alexander Ovechkin has commented on this whole thing saying "If the league (NHL) continues to insist on their (demands), then it will take a full year. That's because we are not going to cave in. Then I will spend the entire season in the KHL. It's an absolute reality."

Now I can be a bit glass half empty at times but I do expect the league to miss some games and possibly the entire season like in 04-05. To be honest, I'm not sure if the league can take another hit like they did 7 years ago and be able to compete with the other leagues. I might miss them but most of the country won't.

P.S. Canada will lose it's mind but what can you do considering that most of the teams by far are located in the U.S.

P.P.S. Expecting the Sharks to lose every postseason isn't pessimism, that's just fact. But here's some optimism: at least they can't lose now.