The NHL lockout has been going on for over two weeks now and there is no end in sight. The whole pre-season was cancelled and the first official matches, scheduled to begin October 11, are not going to take place either. It looks now that at least the first two weeks of the season will be cancelled but there is some hope of further talks later this week.
The lockout has already cost the teams losses of over $100 million, but neither the players nor the owners seem likely to budge. While the millionaires fight the billionaires over pay cuts, it is the fans who are the real losers in this battle. Instead of placing NHL odds on the results of the first games the bets are on when the season will finally start. Meanwhile, the fans are offered East-European hockey league on TV, but that is not going a long way to console a die-hard NHL fan.
But like in every fight, someone is always likely to win - this time it is the European hockey fans that are enjoying the temporary posts some big NHL stars have taken in various European leagues. Jason Demers (SJS) is entertaining fans in Oulu, Finland, while Jamie Benn (DS) can be spotted playing for a German team Hamburg Freezers. So, it seems that the only way for NHL fans to see their stars in action in the foreseeable future is to book a flight to Europe and have a nice long vacation enjoying historical sights and some top hockey.
