Last summer, the NFL and NBA put their fans through the wringer, as both leagues locked out their players for several months. Though the only NFL casualty was one preseason game, the NBA missed two months' worth of games, much to the displeasure of many fans.
Now, NHL fans may be next in line to feel the sting of missed games if the NHL owners and NHLPA can't come to a deal ahead of the Sept. 15 deadline. Hockey fans are no stranger to work stoppages, of course, as the NHL cancelled the entire 2004-05 season in order to get a better deal from the players.
At the end of the day, both the owners and players will end up with plenty of money, even if a few games are lost along the way. But when a league fights with its players, the biggest victims are the fans.
