It’s not all roses in NHL garden

Phew! After a nine-month campaign and a post-season full of upsets and surprises, Lord Stanley’s hallowed silver chalice has finally been claimed. The Boston Bruins’ triumph in Game 7 of the playoff’s final series brings the curtain down on the 2010-11 season.
But as team officials and administrators look ahead, they will surely be casting a glance at the dark clouds that hang over the National Hockey League. The major areas of concerns are, for lack of a better description, checks and cheques.
In the first instance, despite a memorable year that included another Winter Classic outdoor game and gripping playoff action, this season will also be remembered for the scary head trauma that has afflicted so many players. The league’s marquee name, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was sidelined after back-to-back shots to the head; his return to the game is uncertain. Equally notable was the check by Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara on Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty that sent the latter hurling into the padded stanchion and crashing face-first to the ice. Pacioretty sustained a severe concussion and damaged vertebrae; like Crosby his health remains dicey.
Along with the head injuries — and there have been plenty more besides the Crosby and Pacioretty incidents — the other pressing issue is the overall financial health of the league. We have already seen one franchise pull up stakes and leave for greener (or is that snowier?) pastures in Winnipeg. But concern looms over the Phoenix Coyotes and several other southern U.S. franchises, who are having a difficult time maintaining a viable operation.
That’s ironic because the league has seen gross income nearly double since that bitter lockout of 2004-05. Yet, we hear whispers that another lockout might come, precisely because the business model rewards the high revenue-earners (the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers, for example) while leaving those at the bottom with a wage bill they can’t meet (courtesy of the cap floor, which mandates that each team must spend a minimum amount on players’ salaries).
Those who are not sports fans will gripe that too much attention is paid to the NHL. Taxes, the cost of foreign military intervention, and ongoing labour issues at Air Canada and Canada Post have more of an impact on the daily lives of Canadians than a game played by millionaires. Such sentiment is valid, but we know how passionate Canadians are about the game and the concern they have with the health of the league that is the pinnacle of every boy’s dream. The speed and technical ability on display at the NHL level inspires devotion in Canadians, but from a fan’s and player’s perspective, the business is on less than stable ground and needs to face up to its myriad challenges.