When the NHL Lockout started the fans kind of had a feeling that it was inevitable, and they just had to hope that it would not last long. As month after month passed, fans started to get more and more aggravated with the NHL and it’s work stoppage. There was some talk that hockey could not survive another lockout. If we went another whole season without hockey, it was going to be hard to keep fans around. Then as talks were supposedly getting closer and closer to a deal you could feel the excitement from the fans. But time after time they would seem to get close then hit a wall and talks would fall apart.
As the lockout grew longer and the chances of the NHL playing this year grew slimmer, the owners and the players’ association knew they had to get a deal done as soon as possible. So on January 6th they reached a tentative agreement and that meant that professional hockey was back. That deal was finalized on January 12th, where the players voted unanimously to accept the deal, and training camps opened the following day on the 13th.
Owners and players have to curious to see how the fans will react when the season kicks off on Saturday. There’s a chance that some of the fair-weather fans just gave up on the game and won’t pay attention, and could care less. They are hoping that the popularity of the sport will be at the same level it was before the lockout began. The timing of the lockout wasn’t too good for the game, as the sport was starting to grow and become more and more popular in the states. A sign of the growing popularity is the United States Junior team winning the World Junior Championship by defeating Canada in the semifinals, and then taking down Sweden in the finals to win gold. So hockey cities around the country have to be on edge to see how attendance and TV ratings will be for these games.
I know one thing for sure though; here in Pittsburgh there will be no change in how us Yinzers feel about our Penguins. The Penguins had a scrimmage on Wednesday night that was open to the public. The scrimmage was just one of a few practices this week that were open to the public. Coach Bylsma wanted the practice to be played just like a real game, so there was three periods, with normal intermissions. After Team White played Team Black for those 60 minutes, there was a 5 minute overtime, and then a shootout. Yes it was just a practice but it was hockey; something that the people of Pittsburgh have been missing for almost 3 months.
The fans showed their dedication to the game of hockey and their hometown team by lining up to get the best seats once those doors opened to Consol Energy Center. I heard that some people were waiting outside at 10 in the morning just to be the first ones in the building. I went down there at 4 and there was a line from the Trib Total Media gate all the way down to 5th Avenue. There got to be so many people waiting outside that they had to start opening other gates. Luckily my friends got there before me and were pretty far up in the line at the Verizon Gate. We found our seats right at center ice about 25 rows from the playing surface. As I was sitting there I started to watch more and more people pour in and fill up the stadium. The lower level started to fill quickly and then as soon as that happened the top level of Consol started to get packed. Shockingly to me once the top level filled, the Penguins opened up the suites for fans to go in and enjoy the game.
The lockout might have turned some of the fans away from the game, but I don’t believe that to be the case here in Pittsburgh. The Consol Energy center had to have been standing room only for a scrimmage in which the Pens played themselves. There was plenty of passion inside that arena with fans going nuts when a popular player came on the scoreboard, or the sea of boos that came about when a Flyer highlight was shown. It was clear to see that t he fans still have plenty of passion for the game, and can’t wait for that puck to drop Saturday at 3 when the Penguins face their cross-state rivals; who after all this Penguin fans still hate.
