from Sean Gordon and David Ebner of the Globe and Mail,

As the NHL lockout lurches toward the point of no return, warnings are multiplying that the parties are trifling with something very breakable: fan attachment to the game.

Several polls conducted in the past 10 days have found mounting pessimism and indifference among fans, a Toronto corporate branding consultancy discovered the bond between the NHL and Canadian hockey fans may be stretching past the breaking point.

On Tuesday Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a puck historian of some repute, bemoaned the fact the escalating ill will could “imperil a season and a great national sport” in a French-language interview with TVA. He also called the labour disruption a “great danger” for the NHL.

So why isn’t there more urgency from the league and the NHL Players’ Association to sort this thing out?

It’s safe to say some combination of recent history and a dearth of evidence is at work.

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