Nobody, but nobody, wants to see the hockey world shut down. Because it sucks very much to have to do that. There are hundreds of thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on there being games played, from the kid who’s picking up extra pocket money refereeing minor hockey to the arena beer vendor to the guys who work at The Hockey News. It’s awful. On Thursday nights, I used to go play hockey and then drink beer with my teammates. Now, I skip the hockey and go straight to the beer drinking. It’s not near as much fun. It’s screwing with our mental health, not to mention our physical well-being. Hockey gives us a reason to get up and move. It brings us together and it provides us with endless fodder for conversation, which enriches relationships.

But doesn’t it just feel like it’s getting to the point where all the gymnastics and rescheduling and uncertainty and risk just aren’t worth it? It’s certainly getting to that point for me.

-Ken Campbell of The Hockey News. Campbell has more on this topic.