On what would've been the opening day of the NHL season, U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran said, "Mayors understand this is about more than hockey. This is about our small business owners: restaurateurs, hotel managers, concession workers and people in our cities that need the NHL to make ends meet. Local businesses and their employees depend on NHL seasons and cannot survive without the thousands of customers NHL games drive to their districts every autumn and winter. In this tough economic time when our constituents are already financially stretched, another cancelled season could spell disaster for the average middle-class worker. We encourage all parties to work together to find a speedy resolution."