As the New York Post's Larry Brooks wisely suggests, this third "work stoppage" seems eerily reminscent of the previous pair in that the NHL is once again engaging in a collective bargaining strategy that effectively handcuffs the sport's ascendancy to true "major league" status by burning down the village in order to save its profit margins once every eight to ten years:

Other than the collateral damage the owners’ lockout will inflict on various groups of innocent third-party civilians who are dependent upon the NHL for income, the saddest aspect of this fiasco is the opportunity that has been forfeited by the league to break through the frozen ceiling under which it operates in the United States.

As represented by Gary Bettman in both word and deed, the NHL is exposed as a small-minded operation, one utterly lacking in creativity and ingenuity with a primary — if not sole — mission to generate as much profit as possible for its most well-heeled franchise owners.