from James Gordon of Senators Extra,

Every day this lockout continues, the more Mickey Mouse it looks. Its stars are scattered across Europe as once-loyal customers start looking around for something else to take interest in.

Sure, revenues are up significantly since the last lockout, but the NHL has successfully stuck its foot out and sent that momentum sprawling awkwardly to the floor. Every day, resentment grows.

If the NHL follows through and cancels the Winter Classic (and eventually the season), it will cause irreparable damage to itself and cede ground on the sports landscape it can ill afford to lose.

Maybe it starts when a fan here springs for the Sportsnet World package instead of Centre Ice, or a fan there buys a Manchester City jersey instead of a Bruins one.

Yes, many people will flock back to the NHL. But many won’t.

It took Major League Baseball 10 years to get even a sniff of the same attendance levels it enjoyed prior to losing the 1994 World Series to a player strike. Baseball eventually recovered, but it’s already America’s pastime. In many markets, hockey is already America’s afterthought.

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