"The more money we come across..."

About to pour myself some hot apple cider before I sat down to write this, I reached for my Maple Leafs mug out of habit. Then I thought twice, put it back, and grabbed the one that reads, "If today was a fish, I'd throw it back."

Oh, buddy. It's over.

To address Justin's comment on the economic viability of the National Hockey League...well, it wasn't very financially strong to begin with, and has been on a steady downward spiral ever since Gary Bettman became commissioner. You could search forever and have a hard time finding one person - besides his mother, I'm sure - who thinks he's done a good job. This is why I've joined the masses in screaming for the occupational heads of both GB and BG, because their constant squabbling has cost all of hockey's fans an entire season, and has put a huge scar on the face of the game.

That being said, the NHL will be back, and probably in 2005-06. They might not play a full schedule, but there will be hockey played. The league will likely have a very different look, however:

• The expansion class of 1993 (Florida Panthers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim) is in big trouble. The only reason these teams - along with the Hurricanes and the Predators - are still here is because Gary Bettman seems to have an obsession with the number 30, no matter what it does to the league's talent level. These two teams were in danger of folding before, and the longer we go without a CBA, the worse it gets; the Ducks don't even own their arena, so they have absolutely no revenue coming in, and they're up for sale right now. Would you invest in an airplane that's currently airborne, but has lost all its engines?
• Rule changes will abound. Goalie pads will shrink, no-touch icing and tag-up offsides (bring them back!) might finally be accepted...and just to suck up to the fans, the owners will push the shootout idea like it's going out of style. Gross.
• Look for a new NHL logo. It's an idea they toyed with several months ago, but when you change your appearance, you risk alienating your fans. Guess what? Those fans have been alienated, so change away! But don't think that it'll make anyone forget about 2004-05.

As for the fans, they'll be back, it'll just take a while. Places like Toronto and Detroit won't even notice there was a lockout in terms of ticket sales; Nashville and Carolina, however, will be in big trouble (if they're even still around when play resumes). I'd be surprised if Tampa Bay can fill their building for the raising of the Stanley Cup banner; expect a full house in Calgary, though. Make no mistake, it will take years for the NHL to rebuild to the level they were at before - as paltry as it was - but it shouldn't suffer like baseball, which is still recuperating from 1994. Let's face it, in the right markets, the NHL is still a big-time sport, and it's easier to find 16 000 fans than it is to find the 45 000-ish it takes to fill a Major League Baseball stadium, especially since hockey ticket prices should drop substantially if the "N" knows what's good for 'em.

But should time prove me wrong, well, I hear they're trying to start up the WHA again for next year...