By Daniel Cohen ’13, Staff Writer

During the past few years, labor unrest has crippled professional sports. In the summer of 2011, both the NFL and the NBA experienced lockouts. While the NFL labor disputes were resolved before the start of the season, the NBA lockout extended until a month into the year, resulting in a shortened 64-game season. Currently, the NHL is in the midst of yet another lockout, and the prospects of a compromise are looking increasingly bleak.

 This is not the first time that the NHL is experiencing labor unrest. There were lockouts in 1992, 1994-1995 and most recently in 2004-2005, when the entire season was canceled. Some contend that the ’04 lockout was necessary because, in their opinion, changes had to be made to the game to increase its speed and excitement, and ultimately its popularity.

The current NHL lockout is not so much due to the mechanics and popularity of the game as much as it is about the split of revenue between the players and the owners. The owners are demanding that players lower their share of hockey revenues from 57% to 46%. However, the players are unwilling to take any reduction in play, contending that they are the primary drivers of revenue to the league. Donald Fehr, the head of the players union, is insistent that owners can be satiated by amendments to the salary cap system (which is currently linked to league revenue) that would increase the overall revenue of the league. His side has also proposed a new revenue sharing system that would help struggling smaller market teams. The owners, represented by much maligned league commissioner Gary Bettman, are not convinced.

The inability of the NHL to negotiate an agreement has angered many hockey fans, including those at Newark Academy. Many fans are upset over what they see as billionaires and millionaires fighting over money. J.C Gibbons ’13, a loyal New Jersey Devils fan commented, “Originally I thought it was the owners faults for being greedy, but now I blame the players for being unreasonable and not taking the owners’ latest offer, which seems like a decent compromise.”

The NHL has been forced to cancel all of the games in November along with the highly anticipated Winter Classic,  one of the highlights in the NHL season. Still, however, all hope for an NHL season has not yet been lost. In November, after a brief hiatus, the NHL and the players union resumed discussions and negotiation.

Coming off the excitement of deep Ranger and Devil playoff runs last year, many Newark Academy fans are especially disappointed in not being able to watch their team.  “I think its ridiculous,” said Chloe Cubbage ’15, an avid Devils fan, “Our sport’s popularity was on the rise and now people are beginning to lose interest in hockey due to the lockout.” Throughout the spring last year, it was clear that many students had been caught up in the excitement of having local teams deep in the postseason.  All throughout the hallways, the lamentations of the losers and the victorious cries of the winners could be heard. Unless an agreement is reached soon, that excitement will be quelled by the greed of the players and owners. Hopefully, hockey can come back and the rivalries of the school can be renewed again.