This date may prove significant in my life, for it may mark the very last NHL game I will ever see (San Jose Sharks v. Toronto Maple Leafs, if you don't have an old 2003-2004 schedule handy).

After Wayne Gretzky's hand-wringing over possibly losing two NHL seasons, and the latest round of finger-pointing bullshit by the NHL owners and NHLPA, I have completely lost my patience with the National Hockey League.

OK, it took a long time, but the NHLPA is finally starting to publicly acknowledge what they've surely known for a long time: That the cash cow has tipped over and the days of multi-million-dollar contracts for relatively marginal players are about to end (as they should).

And still the NHL owners refuse to acknowledge their part in the this whole mess: That they were the ones OFFERING THESE RIDICULOUS CONTRACTS IN THE FIRST PLACE! That the few "wealthy" owners drove the market up on contracts because they could afford to (try to) buy a Stanley Cup (the New York Rangers being the exception...they had the highest payroll in the NHL and still managed to suck game in and game out). The attitude of NHL owners is, "Sure, we gave the players these expensive contracts, but THEY ACCEPTED THE CONTRACTS so it's all the players' fault! Therefore, they insist on making the NHLPA make all the major concessions to ensure cost certainty for the league. They won't even put on their reading glasses now, unless the NHLPA has the words "salary cap" in their proposal.

COST CERTAINTY! This is the same group (led by Gary Bettman, who made Business Week's list of the Worst Managers of 2004) who act all coy when asked if they'll be lowering ticket prices once they get their lower salaries and "cost certainty": Bettman was quoted as saying that things such as ticket prices are something that the markets should determine. Of course, they want the market to determine how much money they get to stuff INTO their pockets, yet want controls and cost certainty on the money coming OUT of their pockets. What a bunch of snot nozzles!

Earlier I said that the NHL absolutely needs to contract by about 5-10 teams. Now, I really think the NHL should just die. Both the owners and the players have now convinced me that absolutely none of them DESERVE the NHL.

At least I finally got to see the Maple Leafs play in person...