So why do millions of North American parents sign their kids up for hockey lessons? So they can get up at 5:00am every morning to drive their kids to hockey? I honestly think not. I guess they do it because to them it's sort of like the lottery. Maybe their child is that 1 out of those 120 kids that has a shot at the NHL. And plus, the kids love the game. And that is what the NHL should be all about. Instead, as I researched more and more into hockey, I have found out that it has turned into one big game of politics. It's all about the money now -- how much will I be getting? I want $3 million more. Will I be getting an extended contract?
Philadelphia's Eric Lindros is reportedly demanding for a $70 million, 7 year contract from the Flyers. Is that worth it? Should one of the best young players in hockey get paid $10 million a season to play a game he supposedly loves and cherishes? An average person probably won't even make $1 million in a lifetime. So is it fair that Lindros should get paid 9 times the amount an average person would make in a lifetime per year? No, it isn't fair, it's just how the game has turned out to be.
But, we can also turn the tables, and look at it at a different angle. The fans of teams that aren't doing so well, like Toronto or San Jose, come specifically to the arena to see Eric Lindros play whenever their home team plays the Flyers. He's the one who brings in the money not just for his team, but for all of the teams in the league. He is the heart and soul of the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the one that fills in the box seats whenever the Flyers roll into cities like Vancouver or Tampa Bay. So in reality, Eric Lindros is worth far more then $70 million.
All the players and all the coaches in the NHL should all get away from the politics and the money of the game, and get back to the basics of hockey; playing for the love of the game, not the love of the money.
