Winnipeg Jets: What A Lockout Would Mean to the City and its Fans

As the gloomy days of a lockout are upon us, Winnipeg Jets fans are going to have to find a way to live without hockey yet again. I can’t think of another city that would be more devastated when the news of a lockout officially hits tomorrow.

Winnipeg got their team back in 2011. It only took one year for them to lose their team again. Well, the good news this time is that it’s not permanent. Still, losing something special after only just getting familiar with it is devastating.

For the fans of Winnipeg, it almost feels as though the return to the league was only just a tease. The fans were just becoming acquainted with their team again. From sellouts to an amazing atmosphere, the fans were just beginning to establish themselves as the best in the league.

Out of everyone and everything, the lockout is a huge blow to the fans and a devastating one.

The lockout is still a very surreal moment. It’s hard to grip the fact that there’s a possibility the entire 2012-13 season may be canceled. This hurts the most—knowing that an entire season may go by without a single game being played.

As far as the Jets go, the lockout could be harmful to player development. The management put a lot of stock in some of these young players, and it would be a disaster for them to not get their experience—or simply waste an entire year of their career because of a lockout. Also, if there is a shortened season, who really knows where you stand with a small sample size of games?

There's nothing but negative outcomes to the lockout, especially if it's an entire season.

Coping with the loss of a passion can be hard for everyone. Jets fans are going to have to find a way to live without hockey again as if the Jets' return to the NHL was just a tease to the fans.