Now I know you, NHL and NHLPA, might not even acknowledge this breakup letter since you’ve been roundly ignoring me lately. But I’ve been reassessing our relationship lately and realized I don’t love you anymore. Sure, I still love the old you and the idealized you, but it’s just not the same anymore. We need to break up and there’s no ‘let’s just be friends’.

I’ve known you since we were kids. I’ve gone to 100’s of hockey games during my life and was a season ticket holder for 5 years. I’ve watched you on TV as much as your dismal media contracts and policies would let me. I have jersey’s, t-shirts, jackets, underwear, pajamas, stickers, pucks, etc. out the wazoo. I played fantasy hockey for the past twelve years and obsessed over the stats of nearly every player in the league. I’ve celebrated some of my most important accomplishments and life events with you at the stadium – getting engaged, getting that new job, moving back to St. Louis. I’m happy and boisterous when you win and I’m sad and pissed off when you lose.

In other words, I drank the kool-aid early and often and kept coming back for more through all the previous strikes and issues in the NHL. I purposefully overlooked and forgave your past transgressions, not to mention your complete and callous disregard for my own opinion on hockey matters.

You’ve given me excitement and entertainment over the years but it’s just not enough for us to stay together any more and maybe not even enough for us to ‘just be friends’. So, consider this abusive and one-sided relationship over…and I sincerely hope all of you choke on the piles of cash we fans have given you over the years.