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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Hockey fans across North America woke up Jan. 6 to news that there will be an NHL season this year after a tentative collective agreement was announced Sunday morning, ending a 113-day lockout.

Although some Yellowknifers were fighting growing frustration over the past four months as the void of professional hockey drew longer and longer, many hockey fans will be tuning in some time next week when the first puck of the season drops.

For Dan Hayward, owner of clothing and hat store Head Gear on Franklin Avenue, the last NHL lockout in 2004-05, which saw the whole season cancelled, forced him to drop 60 per cent of his NHL merchandise, mainly jerseys. These days, the only NHL products he carries are hats from the Canadian teams and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"A year after that, in fact, when I had a closing out of my jerseys, I couldn't give them away. It was a situation where people had lost that (feeling) when you put that jersey on, it meant something," said Hayward.

Although there has been anger brewing concerning the NHL Players' Association and the team owners butting heads over revenue sharing, Hayward admitted he's going to watch the upcoming games.

Same with Darren Wicks, physical education teacher at William McDonald Middle School and organizer of a hockey school, who said while the lockout was frustrating, he's still going to tune in.

"I can't wait for it to come on. Me and my kids and my wife, we enjoy our Saturday night hockey," said Wicks.

While Canadian fans are mostly diehard, he predicted there will be a setback when it comes to American viewers. "For Americans, you're right into the NFL finals, you're moving into the basketball finals and Americans will see those sports before they see a hockey game."

Mike Yakabuski, president of the Old Timers Hockey Association, said some NHL fans might have turned their attention to football or basketball with the lack of hockey. He said locker room chatter of late had been fuelled by growing irritation with the strike: the players wanting too much money and the owners not giving in to get a season going.

"After you haven't had something for awhile, then you say, 'I don't really miss it anymore.' Some people probably are starting to watch the basketball games more and watching junior hockey or they just aren't missing it much. I think (the NHL is) going to lose some TV viewers for sure," said Yakabuski.

Sports bars will host throngs of eager hockey fans in the coming weeks as the games start up again. Mike Miller, manager of Boston Pizza, said employees at the restaurant are thrilled to have the NHL back.

"It's a big part of any restaurant and lounge business and so we look forward to having it back, absolutely," he said.

"We stayed pretty steady throughout (the lockout). We've been very busy and fortunate to stay busy. But NHL is always an added bonus to be able bring and draw that clientele to the restaurant."

Miller said to welcome back professional hockey, the restaurant will most likely offer prize packs to support the fans during the first game.

Dan Schofield, a director and coach for the Yellowknife Minor Hockey Association, said he thinks the fan support and excitement will dwindle after the first one or two games. He pointed out that this isn't a new phenomenon for the NHL: there have been three NHL lockouts over the past 18 years.

On a positive note, said Schofield, talk around the city that used to centre around favourite NHL teams is now focused on minor hockey, things that are happening in the Western Hockey League and the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

"I find there's a lot more talk about those areas of youth hockey, which is really nice to see," he said.

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