Who Cares?

I'll admit I am sort of a sports junkie. I like to get the scores. I read the sports section first, ok second after the funnies. I enjoy when my kids play organized sports. I am lucky enough to live in a town with 2 pro teams, a couple of minor league teams, and high school sports that can sometimes teeter on the obsessive. Our Friday night high school football games get pretty intense around here.

We have a minor league hockey team, the Cyclones. They are a good team, at least I think so, they have made the playoffs in the ECHL previously. At one time I lived close enough to the arena that they played in that I had season tickets. It was a nice time getting together with all of my friends and heading down to catch the game. It was more of a gathering then it was going to see the hockey. We had great seats, but then they only averaged around 4000 per game anyway. I was single too, which had quite a bit to do with the fact that I could goto 30 games over the winter and spring and not worry too much about it. A little expendable cash can go a long way. My question is, being from the midwest, does anyone really miss the NHL? I have heard countless reporters and experts ramble on about how hockey does not have casual fans and that even if they do play next year that there may be irreperable harm done. Ok, same question, does anyone care? North of the border, I know I would get crucified for this attitude but given the last 10 years or so of the NHL's expansion policy, I am guessing that we down here in the States have quite a bit to do with the profits of hockey. We have hockey in Arizona! I lived in Arizona when I was a young lad. I didn't see snow until I was 6 years old and there is a picture of me throwing a snowball in shorts and a Tee shirt. Tell me that hockey belongs there. I haven't been to a hockey game, minor or major league, in a couple of years so I am not an authority on the state of the game, its up and coming players, the draft status. I do know that the frozen four is down to two. The cool couple for lack of a better catch phrase. Can someone please tell me, someone that is not a paid sports reporter, does anyone care about professional hockey???????