The NHL suspension put everyone involved in this sport in an unpleasant spot. However, the most intricate circumstance includes those who will be neglected without revenue because of such.
However, there is still a chance to lead by example. The NHL teams’ arenas’ part-time workers didn’t know what the future would look like for them. Instead of having a good part-time job until at least next month, they are left without one for weeks or even months to come.
NHL teams decided to cover and assist part-time and on-call workers that are currently missing shifts. The last team to announce anything where the Boston Bruins.
The Bruins did join the effort eventually, announcing that they created a fund of $1.5 million to help these part-time workers if the games are destined to be canceled. There was some early positive response from the fanbase. However, the condition here is significant. If those six remaining regular season games are not canceled, then that is a problem. It is highly unlikely that there is any explicit decision coming soon.
A total of four teams went the same conditioning way: Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, and the Bruins. Calgary and Winnipeg have already changed their stance after public criticism. The Bruins and the Sabres haven’t changed anything yet.
“I don’t know what to do. I just don’t know,” one of the TD Garden’s part-time employees told The Athletic. “We don’t know. The way all of ([acobs’s] lawyers and him presented this, somebody needs to set up and say it needs to [be in] place now, and not wait and see. Because people need some sort of income coming into their lives right now while we’re all sitting on hold,”
“I am happy but hesitant,” said another employee. “I want to trust that we will be taken care of, however, it’s difficult when Delaware North, the TD Garden, and the Jacobs family have demonstrated disregard for the financial stress of their employees during this time. It’s a shame that the media had to put so much pressure on them to finally call someone to action.”
The company owning the TD Garden, Delaware North, has an annual revenue of $3.2 billion.
“Trying to recover from negative publicity without doing anything at all,” concluded a bartender from TD Garden.
In a particularly challenging moment, everybody loses money in the world of sports. It is not only about the NHL or hockey in the United States, but also about all the hockey world and all the world of sports.
It is also not about those making millions each year.
There are players and workers making a few bucks. Suddenly, their future looks very uncertain.
Nobody knows when will everything get back to normal.
