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Economy
Lockout Threatens San Jose Sharks Season
San Jose businesses and officials are having déjà vu over the possible National Hockey League lockout.
The Sharks lost an entire season in the NHL lockout of 2004. That cost San Jose $800,000 in unrealized tax revenues.
A repeat could be disastrous for a city struggling to balance its budget.
But San Jose spokesman David Vossbrink says that’s a small number compared to the potential $200 million a lockout could cost downtown businesses.
Vossbrink says it’s not just dollars: “That’s a loss from people’s lives. You’ve got wait staff, servers and bartenders, extra people brought in on game nights. And those people aren’t getting paid. And they’re the ones who're actually being hurt most by a potential lockout if it happens.”
The NHL's agreement with its players expires on September 15, and the two sides are said to be far apart in negotiations for a new contract. If there is a lockout, as many expect , the first public event on the cancellation list will be Sharks’ training camp, slated to start next week.
Assuming no lockout, exhibition games are scheduled to begin September 26 and the first regular season game is set for October 12.
