If the NHL and the Players' Association can't come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement by 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, it's likely that the league will lock out its players. This will mean an awful lot of bad things, but the worst of which is that an NHL season would be unlikely in 2012. But there's also some other consequences that are a bit overlooked.
According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, it would also mean that teams have to stop running any promotions that feature players or the likenesses of players. This includes the Minnesota Wild's "Becoming Wild," which airs on Fox Sports North. If you're unfamiliar with that show, it's an HBO 24/7-like look at various personalities on the Wild's team.
That means "Becoming Wild," which the Wild is using to show off the personalities of its players in part because of its desire to be awarded a Winter Classic, will have to cease being televised on Fox Sports North. The remaining shows are supposed to be behind-the-scenes with Tom Gilbert, Niklas Backstrom, Dany Heatley and Mikko Koivu.
The first episode of the show aired on Thursday, and featured Cal Clutterbuck. It would be counted as a way for the team to market the franchise using the players' likenesses, which is why it has to come off the air. This also includes things like Twitter promotions and photo galleries. On Thursday, there will be an episode on Kyle Brodziak, so if you are interested, best to catch it then as it could go off the air on Saturday.
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