On leafs tv -i watch a classic leaf game of 1986: Leafs Vs, Blues Norris Div. final game 6. What i notice was no corporate sponsors on boards or ice. It seem like hockey than was about playing the game, making a living. Now its a business and player entitlements. NHL of the 20th century is still a sport, though it operates as entertainment (a business). The league and its owners (shareholder) are concern with maximizing profits. They care about hockey as a marketable product -and a profitable corporation. With NHL locking out the PA for a 3rd consecutive time, the motive is money. So NHL isn't about a beloved game of passion, but a product to be marketed to maximize profits. Can hockey exist without the NHL.