What do we classify as a "small market" team? A lot of the actual small markets are doing quite well because of their hockey niche.
A few teams ineligible for revenue sharing because of their large TV markets had some of the worst attendances last year: Dallas, Anaheim, NYI, and even New Jersey.
So a lot of the big markets with a small hockey market are doing quite poorly and don't qualify for revenue sharing.
The top 10 teams are responsible for the revenue sharing, and in 2012 they were:
1. Toronto
2. NYR
3. Montreal
4. Vancouver
5. Detroit
6. Boston
7. Chicago
8. Philly
9. Pittsburgh
10. Calgary
Only Pittsburgh had a negative operating income.
Ineligible teams (operating income):
Kings $-2m
NYI $-8.1m
Dallas $-1.1m
NJ $-6.1m
And here is the problem with hockey. These large markets aren't pulling their weight. So, yes, this lockout is about smaller market teams because the large markets have to take more money from the players just to pay them their revenue shares and keep them alive. If small and big markets weren't losing money, then a 57/43 split would be no problem at all.
http://www.thehockeyfanatic.com/2012...rth-2011-2012/
And Bettman loves these large markets with small hockey markets or just small markets with small hockey markets in general. So Bettman has to screw the players over to save his beloved southern hockey teams. But players thinking they can make comparable money to other sports is pretty lol as well. I mean, they could, but that means cutting out half the league and players.