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| In Montreal, Lockout Hangover Is Persistent | In Montreal, Lockout Hangover Is Persistent |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| MONTREAL — Outside Bell Centre on Friday, it was as it should be. The Canadiens were in the playoffs, the unseasonably warm weather created a demand for beer that street vendors could not satisfy, and the usual small army of children in jerseys were filling tin cans with donations for their hockey teams. | MONTREAL — Outside Bell Centre on Friday, it was as it should be. The Canadiens were in the playoffs, the unseasonably warm weather created a demand for beer that street vendors could not satisfy, and the usual small army of children in jerseys were filling tin cans with donations for their hockey teams. |
| The N.H.L. lockout seemed a distant memory. That is, until one went a couple of blocks north. The 34 lost regular-season games still loom unpleasantly large in the downtown shops, restaurants and other businesses that depend on this city’s highly developed affinity for hockey. | The N.H.L. lockout seemed a distant memory. That is, until one went a couple of blocks north. The 34 lost regular-season games still loom unpleasantly large in the downtown shops, restaurants and other businesses that depend on this city’s highly developed affinity for hockey. |
| “Everyone was affected by the hockey,” said the manager of the Peel Pub on Dominion Square, who would give only his first name, Moussa. “But now it’s like people forget that.” | “Everyone was affected by the hockey,” said the manager of the Peel Pub on Dominion Square, who would give only his first name, Moussa. “But now it’s like people forget that.” |
| While the Peel Pub is rarely empty in the evening, Moussa estimated that business was down 30 percent during the lockout, a situation that forced him to cut his part-time staff by half. | While the Peel Pub is rarely empty in the evening, Moussa estimated that business was down 30 percent during the lockout, a situation that forced him to cut his part-time staff by half. |
| On Friday, however, staffing was back up to hockey-night normal, and four women from a brewery were also doing a surprisingly brisk trade in battery-powered $149 replica goal lights. When linked to a smartphone app, the lights automatically blink and blare whenever the Canadiens score. | On Friday, however, staffing was back up to hockey-night normal, and four women from a brewery were also doing a surprisingly brisk trade in battery-powered $149 replica goal lights. When linked to a smartphone app, the lights automatically blink and blare whenever the Canadiens score. |
| The cost to Montreal’s business community from the lockout cannot be measured precisely. But several economists and analysts agreed that whatever the amount, it was substantial and unrecoverable. | The cost to Montreal’s business community from the lockout cannot be measured precisely. But several economists and analysts agreed that whatever the amount, it was substantial and unrecoverable. |
| Douglas Porter, the chief economist of BMO Capital Markets, a unit of the Bank of Montreal, estimated that the effect was national in scope. | Douglas Porter, the chief economist of BMO Capital Markets, a unit of the Bank of Montreal, estimated that the effect was national in scope. |
| “You can’t put a dollar estimate on this and at best, this is a broad estimate,” said Porter, who added that Canada’s gross domestic product fell by one-tenth of 1 percent because of the lockout and rebounded by the same amount when play resumed in January. Indeed, he said that the return of hockey helped perk up the overall economy this spring. | “You can’t put a dollar estimate on this and at best, this is a broad estimate,” said Porter, who added that Canada’s gross domestic product fell by one-tenth of 1 percent because of the lockout and rebounded by the same amount when play resumed in January. Indeed, he said that the return of hockey helped perk up the overall economy this spring. |
| The lockout’s effect varied by city, Porter said. “My rule of thumb is that the smaller the city, the greater the impact,” he said. “In Winnipeg, it was very powerful.” | The lockout’s effect varied by city, Porter said. “My rule of thumb is that the smaller the city, the greater the impact,” he said. “In Winnipeg, it was very powerful.” |
| Since the Expos left town in 2004, the Canadiens are the only sports team in Montreal that still plays in a major North American league. | |
| “Montreal, in terms of professional, Tier 1 sports, we’re a one-trick pony,” said Bruno Delorme, who teaches marketing at McGill University and HEC Montreal, a business school. “Any business model that isn’t diversified is at risk.” | |
| Porter said statistics suggested that sales of hockey paraphernalia particularly slumped during the lockout. Certainly that was the experience of Naji Mousa, the owner of Sports Crescent on Ste. Catherine Street, a major shopping district a few blocks from Bell Centre. | Porter said statistics suggested that sales of hockey paraphernalia particularly slumped during the lockout. Certainly that was the experience of Naji Mousa, the owner of Sports Crescent on Ste. Catherine Street, a major shopping district a few blocks from Bell Centre. |
| Although his shop window offered a surprisingly wide array of Expos items for nostalgists, Mousa said that hockey items accounted for about 60 percent of his overall business even though they are largely sold only eight months of each year. Mixed in with the usual jerseys, caps and toques in his shop are some less common items, including Canadiens briefcases and girls’ dresses in the team colors. | Although his shop window offered a surprisingly wide array of Expos items for nostalgists, Mousa said that hockey items accounted for about 60 percent of his overall business even though they are largely sold only eight months of each year. Mixed in with the usual jerseys, caps and toques in his shop are some less common items, including Canadiens briefcases and girls’ dresses in the team colors. |
| For Mousa, the lockout was predictably painful, even crimping his Christmas sales of Canadiens-themed items, which he attributed to general disgust among fans for both the players and the team owners. More surprising, he said that his hockey sales did not begin to pick up again until late March and that they were still not at normal playoff levels. | For Mousa, the lockout was predictably painful, even crimping his Christmas sales of Canadiens-themed items, which he attributed to general disgust among fans for both the players and the team owners. More surprising, he said that his hockey sales did not begin to pick up again until late March and that they were still not at normal playoff levels. |
| The owner of one of Mousa’s competitors to the east, Souvenirs Super, who declined to give his name, was even blunter about the postlockout recovery. “Talk to me next week,” he said Friday, waving his hand. “They lost last night and we still haven’t seen a comeback of business.” | |
| The stories were repeated everywhere. A parking lot manager said that every lost game meant a $2,000 loss for his operation. | |
| The lockout was particularly ill-timed for downtown restaurants and bars. For much of early part of 2012, huge tuition protests by students, which were met by an equally large police response, frequently paralyzed the area and discouraged diners and drinkers from going out. | The lockout was particularly ill-timed for downtown restaurants and bars. For much of early part of 2012, huge tuition protests by students, which were met by an equally large police response, frequently paralyzed the area and discouraged diners and drinkers from going out. |
| At Douze Vingt-et-Un, a clubby-looking steakhouse that was deliberately opened in sight of Bell Centre, there were more unhappy memories of the missing part of the season. Igor Goni, the headwaiter, said that business fell about 50 percent to 60 percent. Given that the restaurant’s customers spend an average of $140 a person most hockey nights, he said, “just one table of four is normally enough to make or break your night.” | At Douze Vingt-et-Un, a clubby-looking steakhouse that was deliberately opened in sight of Bell Centre, there were more unhappy memories of the missing part of the season. Igor Goni, the headwaiter, said that business fell about 50 percent to 60 percent. Given that the restaurant’s customers spend an average of $140 a person most hockey nights, he said, “just one table of four is normally enough to make or break your night.” |
| Like most Montrealers, Goni was pleased to have the Canadiens in the playoffs. Their opponents, the Ottawa Senators, were another matter for him. | Like most Montrealers, Goni was pleased to have the Canadiens in the playoffs. Their opponents, the Ottawa Senators, were another matter for him. |
| “For us, Toronto would have been better,” he said. “People would fly here, eat here and stay overnight. Ottawa, they just drive two hours.” | “For us, Toronto would have been better,” he said. “People would fly here, eat here and stay overnight. Ottawa, they just drive two hours.” |
| The parent company of La Cage Aux Sports, a Quebec chain of 52 sports-themed restaurants and bars, including one in Bell Centre, reported last month that sales during the six months that included the lockout fell by 7.5 percent compared with the same period a year earlier. But the company, the Sportscene Group, acknowledged the opening of new restaurants reduced the financial impact of the lockout. | The parent company of La Cage Aux Sports, a Quebec chain of 52 sports-themed restaurants and bars, including one in Bell Centre, reported last month that sales during the six months that included the lockout fell by 7.5 percent compared with the same period a year earlier. But the company, the Sportscene Group, acknowledged the opening of new restaurants reduced the financial impact of the lockout. |
| The staff at a branch of Ye Old Orchard Pub and Grill near Bell Centre needed no reminders of what a hockey lockout could bring. Its current owner took over the lease after the previous owners were bankrupted by the 2004-5 N.H.L. lockout. | The staff at a branch of Ye Old Orchard Pub and Grill near Bell Centre needed no reminders of what a hockey lockout could bring. Its current owner took over the lease after the previous owners were bankrupted by the 2004-5 N.H.L. lockout. |
| As a result, Joe Pilotte, the manager, said he developed a contingency plan that included “crazy things like bingo nights.” Extra concerts that were scheduled for Bell Centre also helped. Although his business was down only 15 percent, Pilotte said that the different audience meant that he cut his staff’s working hours. | As a result, Joe Pilotte, the manager, said he developed a contingency plan that included “crazy things like bingo nights.” Extra concerts that were scheduled for Bell Centre also helped. Although his business was down only 15 percent, Pilotte said that the different audience meant that he cut his staff’s working hours. |
| For Pilotte, however, the main loss of the lockout had nothing to do with business. | For Pilotte, however, the main loss of the lockout had nothing to do with business. |
| “It changed the atmosphere,” he said. “For the most part, people weren’t around here in January and February.” | “It changed the atmosphere,” he said. “For the most part, people weren’t around here in January and February.” |