NHL Lockout: Krys Barch pens a narrative of a locked-out, blue-collar player

By Andrew DeWitt

On Saturday night, New Jersey Devils tough guy Krys Barch gave his point of view on the NHL lockout via twitter. It's an important point of view to consider whether you're on the owners' side, the players' side or you just want to go to your local arena and enjoy hockey no matter who "wins" or "loses" the lockout.

I think we can all agree the best solution is one that has us enjoying hockey games in early October instead of debating hockey-related revenue.

Take it away, Krys...

I sit here from Gand Bend, Ontario putting a pen to my heart and writing on paper what bleeds out. My name is Krys Barch. I have played.....
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

..... approx 5 1/2 years in the NHL and have worked for every second of it. I Haven't been a 1st round pick, bonus baby........
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

....... or a son of a hall of famer. I have made it through sweating, bleeding, cut Achilles, broken hands, concussions......
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

........ broken orbital bones, 8 teeth knocked out, etc, etc, etc. I sit in front of a fire, 8 OV deep and starting a bottle of Porte.......
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

...... that will assist in the translations of my emotions to words! No different than a truck driver, farmer or line worker..........
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

........ I have a shot and a beer. Not to deal with the days ahead but to ease the nerves from what my body has endured the days before....
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

I sit here with both my boys sleeping and my wife due with our 3rd. My thoughts racing on what I can conquer tomorrow to get our family.....
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

..... ahead. Some times wondering if I should have existed when a word and a gunsolidified and solved all problems. I feel the Wild West..
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

.... would more simplified than the world we live in now whet an employer who makes billions of dollars and a league with record revenues...
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

.... can tell me that I can't do the things that my heart tells my me to do! All what my heart tells me to do far surpasses what my ....
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

..... body has endured. As I write this I dive deeper and deeper into my bottle of Porte giving wider views to the depths of my heart.....
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

.... As my pen warms from the fire, Neil Young and a fall Canadian night, I wonder how this work stoppage effects the owners?
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

I wonder if the owners of Boston, New York,Washington, etc, etc,have endured any of the injuries that I or any other player in the .....
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

.... NHL have endured. Still they probably sit their smoking the same brand of cigar, sipping the same cognac, and going on vacation .....
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

..... To one of five houses they own.... While we sit here knowing they want to take 20% of our paychecks. One half to 3/4 of my peers
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

.... Will have to work for the next 50 years of their lives. Congratulations to the lucky select few that I have played with who have made..
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

... Salaries that they can choose to do whatever they want when they are done.But I have played most who do not!
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

If the NHL wants to teams in the south or struggling markets than the players along with the financially well to do teams need to start....
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

.... Working together. Or they need to start to move teams to the North where they will make money. The system allows the owners to......
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

....... continually take money from the players contract after contract where eventually over 40 some years the owners will have 80%.....
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

..... Of revenue. The only way to stop the work stoppages long into the future is fix the root cause of the problems. The lockout.......
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

..... Is a procedure to take from the players to pay for the NHL mistakes. Let not allow the NHL to make any mor mistakes....
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

... Let the league and the players to come together to fix the mistakes that have been made and make sure non are made in the future....
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

...... Lets get a deal where the owners, players, and fans benefit from. We're we can be sitting around in beautiful Canadian fall's......
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012

....... around a fire playing and watching the game we love. Here's to the truth and our next conversation. As always speaking from my.....
— Krys Barch (@krysbarch) September 30, 2012